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Vegan Shepherd’s Pie | Gluten-Free Recipe

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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!

Gluten-free vegan Shepherds pie piece on a small plate

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).

Plant-based cottage pie from above

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.

Vegan Shepherds pie from above

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.

Vegan Shepherds pie in a white baking dish

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.

Vegan Shepherds pie in a baking dish with a spoon

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.

Piece of a cottage pie on a small plate

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

Close-up of a piece cottage pie on a small plate

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.

Healthy vegan Shepherds pie piece on a small plate

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.

Print Recipe
4.94 from 29 votes

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

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!
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British, Irish
Keyword: Cottage Pie, gluten-free, Shepherds Pie, vegan
Servings: 4
Calories: 458kcal
Author: Michaela Vais

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)
  • Spice mix: 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 vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup red wine OR more veggie stock
  • 2 cups 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 potatoes
  • 1/4 cup 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

  • Watch the video (scroll down a bit) to see all instruction steps.
  • 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!

Video

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).
Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 458 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Carbohydrates 66g22%
Fiber 13.5g54%
Sugar 8.5g9%
Protein 16g32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 13.5g | Sugar: 8.5g

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healthy vegan shepherds pie with lentils mashed potatoes gluten-free recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Vanessa

    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!

    Reply

  2. Shawn

    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.

    Reply

  3. Roberta

    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.

    Reply

  4. Cheryl

    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.

    Reply

  5. Ava

    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.

    Reply

  6. Marrok

    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!

    Reply

  7. Mimi

    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.

    Reply

  8. Julia

    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?

    Reply

  10. Daphne

    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.

    Reply

  11. Karra

    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.

    Reply

  13. Amy

    Hi Ela

    What kind of potatoes do you use for all your mashed potatoes. Or what kind did you use for this recipe? Thanks

    Reply

  15. Danielle G

    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!

    Reply

  16. Marie

    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

    Reply

  17. Nele Dierick

    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 🙂

    Reply

    • Ela

      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! 🙂

      Reply

  18. Daissy

    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!

    Reply

  19. Freya Pil

    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

    Reply

  20. Seena Shah

    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. 🙂

    Reply

  21. Cheyenne

    I made the Shepherds’s pie the other night using your recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you Ela! ?

    Reply

  24. Valentina

    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?

    Reply

  25. Jess

    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 ;-))

    Reply

  27. Siobhan

    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.

    Reply

  28. David Evans

    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 🙂

    Reply

  29. Kate

    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!

    Reply

  38. Angelicattender

    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!❤️

    Reply

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