One of the challenges of adopting a plant-based diet is giving up my favorite dishes. I’m not one for giving up the good things in life, so I took the challenge to recreate some of my favorite comfort classics without any animal products. Challenge accepted – starting with Shepherd’s Pie – the BEST vegan shepherd’s pie! (So Good.)
Jump to RecipeI once was lucky enough to have my best friend live kitty-corner across the street from my house. Heather and I visited back and forth almost daily and often hosted supper for our “across the street” family. Now we live across the country but try to visit as often as possible. Heather was the one who first introduced me to Shepherd’s Pie one day when we were eating at their place. Since then, I’ve had shepherd’s pie in many restaurants and pubs.
What makes a great shepherd’s pie?
A shepherd’s or cottage pie should have a rich, meaty gravy (traditionally ground lamb for shepherd’s pie or, more commonly in the US, ground beef which is cottage pie) with a soft background of earthiness and herbiness, loaded with a blend of vegetables (MUST include carrots, peas, and onions), and a generous mashed potato topping that is baked to a just crispy golden brown.
I call this The BEST Vegan Shepherd’s Pie because it has all of the above – just without any animal products. The combination of the lentils and mushrooms provide the meatiness. The red wine and herbs give the depth of flavor that mimics a beef gravy. If you’re a vegetarian, feel free to use unsalted butter and either half-and-half or heavy cream rather than the vegan butter and potato water. However, I really recommend using the reserved potato water as a way to add creaminess with fewer calories.
In creating this dish, I borrowed the mashed potato recipe from a Pintesting blog post that I did for True Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy. For those who don’t know, Pintestingis my first blog. It’s been a little over a year since I’ve done any posts, but keep a watch out as I’m going to be tying in some healthier Pinterest tests with Our Urban Homestead.
This is perfect as a celebratory dish for holidays but is simple enough to make any day. The leftovers are even better the next day. I brought some to work and shared a taste with some friends who couldn’t believe this didn’t have ground beef. Nailed it!
Tips:
I use a large ceramic-coated oven-proof skillet but you can transfer the filling to two pie plates and make enough for two meals. Feel free to freeze one or share the extra with your neighbors and see how the friendship blossoms.
Want to meal prep for one? Use ramekins instead of pie plates for single servings. Wrap each one well and freeze for future use.
The picture of the ingredients includes the cashew milk which I chose not use, and I left out the potatoes that were scrubbed and drying, the flour, bay leaf, and the vegetable broth. What it does show is how ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen will combine to make something so much greater than the sum of its parts.
The BEST Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Topping
- 5 Pounds Russet Potatoes peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 Tablespoon Salt
- 2-4 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
- 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper or to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt to taste
Filling
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Cup Baby Portaello/Crimini Mushrooms diced small
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 teaspoon Parsley dried
- 1 teaspoon Thyme dried
- 1/2 teaspoon Rosemary dried
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Cup Red Wine
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth or Stock
- 1 Pound Lentils cooked
- 28 Ounce Frozen Mixed Vegetables
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
Mashed Potato Topping
- Cover the peeled & cubed potatoes with cold water in a large saucepan. Sprinkle with 1/2 Tablespoon of salt and turn the heat to high.
- Once the water starts to boil, partially cover with the lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Put a colander over a heat-proof bowl and drain the potatoes, reserving the potato water. Return the potatoes to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the dry mustard, salt, pepper, and vegan butter. Add the potato water 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly with each addition, until the mashed potatoes have a slightly loose consistency (but not runny). Set aside.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a large oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil until shimmering over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Add the mushrooms, season all with salt & pepper, and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir the flour, parsley, thyme, and rosemary into the mushroom mixture until evenly coated for at least a minute to cook the flour.
- Add the wine and cooked lentils (I used Trader Joe’s). Cook until most of the wine is reduced and absorbed.
- Whisk the tomato sauce into the vegetable broth and add with the frozen vegetables and bay leaf, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaf.
- *** If you're feeding a large crowd, leave the mixture in the skillet.
If you'd rather split the recipe into 2 pie plates, now is the time to do it. Follow the recipe but only bake one of the pies and freeze the other for another day. - Top the filling with the mashed potatoes. You can spoon it on and spread carefully as to not mix in the filling or gravy, or use a piping bag to get fancy. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Five pounds of potatoes might seem like a lot, but this makes a lot. As you can see in the pictures, three pounds was not nearly enough. Learn from my mistake – don’t skimp on the potatoes.
- I used Trader Joe’s steamed lentils for this dish. They save a cooking step, are just the right quantity, and are inexpensive. If you want to cook your lentils, cook a cup of dried lentils for this recipe.
- Using the hot starchy potato water is a great way to not only keep your potatoes vegan but also keeps the potato taste at the forefront and saves a few calories.
- DON’T SKIP THE RED WINE! It gives the richness that makes the mushrooms and lentils pass as ground beef in the mixture. Between the simmering and baking, most, if not all, of the alcohol will cook out so it’s safe for little ones.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy supper that’s perfect for busy weeknights, check out the Sun-Dried Tomato, Kale & White Bean Skillet recipe HERE!
