This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is the perfect comfort food which is gluten-free and easy to make. Made with lentils, veggies, and mashed potatoes! A great meat-free dinner recipe which is flavorful and very tasty!
Healthy Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
“Delicious lentil veggie pie with mashed potato topping“. That’s what I made for dinner quite often during the past few weeks. However, when I use this phrase to name this dish, nobody will find my recipe, obviously. It’s probably easier and much shorter when I call it “Vegan Shepherd’s Pie“.
The name isn’t very important though. The taste is what matters. And let me tell you, this dish tastes awesome. And it’s free of lamb (the main ingredient of a regular Shepherd’s Pie).
Difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie
I know, I didn’t want to write about the name any longer, however, some people mix up Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie. The difference between a Shepherd’s Pie and a Cottage Pie is the filling. As mentioned before, a Shepherd’s Pie contains lamb, whereas a Cottage Pie contains beef.
Of course, as a vegan, I definitely won’t use lamb or beef. I made this meat-free recipe with lentils instead. Because not only are lentils delicious, they are also rich in protein, fiber, many minerals and therefore very healthy. And cruelty-free.
Use your favorite veggies
I made this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with onion, carrots, peas, corn, and celery. You can also add broccoli, cauliflower or any other veggies of choice. What about mushrooms?! Yes! Why not. Simply add what you love most and leave out what you dislike. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Easy Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
You probably already have all ingredients at home to make this healthy Vegan Shepherd’s Pie. The recipe isn’t complicated at all and is ready in less than one hour. All you need is lentils, potatoes, veggies of choice, a couple of condiments and a baking dish. That’s it.
Useful tips
- You can vary the filling as you wish. For example, if you don’t like lentils, simply use black beans or kidney beans.
- If you prefer sweet potatoes over regular potatoes, why not use them instead. This way you can make a Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie!
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days!
I really love to vary my dishes and try out new recipes. Also, it’s so much more fun to experiment in the kitchen.
This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie is:
- Gluten-free
- Protein-rich
- Plant-based
- Meat-free
- Easy to make
- Healthy
- Comforting
- Ready in less than 60 minutes
- Hearty
The recipe serves 4 but my boyfriend actually went completely crazy about this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie when I made it for the first time. We both gobbled up the whole dish within minutes, haha. Guess what we had for Thanksgiving this year? Yes, this yumminess, of course. And I can’t wait to make it again soon.
If you make this tasty dish and maybe even take a photo of it, then I would love to see it. You can DM it to me on Instagram. Don’t forget to tag me in your Insta caption + photo with @elavegan and use the hashtag #elavegan and I will gladly check out your post.
And if you love casseroles, then definitely also check out my Creamy Potato Bake, my Hearty Vegan Moussaka, and my Easy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole.
Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 stalk celery diced (*see recipe notes)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (or tarragon)
- 1/2 tsp sugar (or maple syrup)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine OR more veggie stock
- 2 cups (400 g) cooked lentils (cooked from dry or canned)
- 1/2 cup peas (frozen or canned)
- 1/2 cup corn fresh, frozen or canned
Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 pounds of (1 kg) potatoes
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) plant-based milk
- 2 tbsp vegan butter OR vegetable oil (or use plant-based milk if oil-free)
- nutmeg, salt, and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.
- Peel and chop potatoes, transfer them to a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, drain.
- Transfer back to the pot, add vegan butter, plant-based milk, nutmeg, black pepper and sea salt to taste and mash with a potato masher (don't use a food processor or blender).
- In the meantime, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and all spices. Fry for about 3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and stir to combine.
- Add cooked lentils, corn, and peas and pour in the red wine and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until slightly reduced.
- Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Spoon the lentil mixture into a baking dish (I used a square 9" baker). Spoon the mashed potatoes over the lentil mixture.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get it golden brown on top.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
Notes
- You can leave out the celery if you don't like the taste and use any other vegetables instead (for example cauliflower, broccoli, etc).
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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I made this for last night for dinner with my grandparents, my grandfather is a very old school farmer so I was a little concerned he wouldn’t like it. They both loved it (and I did too!), they went back for seconds and even took some leftovers home! My grandfather kept talking about how he hasn’t had good shepherd’s pie since he was a growing up and how great this was. I’m more than thrilled at how this turned out and love all the recipes I’ve tried on your blog. Thank you!
Aww, that makes me so happy, Alexandria! So glad you all loved it. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Die Pie gab es heute zum Mittag. Sehr lecker und reicht auch noch für morgen
Schön, dass er dir geschmeckt hat. 🙂
LG, Ela
I made this and substituted the lentil with soya chunks. It came out great. Would love to try it with lentil sometime.
Happy you liked it, Sarah! 🙂
Hello Ela ! I love your blog and your recipes ! It s so nice and simple, you explain everything so well that even cooking dummies like me can finally show off in front of friends and family with such great dishes !
I wanted to ask if i could use coral lentils. They are quite delicate, as you know for sure, so i m afraid it will come out quite mashy. What do you recon ? Thanks Ela ! 🙂
Hi Milly, thanks for your compliments! Yes, I think that’s ok. I would cook them much shorter and add them when they are “al dente” and not mushy. 🙂
How did I freeze/thaw to make later?
Hello! You can freeze leftovers once cooled down to room temperature. Cover the casserole/baking dish tightly with foil or put leftovers in an air-tight container and place in the freezer for up to a month. How to reheat it:
1) You can thaw the frozen Shepherd’s pie in the refrigerator one night before you want to eat it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C), cover the dish with aluminium foil, and place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until heated all the way through. You could probably also reheat it in the microwave, but I haven’t tried that.
2) OR reheat it directly from frozen. Please note that I haven’t tried the second option, but I would do it this way: Cover the baking dish (do not use a glass baking dish if reheating from frozen) with aluminium foil and place in the oven for about 60 minutes or until heated all the way through. Please let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
Ooh thinking of making this for dinner today but first time making lentils so you say cooked lentils- how to do cook the lentils or do you put it with the rest of ingredients and it will cook?
Sorry I know it’s stupid question
Hi Shas, you can use canned lentils (which are already cooked) or dry lentils. If using dry lentils, soak them in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes (this step is recommended for green or brown lentils), then cook in boiling water for about 20-25 minutes or until they are tender. I cook 1 cup dry lentils in 3 cups of water. I hope this helps! 🙂
Hello,
I have canned lentils to use. Do I need to rinse them before using?
Yes, I would recommend that. 🙂
Hi I also noted in your initial response you said you used 1 cup of dry lentils but the recipe calls for 2 cups?
The recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked lentils. If you want to cook them from dry, you will need to use 1 cup of dry lentils, as I wrote before.
I made this last night for the first time and loved it! The flavor is so full and the lentils make this a hearty meal. It was easy and enjoyable to make, definitely making this again soon and will probably be a holiday dish for me!
That’s awesome Cara! I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
This recipe is SO GOOD!!!!! It’s one of my all time favorite recipes! I usually make a double batch and put a pan in the freezer for later. I often put alternate strips of white potatoes and sweet potatoes on top. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Aww, I am so glad you love it, Nancy! Love the idea of using sweet potatoes too! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Hi! How do you cook it later after taking it out of the freezer? I want to double batch this as well!
I made this numerous times because my non-vegan boyfriend loves it! It’s super filling, flavor-packed and healthy too. <3
I am so glad you and your boyfriend love it. Thanks for your feedback, Diana! 🙂
This turned out great, which is good since I doubled the recipe! We skipped the corn and added extra peas and carrots. I also added paprika and parsley. I put 3/4 cups vegetable stock and 1/4 red wine since I don’t usually cook with red wine.
Sounds amazing, Cassie! I am so glad it turned out delicious. 🙂
This recipe is SO GOOD!!! So hearty and satisfying. Thank you so much for giving us these awesome meals!
My pleasure, Keely! I am glad you loved the recipe. 🙂
Made the Shepard’s pie for dinner tonight and it was amazing! Will definitely add this to the rotation. Love the flavor!
Fantastic! I am glad it turned out delicious. 🙂
Hello, I was wondering if I could just leave out the celery all together? (instead of substituting)
Yes, that should be fine. 🙂
Hi Ela, I was wanting to make this recipe and I was wondering is there any way I could substitute vegetable broth for the veggie stock?
Yes, that’s totally fine. 🙂
Hi Ela, my son is allergic to tomatoes, could I just leave out the tomato paste? If not, what would you use in its place? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Cassie, maybe you could use Ajvar (which is a paste made from roasted red bell peppers). Or just leave it out and use a little less vegetable stock. 🙂
This is the best shepherds pie I’ve ever made, thank you for sharing your recipe! 🙂
So glad you loved it, Kristine! 🙂
Hi Ela
What kind of lentils do you use? Red, green or a third type?
Thank you in advance.
Best regards
Hi Emma, brown lentils! Green should be fine too. 🙂
Perfect! This is a great dish, I’ve made this countless times and it always turns out delicious! thank you Ela 🙂
Yay, that’s awesome, Elli! So glad you love the recipe. 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Before going vegan, I really loved Shepard’s Pie with beef, and this is a GREAT vegan version! I added 1 tsp of vegan Worcestershire sauce to give it that classic “oomph”. I’ll be making this again and again!
Fantastic, Shannon! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback! 🙂
So good ! Want to try all the recipes !!! Many thanks for sharing your work !
Aww, you are a sweetheart! Thanks so much. Enjoy it! 🙂
Came out amazing! My husband and best friend loved it!! Thank you so much!!
Hi Angela, I am glad you guys loved it. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I don’t have vegetable stock. Can I replace this with water? Would it change the flavor of the pie drastically?
You can but it will be less flavorful. I would recommend adding more salt and spices to taste. 🙂
This recipe was absolutely delicious! The red wine is the perfect addition to compliment all the flavours and spices. My husband loved it! Thank you!
I am glad it turned out fabulous, Vanessa. 🙂
Our family is new to the PB/Vegan lifestyle. This recipe has made its way into the 3-ring binder. Such a great non-meat/dairy meal that fills you up and leaves you satisfied…. And the leftovers, if any, are just as good. My next go at this will have some baby bella’s. Thank you for such a wonderful dish.
You are welcome, Shawn! I am glad it turned out delicious. 🙂
I loved this recipe and my picky teenagers too, even the one who doesn’t like vegan food. Delicious! Thank you. It will be my new potluck dish.
Wow, that’s amazing! I am so glad you all loved this Shepherd’s pie. 🙂
This was SO delicious!! I added chopped fresh mushrooms (did not have any corn). Thank you! This will definitely be a winter staple in our house.
Awesome! I am so glad you liked it, Cheryl! Thanks so much for your lovely comment. 🙂
This was delicious! I made it for the first time tonight for my non vegan family and everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe.
You are very welcome, Ava! I am glad you liked the recipe. Happy holidays! 🙂
This is a great recipe! We don’t care for lentils, so if you are the same, you can also substitute a can of black beans or do what we did and use 2 cups of veggie crumbles (we chose Gardein brand.) The key to what makes this recipe so good is the spice blend and all the umami from the tomato paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and vegetable stock! Unless you have a sensitivity to those ingredients, I wouldn’t recommend changing them.
You can even save time by using a frozen veggie blend, however, you will tell the difference if you use fresh. It will be on our repeat list for sure! I can’t wait until summer to be able to use fresh produce from the farmers market for this one!
Thanks for your wonderful and helpful feedback, Marrok! I am glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Being of Scottish decent, I’m used to my Shepard’s pie being made with lamb. However, having a vegan daughter and family, as well as a plant based son and family, I am learning to cook and enjoy more vegan dishes. To get that “meat” texture do you think I could add protein crumbles or other plant based “meat” instead of lentils? I also never grew up eating corn, and have an intolerance for it, so I would add carrots and rutabaga and peas.. I can’t wait to make this for them as there are so many Scottish recipes they miss.
Sure, you can definitely use your favorite plant-based meat instead of lentils. 🙂
It is soooo delicious ?
Easy to make and so quick! Even my non-vegan friends loved it.
Thank you so much for such a great recipe?
My pleasure, Julia. 🙂
Fantastic recipe and very easy and straightforward ???
I am glad you liked it, William. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I am new to plant based eating and I was worried about how the food would taste. Sheperd’s Pie is one of my favorite comfort foods and this recipie was absolutley delicious.. I had to substitue a the vegan butter with regular butter because I am in South Korea and wasn’t able to find it. I also seasoned the water I boiled the lentils in with the same spices I used when I fried ground beef. It was so good I had a second helping. Looking forward to trying more of your recipies.
That’s awesome, Daphne! Thanks so much for your great feedback. 🙂
The rosemary and thyme were overpowering for me. The rest was good but I’m really having to push through it. I can’t wait to make it again and try some different herbs.
Thanks for your feedback, Karra! 🙂
Love this recipe!
Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Hi Ela
What kind of potatoes do you use for all your mashed potatoes. Or what kind did you use for this recipe? Thanks
Most of the time I use Yukon Gold. Hope this helps. 🙂
Love this recipe! Have you ever frozen this? Wondering if I can freeze before baking it,
Hi Mandy! Thanks for your feedback. No, I never tried freezing it. Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
This is the second of your recipes I have tried and they are both amazing! I tried a meatless meatball with a curried sauce that my family loves, and this one.You have a talent for flavor profiles and now that I have tried these, I can’t wait to try more! Thank you for posting and creating!
Wonderful! I am so glad you loved both recipes. Thanks for your sweet feedback, Danielle. 🙂
Hi Ela, you won’t beleive me this I hadve never try shepherd pie in my entire life living here in USA and actually i though this dish was American delicatessen .I earned that is actually and England .dish .Any way so it looked so unattractive to my palate when it was presented to me in the pass, it look like to heavy and cheese. Aha now being a vegan is kind os strange on me, food that I used to dislike now I want to try it and adventure with the vegan version. So to make the story short I just made ur recipe Ela with my own twist.I forgot to buy the regilarvpotatoes instead I used purple potatoes and when baked it I used a tomatoes sauce that I prepared from one of you recipe a few weeks ago..It turned out to be a bomb Elavegan.I really love the taste and the twist with the tomatoes sauce instead cheese. It was a bang and love,love,love it.thanks for you recipe and for inspiring me to adventure.and think out the boxe.thanks
That’s awesome! Thank you very much for your lovely comment, Marie! 🙂
I made this pie for my housemates’ birthday and it was a huge success. The pie was gone in no time! I am not a fan of corn so I added capsicum instead. As a matter of fact, I am writing this review while the Shepherd’s pie is in the oven (this time for a potluck). Thank you for so many delicious and simple recipes! So far I have tried the Kung Pao Cauliflower, the Vegan Lentil moussaka and the ratatouille. They were all so delicious! Next on my list is the lemon cheesecake tart 🙂
Wow, that’s awesome, Nele! I am so glad you have made many of my recipes and enjoyed them all. Thanks so much for your sweet feedback! 🙂
Oh my god, just delicious!!!!!!! really really good, definitely I will do it again. I just recommend it. I did a mixure with lentil and soja ‘meat’ (soja-hack) and it was perfect! Thanks a lot Ela!
Yay, that’s awesome! Thanks for your great feedback, Daissy! 🙂
I made your shepher’s Pie Yesterday – and wow. It was such a nice dish.
I truly recommend this to anyone who consider to make.
Best regards
Freya
Very pleased you liked the recipe, Freya! 🙂
Made this last night, my first “shepherd’s pie” ever. Mixed up the veg a bit – used carrots, sweet potato, cauliflower and broccoli. Turned out amazing and was polished off in one sitting. Will become a staple in our house now! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Yay, that’s awesome! Thanks for your amazing feedback, Seena. 🙂
I made the Shepherds’s pie the other night using your recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you Ela! ?
That’s amazing! So happy you loved this recipe, Cheyenne! 🙂
Best shepherd’s pie recipe EVER.
Thank you, Monica! 🙂
Seriously delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!
Glad you liked it, Mary! 🙂
Thank you for a great recipe! I just tried it and it was delicious. But I had to skip the lentils since my stomache can’t handle legumes. The taste was amazing but the dish felt a bit light without the protein (I could almost have eaten the whole thing by myself). Do you have any recommendations of how I can sub the lentils?
Dear Ela! Again no leftovers! With 4 very picky eaters, I still decided to give this dish a try! What started out with just Veganuary, your recipes have been so helpful, that the transition to a full vegan lifestyle has been so easy! My mother used to cook cottage pie every week and we all dreaded it… This recipe however is going in the binder, it was super delicious, tasty and filling! Also a big fan of your blondie chocolate chip brownies, although they never quite make it into the oven ;-))
That’s wonderful, Jess! Thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂
Any suggestions if you can not eat lentils?
You can use beans. 🙂
Hi Ela, I just made this and it’s lovely. I made a few changes like adding loads of mushrooms, hot Jamaican scotch bonnet peppers, black beans, which I cook and store in the freezer for these occasions. I cooked everything in vegetable stock, boiled the potatoes with turnips (half potatoes/half turnip) and mashed with black pepper, evo, garlic powder and nutritional yeast…(couldn’t be bothered to make cheese). It’s sooo goood! Thanks for sharing your lovely recipes and I’m for seconds.
Sounds so good! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
I made this last night and it was delicious. Thank you for your recipe. I made a few modifications. One tin of lentils and one tin of cannellini beans. Mixed in a little bit of gravy before laying the mash on top. Even the children devoured it 🙂
Sounds amazing! Thanks for your feedback, David! 🙂
I made this tonight for my family of 5. It was delicious! We are not vegan or vegetarian (though my daughter and I dont eat a lot of meat as a preference), but I do avoid dairy because of a mild allergy. The only thing I wasn’t thrilled with was the way the lentils cooked up, but that had everything to do with me and not this recipe! I made enough for 2 9×13 pans as we have a busy week ahead of us and I wanted something we could easily reheat. All my carnivores loved it!!! So happy I came across this site and this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
I am so glad you liked my recipe, Kate! Thanks for leaving a feedback. 🙂
Made this one tonight! Another great recipe, the depth of flavor was great. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Ashley! I found your comment in my spam folder, that’s why I replied only today. 🙂
This was delicious. Looking forward to making the deal next! Thank you.
Thank you very much, Anna! I am glad you liked my vegan version of Shepherd’s Pie. 🙂
Ela, are you oil free? I’m trying to reduce the oils as much as possible.
Hi Hollie, I am not oil free but I use as little oil as possible. 🙂
I love a good shepherd’s pie and I love how traditional this one is! Perfect Ela 🙂 xo
Thank you very much, Jess!
Much love, Ela ❤️
This looks so delicious, Ela! ????
A perfect recipe for cozy winter days ❤️
Lots of love,
Bianca
Thank you, Bianca! I hope you will give it a try. 🙂
Much love, Ela
I just made this and it is delicious!! It was so easy too, thank you!
That’s awesome, Amber! I am so glad it turned out delicious. 🙂
Ela! I love the use of lentils here. You make such healthy comfort food! Thank you for sharing. Best, Dee xx
Thank you, Dee! I am glad you like it.
Sending you love. ❤️
What type of lentils do you use?!
Cooked brown lentils. But any type of lentils are fine.
It is really a very delicious and hearty meal! ????Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! ???????????? My family just adores this dish that I usually cook on weekends! Thank you so much for such an excellent vegan version!❤️
You are welcome! I hope you will like my recipe.
Much love, Ela ❤️
Looks delicious, going to make for Christmas! Have you ever tried making and freezing?
Hi Sara, no I never tried it. I think the lentil mixture can be frozen. Not sure about the mash. 🙂