Cozy Vegan Shepherd's Pie
A cozy vegan shepherd's pie made with lentils or chickpeas. This vegan main is perfect for the holidays or for a comforting winter meal. It's packed with vegetables, including mushrooms, carrots, peas and celery, then topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Vegan comfort food at its best!
Servings 6
Ingredients
Shepherd's Pie Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 3 cups (227g) cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons sage, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth, low sodium (divided)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low-sodium
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (540ml/19oz) lentils or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup green peas, frozen
Mashed Potatoes
- 7-8 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 8 cups)
- 3/4-1 cup oat milk, plain and unsweetened
- 4-5 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the Mashed Potatoes
- Peel and roughly chop the potatoes - I chop them into four pieces. The larger the pieces, the longer you'll need to boil them. Boil them until fork tender and easy to mash. Drain and mash the potatoes, along with the oat milk (start with the smaller amount and add more if needed - the potatoes should be thick and creamy), vegan butter and salt. Taste and adjust as needed. Keep covered until ready to use.
Prepare the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Chop and prepare all of your vegetables.
- Heat the oil in a large oven safe pot or 12" cast iron skillet. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the sage and thyme, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In 1/2 cup of broth, whisk the corn starch or flour until well combined. Add the mixture to the vegetables, along with the remaining 1 cup of broth, soy sauce, tomato paste, lentils or chickpeas and peas. Simmer over low to medium heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick, but saucy. If it's thinner and soup-like, add more flour or cornstarch, mixed in a small amount of broth.
- Gently spread the mashed potatoes on top of the vegetable filling.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, then broil for a few minutes if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
I love using oat milk for the mashed potatoes, but almond milk, soy milk and cashew milk should also work. Make sure to use plain, unsweetened plant-based milk.
If preferred, you can prepare the mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot following this recipe. Feel free to add the roasted garlic as instructed in that recipe.
You could try replacing 1/2 a cup of broth with red wine if preferred. I tested this recipe with broth only.
This recipe was tested with both canned lentils and chickpeas. Both were delicious, but I personally preferred the lentils. Choose your favorite or what you have on hand.
You can use white button mushrooms if you don't have cremini mushrooms.