Here’s another great British dish for you – a vegan version of our great shepherd’s pie! Super tasty and filling, it’s a real family favourite! Hearty and full of flavour, it’s everyone’s idea of the ultimate comfort food and guaranteed to have them asking for more! A succulent layer of flavourful vegan mince topped with buttery mashed potatoes and a generous helping of gravy is most people’s idea of comfort food and perfect for entertaining or a special night in.
What is shepherd’s pie?
Shepherd’s pie is a traditional and inexpensive British dish hailing from the sheep country in Scotland and northern England. The original version is a baked meat pie made with minced or diced lamb and topped with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. We’re leaving out the meat, of course, and we’re substituting it with a mouth-watering filling made of savoury vegan mince mixed with umami mushrooms, tender diced carrots, and sweet garden peas in a rich gravy.
Prefer to skip the vegan mince? This shepherd’s pie also works beautifully with a lentil ragu. Lentils make for an easy, protein-packed alternative to vegan mince. This vegan lentil ragu provides a tasty whole-food twist that’s equally as satisfying and full of flavour.
How do you make vegan shepherd’s pie?
Shepherd’s pie is a classic comfort food made up of two hearty layers: a thick layer of savoury vegan mince filling with carrots and peas on the bottom and a generous topping of creamy mashed potatoes on top. To start, peel and cut the potatoes, then boil them in salted water until fork-tender—about 30 to 40 minutes. Prepare the mince filling while the potatoes are cooking, then mash the potatoes, assemble the pie, and bake it until golden and bubbling.
Ingredients
You’ll find the exact quantities of each ingredient in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Instructions
You’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
How to make the filling
- Put two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Sweat the chopped onion and minced garlic on low heat, with a lid on, for 5 – 10 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Cut the carrots into dice and weigh the peas. Finely chop the mushrooms. I use the pulse function of a food processor for this – it chops the mushrooms really finely and with minimum effort.
- Add the vegan mince to the onion and garlic, turn the heat right up and sauté on a high heat for a couple of minutes. Separate the strands of vegan mince with a fork while you cook the mince. Once it has browned a bit and you have separated the strands, add the diced carrots, peas and mushrooms. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the water, miso paste, vegan stock powder, tomato purée (concentrate), salt and pepper. Mix well, cover with the lid and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
How to make The topping
Peel the potatoes and cut them into even-sized pieces. Place them in a saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them well, or put them through a potato mouli if you have one – that way you can be sure there’ll be no lumps. Add the soya milk and vegan butter. Mix well, making sure the butter melts properly. Taste and add a little salt if necessary.
Assemble
Now it’s time to assemble your vegan shepherd’s pie! Put the vegan mince mixture into the bottom of your oven dish and flatten it out. Then add the mashed potato and spread it out well, so that it completely covers the mince. Put a few little knobs of butter on top and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the topping is crispy and golden.
How to serve vegan shepherd’s pie
Leave your shepherd’s pie to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Pre-cut the portions by scoring the top with a knife, making 6 – 8 portions depending on how hungry you are. This vegan shepherd’s pie is a complete, nutritionally balanced meal in itself. However, if you want, you could serve it with a side salad, or a simple vegetable side dish like garlicky spinach.
How long will shepherd’s pie last in the fridge?
Leftover shepherd’s pie will keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge if stored correctly in an airtight container.
How to reheat
The best way to reheat shepherd’s pie is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), cover the pie with foil to prevent the mashed potatoes from drying out, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil for the last 5 – 10 minutes if you want a crispy golden top.
Alternatively, you could reheat it in the microwave. Reheat for about 2 – 3 minutes on high, depending on your microwave. Just be aware that the mash won’t stay as crisp.
Can you freeze shepherd’s pie?
Yes, this vegan shepherd’s pie is suitable for freezing. I suggest portioning it first and then placing it in airtight containers suitable for freezing. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I’m sure you’ll love this recipe for vegan shepherd’s pie! If you do, I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below, or take a quick pic and share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook vegan_hot_stuff. I love seeing your re-creations!
The ultimate vegan shepherd’s pie
6-8
servings45
minutes30
minutesA mouthwateringly delicious vegan shepherd’s pie made with savoury vegan mince, sweet peas and tender carrots in a rich umami gravy – topped with a generous layer of creamy mashed potatoes and baked to perfection!
By Deborah, veganhotstuff.com
The quantities indicated below are for a large 22 x 30 cm rectangular dish
Ingredients
- For the vegan mince filling
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150 g finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic (minced)
400 g vegan mince
350 g cremini mushrooms (white or brown)
150 g carrot
150 g peas
1 1/2 tbsp tomato purée (concentrate)
1 tsp brown miso paste
1 1/2 tsp vegetable stock powder
200 g water
black pepper (to taste)
- For the potato topping
1,2 kg potatoes (type suitable for mashing)
50 g vegan butter
100 g soya milk
1 pinch unrefined sea salt (more if necessary)
extra vegan butter (to put on the top before going in the oven)
Directions
- First of all, peel the potatoes and put them in a pan of cold salted water. Bring them to the boil and simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes, or until they are cooked (see notes below). In the meantime, prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filling
- Put 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of a non-stick saucepan. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Put a lid on and sweat on a low heat without colour for about 10 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
- Add the vegan mince and fry on a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Separate the strands of mince while frying. Once it has browned a bit and you have separated the strands, remove from the heat while you prepare the next step.
- Wash and chop the mushrooms very finely. I use the pulse function of a food processor for this job.
- Dice the carrots and weigh out the peas.
- Prepare the topping
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
- Drain the potatoes and mash them well, or put them through a potato mouli if you have one – that way you can be sure there’ll be no lumps.
- Add the soya milk and vegan butter. Mix well, making sure the butter melts properly. Taste and add a little salt if necessary.
- Assemble your shepherd’s pie
- Put the vegan mince mixture into the bottom of your oven dish and flatten it out.
- Then add the mashed potato and spread it out well, so that you completely cover the mince.
- Finishing touches
- Put a few little knobs of butter on top.
- Place on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the topping is just starting to brown.
- Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- Pre-cut the shepherd’s pie into portions.
- Serve your vegan shepherd’s pie while it is still hot, with or without a side dish (see notes above and below).
Notes
- For the best results, use potatoes which are specifically for making mashed potatoes.
- I use unsweetened soya milk. If you want to use a different kind of vegan milk, make sure it’s unsweetened. A different kind of milk may result in a different flavoured mash.
- I use a pea protein vegan mince. It’s important to separate the strands with a fork while sautéing it so that it doesn’t clump.
- I used brown miso paste, but you can substitute it with white miso paste. If you don’t have miso paste, just substitute with an extra teaspoon of vegetable stock powder.
- I always use stock powder instead of cubes because the powder form doesn’t contain fat. Stock cubes, even vegan ones, often contain hydrogenated fats. Read more about the dangers of hydrogenated or trans fats.
- This is one of the very few recipes where I use tomato paste or concentrate. This is because I need the full tomato flavour and colour without any of the water. My favourite is Mutti triple concentrate. Mutti is a good quality Italian brand. Use whatever is available where you are.
- I always use unrefined sea salt in all my recipes. It’s the only kind of salt I have in my house. Unrefined sea salt contains dozens of naturally occurring minerals and elements and the sodium chloride content is lower.
- I only use good quality extra virgin olive oil for cooking. Poor quality oils are bad for your health.
- This vegan shepherd’s pie is a complete, nutritionally balanced meal in itself. However, if you want, you could serve it with a side salad, or a simple vegetable side dish like garlicky spinach.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this recipe ahead?
Yes, you can absolutely prepare this recipe ahead of time – at least partially. I don’t recommend making the mashed potato topping in advance, as cooked potatoes tend to change texture once they’ve cooled and been refrigerated. Instead, prepare the vegan mince filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the pie. For the best texture and flavour, make the mashed potatoes fresh just before baking and serving your shepherd’s pie.
What’s the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie?
In our case there is no difference between the two, because we’re making it vegan! Anyway, just for the record, shepherd’s pie is made of lamb and in cottage pie they use beef. Otherwise, there is no difference.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for vegan shepherd’s pie! If you do, it would be great if you could give it a star rating and leave a comment below! It helps other readers find my content and posts and ultimately makes my blog more successful! Thanks so much for your support! Deborah xx
Before you go, maybe you’d like to take a look at some other great vegan comfort food recipes…
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