Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie! ♡ Ay yay yaaaay. This is good.
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Absolutely delicious, one of the best vegetarian recipes I’ve ever tried – and it’s simple! Would highly recommend.
Jane
Shepherd’s Pie season is upon us and this super cozy vegetarian version is running around on the loose in our house. And did you hear me when I said veg only? Honestly, we don’t even need the meat – I promise these vegetables are the yummy kind.
Like, really yummy.
Like, sautéed with garlic and onion, sauced up with a sizzle of red wine, coated in a quick gravy, and baked under a layer of creamy mashed potatoes good. Want. Want. Want.
This is not a lentil shepherd’s pie, but if you want to add lentils for a little more protein punch, you do you.
This is truly one of my favorite vegetarian dinners. Let’s go!
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I decided to put Greek yogurt in my potatoes to gain a protein punch while still being creamy-tangy (gah, so good).
That being said, if you want this to be a completely vegan shepherd’s pie, just use olive oil instead of butter and maybe a splash of non-dairy milk in your potatoes and you will be golden. And if you’re gluten-free? I have a hack for you involving mashed potatoes – check the FAQs.
Can you smell it though? That red wine, garlic, olive oil, rosemary aromatherapy?
If you’re really looking ahead, I’ll also say that Shepherd’s Pie is a perfect after-Thanksgiving recipe, because guess what you have a lot of in your fridge after Thanksgiving? Leftover mashed potatoes. This is an amazing way to use up some of those holiday potato leftovers.
Important to note that this vegetarian shepherd’s pie is a total comfort food meets real food situation, so it’s going to require pajamas or sweats. A big fluffy sweater would be okay, too. Blanket, slippers, and candle are all optional. But a big appetite will be necessary. I know you can deliver.
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Skip the flour and stir in about 3/4 cup mashed potatoes to the veggies and liquid to make a “gravy.” Easy. Tasty.
Sure! Use olive oil in place of butter and non-dairy milk in place of the yogurt.
The mushrooms give this a really nice umami and meaty flavor, but if you’d prefer, add browned ground meat to the gravy mixture. Yummy!
When you pull this out of the oven and the sauce is bubbling up around the sides under the lightly-golden-brown potatoes and your whole house smells like a log cabin in the northwoods?
This will not be a sad moment for you.
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Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8, or 6 if you’re hungry 1x
Description
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie ♡ saucy mushrooms, carrots, and peas topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Real food meets comfort food!
Ingredients
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 shallots, minced (or some onions and garlic)
- 16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 6 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1–2 cups veggie broth
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- 2 cups frozen peas
Mashed Potatoes:
- 6 Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup butter or olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Make the mashed potatoes: Peel the potatoes. Boil them until fork tender (you want them to mash easily). Drain, mash, and mix in yogurt and butter. Season to taste. (You can also use the Instant Pot method which is quick and easy! That’s what I do.)
- Make the veggies: In a large oven-safe pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until fragrant. Add mushrooms, carrots, and whole herbs (you will pull the herbs out later). Sauté until carrots are softened.
- Make the gravy: Add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine (sizzzzle) and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook out for a minute or two. Slowly add the broth, stirring it in until a gravy starts to form. Season with salt. Simmer over low heat to get it thickened even further.
- Bake: Remove the herbs. Stir in the peas, spread the mashed potatoes on top (brush with butter to be extra awesome), and bake for 15 minutes at 350. I finished mine on the broil setting for a few minutes to get it nice and brown on top.
- Scoop up a hearty serving and live your best cozy life.
Equipment
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Pro Texture Tip: I chopped up half of my mushrooms so there would be a better texture variety in the filling. If you don’t want to use red wine, just sub a little more liquid. No problem.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: British-Inspired
Keywords: shepherd’s pie, vegetarian shepherd’s pie, vegetarian recipe, vegetarian comfort food, easy shepherd’s pie recipe
More Vegetarian Comfort Food Recipes
- Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs (made with wild rice and mushrooms)
- Southwest Sweet Potato Tater Tot Hotdish (a spicy twist on the original)
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup (so creamy and ready in an hour)
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our coziest comfort food recipes page. Check it out!
I made this vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie tonight! I’m not a good cook by any means! It was delicious! I’ve never made mashed potatoes; so I was worried about that as well as the “gravey” forming?
If you follow the recipe… You’ll be fine! I had to add a tiny splash of milk and butter to the potatoes because I cooked to many! The Greek yogurt added an extra flavor!
The gravey was a surprise as it formed while sturring!
The fresh Rosemary and Thyme flavored the whole dish! But Rosemary sprigs were breaking of while I stirred? Any suggestions?
I made this last night for friends and they all said it was delicious! I used half a cup of red lentils and dried herbs instead of fresh. I also used some milk in the potatoes because they seemed dry and hard to spread. I also subbed half of an onion and 3 cloves of garlic for the shallots. Highly recommended!
Great, so glad it was a hit!
My husband and I loved it except for one thing. While we both enjoy the flavor of rosemary, so many of the “needles” came off before I removed the sprig. They are tough, so as we were eating the meal, we kept pulling pieces of rosemary out of our mouths. Did I do somthing wrong? I got the rosemary from the produce section of my local grocery store.
This recipe is my favorite! For those of you who dont like mushrooms, a can of lentils will work just fine for a substitute.
This was wonderful! So much flavor! I enjoyed this dish more than 90% of the vegetarian recipes I’ve tried. I forgot the peas, and had to use onions and a little garlic instead of the shallots. Will be making again soon. Thank you!
Outstanding recipe! We loved it! I made the mash earlier in the day and the filling later. It would have been a lot to do both simultaneously but dividing it up made it easy. Absolutely delicious!
A favorite comfort meal for my hubby and son, especially. I will sometimes add ground beef for them, but I like it better without it!
Can you make it in advance and reheat later to turn add the mash
Yes!
Can I use Mayo instead of Greek Yogurt?
We LOVE this recipe- it is a vegetarian staple in our household. So easy and delicious every time.
I’m allergic to mushrooms is there a good substitute for them that anyone has tried?
Love this recipe! I have made it many times with various add-ins/modifications and it always turns out great. As a vegetarian household, it’s become our traditional Christmas dish we make every year. Thank you!
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Yes!
I made this last night and it was great! But it did take me about 2 hours with all the veggie prep. I cooked the potatoes in an instant pot (high pressure 8 minutes). And I used a potato rice for the potatoes instead of a masher which worked out great.
This dish is incredibly savory and tasty.
😋😋😋🎵🎶✨️🫰💛
Hi Lindsay,
Can I prepare this the night before and bake the next day?
Thank you for your help!
Elizabeth
Yes!
This is delicious! I added a tin of lentils at the same time as the peas to up the protein. I also put a bit of shredded cheese on top of the potatoes and broiled it for the last minute. I will make this again. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
This was so delicious! A big hit with my family.
Great recipe…
This wasn’t a keeper for me, unfortunately. It came out pretty bland, even though I was generous with the salt.
Delicious! My non-mushroom-loving husband really enjoyed it. I cut the mushrooms into smaller pieces and that made it work for him.
I have made this so many times and it is so popular with everyone I serve it to. Totally delicious!
This was really lovely a heathy comfort meal thankyou.i will cook this again .
Absolutely delicious! Made exactly as written with no changes. Looked stunning, tasted amazing and family loved it. Delicious gravy!!!! I will be making this each week. Thank you so much, Mary
How long can it be stored