Hearty Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

This mouth-watering Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is packed with chunky vegetables, savory sauce, and fluffy mashed potatoes. Believe me, it’s going to be a hit!

Whether you serve this lentil cottage pie for dinner or even for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the whole family will love it.

You will love this shepherd’s pie because it’s…

• Comforting
• Thick & hearty
• Protein-packed
• Nutrient-rich
• Healthy
• Completely satisfying
• Savory
• Filling and delicious

Shepherd’s pie is such a comfort food, and this savory vegan version will not disappoint. It’s loaded with flavor and hearty enough to keep you full for hours.

The traditional recipe is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, but this much healthier version uses lentils instead of meat and satisfies every bit as much.

How to make vegan shepherd’s pie

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

If there ever was comfort food, especially on cold winter days, this lentil shepherd’s pie is it for me. Though there are a few steps in making it, thankfully, it’s worth the effort.

You’ll need to begin by washing the veggies and dicing them up. The veggies included in this recipe are garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

Cooking the lentils

In a large saucepan, saute the veggies in about 1/2 cup veggie broth (or even water) for about 5 minutes to get them slightly tender.

Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, bay leaf, lentils, and about 3.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-high heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, dice up the red potatoes, add them to a stockpot with enough water to cover them up well, and cook until tender, about 20-minutes.

When the lentils are done, remove the bay leaf and throw it away. Pour the lentil tomato mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish, and set it to the side while you work on the mashed potato topping.

Preheat the oven to 350°F while you prepare the potato topping.

Making the mashed potato topping

Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain the water off. I like to set a colander in my sink and dump the pot to do this.

Place the cooked potato chunks in a large mixing bowl. Add low-fat, oil-free vegan mayo, plant milk, and salt. Blend together with a hand mixer until smooth.

The secret ingredient is the Low-Fat Eggless Mayo that packs the mashed potato topping full of flavor and creaminess.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the lentil mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with smoked paprika, parsley flakes, and coarse ground pepper.

Bake at 350°F in the oven for approximately 25-minutes or until nice and bubbly. Keep an eye on it and don’t let it burn, because oven temperatures vary.

Once cooked, allow the lentil shepherd pie to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

*Originally published December 18, 2014

Your Questions Answered:

• Q: Does it matter what kind of lentils I use? Yes, you’ll want to use either brown or green lentils in this recipe because they don’t get mushy when cooked.
• Q: Do I have to use red potatoes as called for? Nope, yellow, russet, or most any other potato will work just fine.
• Q: Should I peel my potatoes? You can peel them, but I don’t. The peelings have lots of fiber and nutrients in them. So, I scrub my potatoes well and leave the skin on.
• Q: Can I make this ahead of time and bake the next day? This is a great make-ahead dish, so absolutely!
• Q: Is this freezable? I haven’t frozen it but see no reason it wouldn’t do just fine.

Other vegan main dish recipes

• No- Meat Loaf
• Vegan Broccoli & Rice Casserole
• Portobello Gyros

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This mouth-watering vegan shepherd’s pie is packed with chunky vegetables, savory sauce, and fluffy mashed potatoes. Believe me, it’s going to be a hit!

Print

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, diced (approximately 3/4 cup)
• 1 large carrot, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• ½ cup veggie broth
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-1/2 cup dry/uncooked green or brown lentils, rinsed
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 8 medium red-skinned potatoes, chopped with skin left on
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk such as almond or soy
• 1 tablespoon Low-fat eggless mayo
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons parsley flakes

Instructions

1. You’ll need to begin by washing the veggies and dicing them up. The veggies included in this recipe are garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.
2. In a large saucepan, saute the veggies in about 1/2 cup veggie broth (or even water) for about 5 minutes to get them slightly tender.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, bay leaf, lentils, and about 3.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-high heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. While the lentils are cooking, dice up the red potatoes, add them to a stockpot with enough water to cover them up well, and cook until tender, about 20-minutes.
5. When the lentils are done, remove the bay leaf and throw it away. Pour the lentil tomato mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish, and set it to the side while you work on the mashed potato topping.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F while you prepare the potato topping.
7. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain the water off. I like to set a colander in my sink and dump the pot to do this.
8. Place the cooked potato chunks in a large mixing bowl. Add low-fat, oil-free vegan mayo, plant milk, and salt. Blend together with a hand mixer until smooth. The secret ingredient is the Low-Fat Eggless Mayo that packs the mashed potato topping full of flavor and creaminess.
9. Spread the mashed potatoes over the lentil mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with smoked paprika, parsley flakes, and coarse ground pepper.
10. Bake at 350°F in oven for approximately 25-minutes or until nice and bubbly. Keep an eye on it and don’t let it burn, because oven temperatures vary.
11. Once cooked, allow the lentil shepherd pie to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Hamilton Beach Classic 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer with Snap-On Storage Case, Whisk, Traditional and Wire Beaters, Brushed Stainless (62650A)
• 
  365 Everyday Value, Organic Green Lentils, 16 Ounce

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 2.2gSaturated Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 19.5gFiber: 8.7gProtein: 10g

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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