The combination of hearty veggies and gravy topped with a comforting vegan mashed potato crust makes this Vegan Shepherd's Pie a family staple for weeknights and rainy days.
VEGAN SHEPHERDS PIE RECIPE
The garlicky, pillowy vegan mashed potato crust covers the view of the stars of this delicious dish: the vegetables. Leeks, mushrooms, carrots and peas carry this traditional Irish entrée without all the meat!
Shepherd's pie is traditionally made with ground beef, but I choose to bulk up on the veggies instead of substituting a plant-based meat substitute. It's also commonly made with tomato paste, which I omit for dietary preferences, but helps make a flavorful vegetable gravy.
INGREDIENTS IN VEGAN SHEPHERD'S PIE
Oil - Used to sautee the ingredients and create a base for the gravy.
Leeks - I love the mild onion flavor that leeks have, it's delicious here.
Mushrooms - Mushrooms give an earthy, meaty flavor and add bulk to the filling.
Carrots- Diced into medium pieces.
Frozen Peas - I suppose you could use fresh peas, but when frozen peas are so easy and delicious, why do all of that work?
Maple Syrup - adds a tiny bit of sweetness to your filling.
Flour - Gluten Free all purpose flour is what I use to thicken the gravy.
Tomato Paste - I don't always add this, just my preference, but it's traditional and most people really like it in this dish.
Vegan Mashed Potatoes - Use this recipe for vegan mashed potatoes.
Chives - This is optional, but a beautiful, garlicy garnish.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SHEPHERDS PIE
This recipe is all about the prep. Dice up all the vegetables in advance and make this a quick weeknight go-to.
- Heat oil in a medium oven-safe skillet. Sauté diced leeks and diced mushrooms.
- Add carrots. Sauté until soft.
- Add frozen peas.
- Then add maple syrup.
- Add gluten free all purpose flour. Stir while allowing mixture to heat through and thicken. Tomato paste (optional) can also be added in this step.
- Cover mixture with pre-made vegan mashed potatoes. Cook in 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, until potatoes begin to brown. Garnish with diced chives and enjoy!
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Want to stuff more into your Vegan Shepherd's Pie? Try stewing some lentils and adding them to the vegetable filling. Looking to add a plant-based meat alternative? Seitan (not gluten free) and tempeh (often gluten free) are both amazing ground beef swaps as well as beyond meat.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SHEPHERDS PIE IN ADVANCE
Want to bring this to a potluck? You can easily prep most of the recipe a day or two before you need it and assemble it the day of to keep the layers fresh.
Make the vegan mashed potatoes and the cooked vegetable filling the night before and assemble on party day in an oven-proof skillet or baking dish to complete. Follow same baking steps. Vegetable sauce get too thick in the fridge? Reheat with a splash of water or vegetable broth to thin it.
MORE COMFORT FOOD RECIPES TO TRY
Try making The Best Vegetarian Spinach Mushroom Lasagna if you really want a comfort food treat.
Broccoli Cheese Risotto is creamy and cheesy and hits all the spots.
A classic comfort food dish, Air Fryer Meatloaf is easy to make and cooks up quickly in the air fryer.
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Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
- Oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¾ cup leek diced
- 4 cups mushrooms diced
- 2 cups carrots diced
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
- 4 tbsp tomato paste optional
- 4 cups
vegan mashed potatoes premade - Fresh chives diced for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium oven-safe skillet, heat oil. Add leeks and sauté.
- Add carrots and mushrooms. Sauté until soft.
- Add frozen peas to pan. Stir to combine.
- Add maple syrup and flour. Allow mixture to warm, stirring continuously. Mixture will thicken. Add tomato paste (optional).
- Cover mixture with layer of vegan mashed potatoes. Cook in oven for about 20 minutes, until potatoes begin to turn golden brown.
- Top with diced chives. Enjoy!
Yummy! I'm going to have to give this a try. Thank you!
Be sure to come back and let us know how you liked it!
This looks like such a flavorful shepherd's pie. I can' t wait to give it a try!
Thanks I hope you enjoy!
This is the ultimate comfort food recipe! Love your vegan twist on it! MY whole family raved about this
Thank you Nicole! So glad your family loved it!
My husband was very interested when he noticed your recipe today as I have been trying to do more meat-free meals for my family. My husband's family on his dad's side is from Scottland, and his Mom is from Ireland, so we were very thrilled to see a vegan version of one of his favorite dishes. He considers this to be Cottage pie, but I always tell him we Americans have always used the term Shepherd’s Pie for this dish. He just rolls his eyes at me, LOL!
Thanks for sharing another fantastic Vegan recipe. I look forward to trying it out and coming back to rate it when I am done. It looks wonderful! So I bet it's going to be a 5-star.
Thanks Heidi, I appreciate you leaving a comment. I love learning. Cottage Pie, I have got to research it, I wonder why we call it Shepherd's Pie! I hope you enjoy!
Omg this is genius!! I have been craving shepherds pie, but haven't been able to find meat. This is perfect for me! Bookmarked 🙂
Thanks, be sure to come back and let us know how much you liked it!
Cindyyy!!!! Your recipes are so tasty thank you so much for putting these together my dad and i are so grateful
Thank you so much for your kind words!