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If you’re looking for a comforting yet healthy recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Today I’ll show you how to make the absolute Best Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, perfect for the cooler weather starting to roll in.
This tasty, simple recipe uses lentils as the base instead of the traditional ground beef in non-veg recipes. I promise the lentils are so so delicious, you won’t even notice the swap! This pie has the best fluffy potatoes on top of hearty lentils cooked to perfection with fresh-cut vegetables, all with a subtle hint of rosemary.
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
This vegan shepherd’s pie is the most savory, filling, hearty dinner. The lentils are PACKED with flavor thanks to veggie stock and vegan bouillon cubes. Topped off with loads of creamy mashed potatoes, this shepherd’s pie is warm and comforting. Did I mention that it’s pretty healthy too? This is one of my go-to dinners during the fall and winter because it’s so dang good.
what’s in shepherd’s pie
To start, what is Shepherd’s pie? Traditionally, it’s a meal made of ground meat served with mashed potatoes on top. Sometimes there may be veggies in the mix with some type of gravy or sauce.
We’re subbing out the ground meat for lentils which are full of iron, protein, and fiber. These are such a great substitute for meat because only ½ cup of cooked lentils has 12 grams of protein! That’s amazing!
To make this vegan shepherd’s pie, you’ll want to gather the following:
- Brown Lentils
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Veggie Stock
- Vegan Boullion Cubes
- Spices (Garlic, Onion, Rosemary, Salt & Pepper)
- Potatoes
- Dairy Free Milk
- Vegan Butter
the filling
This filling will also have lots of other good veggies. We’ll be using onion, carrots, and celery in this recipe. You could also add in green beans if you have them on hand! You’ll love this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie because you can basically throw whatever leftover veggies you have in your fridge into the filling.
how to get flavorful lentils:
The key to a super flavorful filling is in how we prepare the lentils. I love using a combination of premade veggie stock and vegan bouillon cubes. I love love love these Vegan Not Chick’n Boullion Cubes.
What’s great about these versus normal stock is that you’re able to get a super concentrated flavor. Because these are in a cube, you can control how much water to mix in. My ratio for this recipe is 2 bouillon cubes to 3/4 cups of water. It really makes the lentils so tasty!!
How to Make Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Alrighty! Are you ready for some bubbly, broiled delicious dinner? This vegan shepherd’s pie is really easy to make with just a few steps.
- Saute the onion and garlic with olive oil on medium low heat.
- Add the chopped carrots and celery, plus the rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Saute until vegetables start to get slightly tender.
- Add the lentils and stock. Then, stir the 2 vegan bouillon cubes and the water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for another 20 minutes.
- Make the mashed potatoes.
- The lentils should be tender and soft, and the liquid should be mostly absorbed when ready.
- In a 9 x13” pan add the lentil mixture and then cover the entire top with mashed potatoes.
- Bake for about 10 minutes until the potatoes start to brown.
Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
I love using Yukon gold potatoes for mashed potatoes. These potatoes make the finished product SO creamy. I like to peel the potatoes for a better texture and dice the potatoes into small pieces so they cook faster. In this recipe, I used almond milk to make these potatoes super creamy, but you could use any dairy-free milk you’d like. I recommend using dairy-free milk that is neutral in flavor like soy or oat milk. I don’t recommend using coconut milk in these mashed potatoes.
More Vegan Comfort Food
Hearty Lentil Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Filling
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/4″ cubes
- 4 celery stalks, diced – optional
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- ¼ tsp table salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups brown or green lentils
- 4 cups hot water
- 2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
Mashed Potatoes
- 4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled + diced (about 4-5 potatoes)
- ¼-½ cup unsweetened soy milk, or other unflavored plant milk
- 4 tbsp salted vegan butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes, until translucent.1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 large yellow onion, 5 cloves garlic
- Add the vegetables: Stir in the carrots, celery, rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook for another 4 minutes, until slightly softened.5 medium carrots, 4 celery stalks, 2 tsp fresh rosemary, ¼ tsp table salt, ⅛ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder
- Add Flavor Boosters: Add the soy sauce and tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute or until the tomato paste darkens slightly.1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Simmer the lentils: Add the lentils, bouillon, and water. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, covered, until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.2 cups brown or green lentils, 4 cups hot water, 2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
- Boil the potatoes: While the lentils cook, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the diced potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until fork-tender.4 cups Yukon gold potatoes
- Mash the potatoes: Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the unsweetened soy milk, vegan butter, salt, and pepper. Mash until smooth and creamy, adding 2–3 tablespoons of additional soy milk as needed.¼-½ cup unsweetened soy milk, 4 tbsp salted vegan butter, Salt and pepper
- Assemble: Spread the lentil filling evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and spread into an even layer.
- Bake: Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until the mashed potatoes begin to brown. Garnish with fresh parsley and rosemary and serve warm.
Recipe notes
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