Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Recipe - Pinch of Yum
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Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

388 reviews / 4.8 average

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie ♡ saucy mushrooms, carrots, and peas topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Real food meets comfort food!

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie! ♡ Ay yay yaaaay. This is good.

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.

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Vegetables on a sheet pan.

Let’s Talk Mashed Potatoes

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

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes! Skip the flour and stir in about 3/4 cup mashed potatoes to the veggies and liquid to make a “gravy.” Easy. Tasty.

Can I make this vegan?

Sure! Use olive oil in place of butter and non-dairy milk in place of the yogurt.

Can I add meat to this?

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!

White hand scooping vegetarian shepherd's pie with a wooden spoon.

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.

Print
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Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie in pan with spoon.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie


  • Author: Lindsay
  • 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

Units Scale

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
  • 12 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

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Scoop up a hearty serving and live your best cozy life. 

Equipment

Notes

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


One More Thing!

This recipe is part of our coziest comfort food recipes page. Check it out!

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723 Comments

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Just made this, really enjoying it! Such a good alternative to meat and actually tastes good. I did use balsamic vinegar instead of red wine, used onions + garlic instead of shallots, and used dried herbs instead! Those ingredients wouldn’t change too much though lol.

      Will definitely be making this again

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Outstanding! I subbed half of the mushrooms with lentils. The wine/tomato paste addition to the sauce gives it depth.
        Very comforting!

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    omg this looks so good…. I’d rather have the veggie version all day than a meat version, this looks delicious! I love the yogurt in w/the potatoes. I’m MAKIN this!

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    You had me at Shepherd’s pie!!!!! Being a vegetarian I can say that you just made my day! Can’t wait to try this,!! It is getting cold out there and this will help with that. Thank you for all of your inspiring recipes and all your insights!

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    As a Brit, and these are traditional Briish foods, I can confirm a Shepherds Pie is made with Lamb, if its made with Beef its Cottage Pie. If it’s made with vegetables I’d call it a Vegetarian Pie.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      “Vegetable Pie” is too broad a term. There are thousands of pies out there that could be called “vegetable pie” how are people supposed to know what kind pie the author is referring to? I know both cottage and shepherds pie from before I went vegan. So I know what they are supposed to taste like. So adding the vegetarian before any recipe title is more than appropriate if not logical, I’d say 😉

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            This is the first time I’ve ever seen a flame war in a recipe comments section. 😃

            I’m thinking about sauteing an onion instead of the shallots and using 1/2 to put on top of the mashed.

            Maybe some impossible burger in the underneath. Would that make this an impossible pie?

            You know how you can tell if someone’s a Vegan?

            They tell you.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        ‘PJ’ we do not call vegetarian shepherd pie ‘Shepherdless pies’ in England. So get your facts straight. We call it vegetarian shepherd’s pie.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Actually, as an English grandma who’s been cooking for more years than I care to remember, I don’t think it matters one jot what you call it. I have heard it called shepherdess pie here in England, I think it could be regional. At the end of the day, so long as it tastes good, does it really matter? Life’s too short to be shirty about the name of a dish of food.

        2. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I’m a grandma and I’ve lived in England for the last 20 weeks and I’ve never ever heard of Vegetarian shepherd’s pie. Sod off

      2. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Andy, adding impossible burger to this is an excellent idea. I’ll have to try that one out myself.

    2. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I would never have found this recipe if it was labeled as anything other than Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie as that was what I was looking for–a meatless Shepherd’s Pie! Can’t wait to try it.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Hi I am making this tonight and was wonder if I can substitute the red wine to and non alcoholic substitution???

    3. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Delicious! Made with a regular container of Bob Evans mashed potatoes on top because I made it on a weeknight after work with little ones hanging around. The mushroom filling was great!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Made this today for Memorial Day dinner. My husband is a heart patient as well as a type II diabetic and we eat no meat, sugar, dairy and keep all fat to an absolute minimum. He absolutely LOVED this pie!! Thank you SO much!!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Not a vegetable, but I’ve made a similar vegetarian shepherd’s pie with lentils instead of mushrooms (we’re not mushroom fans). It’s super delicious & the texture is amazing!

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I used 1.5 cups of lentils. I sautéed onions then added lentils and 2 cups of veg broth and boiled until the lentils were done – about 30-35 minutes.

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            I’m not a vegetarian but I absolutely adore this recipe it’s delicious and simple to make.

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I love the tips on the bottom of the recipes. It’s great how you have alternatives for gluten free, vegetarian, adding meat and such. So helpful and great for everyone!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Yeah! The way to go. Give me the principles and give me the options. It is so much more fun in figuring out the way you want to cook it! 🙂

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This sounds really good. I would definitely add meat because I can’t survive on that little protein. In case I haven’t said so before, I really appreciate that you include nutrition info.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I dont get why meat eatwrs alwaya say “I can’t survive on that little Protine” you should actually read up on how much Protine can be found in veggies and beans. This is a vegan page its just so odd. Like okay add meat. Lol.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        It’s an ingrained belief that they have from parents, past nutritional advice, etc. It’s a matter of educating themselves, which doesn’t really happen unless there is an interest. Or they have a vegan family member who serves them delicious food packed with protein and other nutrients they didn’t know they could get. 😉

        I added green lentils to this recipe. As one article says about the advantages of lentils over beef, ‘Lentils are more nutrient-dense than beef, providing vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber while containing less fat and fewer calories.’

      2. Pinch of Yum Logo

        This specific recipe contains very little protein but most vegan recipes ensure you get protein by adding nuts, beans/legumes, seeds, etc. This one was SO good without meat (I added barley, lentils and lots more mushrooms). Even us meat eaters enjoy a good vegan recipe!

      3. Pinch of Yum Logo

        They’re not wrong; this dish is lacking in protein. I would add some type of bean or lentil (or meat for meat eaters) to consider this a complete meal.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I wanted to reply to several comments on this recipe. There is a longstanding misconception that you need meat and more protein than many vegetarian recipes have. I have been a vegetarian for almost 20 years and I can confirm that most people in the US get much more protein than is required each day. You do not need protein in each meal and meat is not required for protein. Please look at a reputable website for accurate protein requirements, or use 0.36 grams protein per pound of body weight/day, depending on your activity level.

          Also this recipe is vegetarian not vegan, which would not include dairy (butter and yogurt are ingredients in this recipe). Vegetarian foods can contain dairy and eggs, but not the flesh of animals or things derived from them, which would include ingredients such as animal broths, gelatin, and worcestershire sauce.

      4. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I agree. If you are a meat eater you should look for a regular shepherd’s pie recipe, not a vegan or vegetarian shepherd’s pie recipe.

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Who doesn’t love Shepherds Pie? It’s an American classic, even if we did ‘borrow’ it from the Irish;)

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I made this last week after you posted it on Instagram Stories – really good and perfect for cold winter nights! Comfort food meets healthy real food is one of my fav combos!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Sure you can sub out almost any liquid for the wine. Use a broth (chicken, beef, vegetable) water, whatever. Experiment. If it doesn’t taste good, don’t do it again. You must be a new cook. I’ve subbed or left stuff out of so many recipes, it’s ridiculous…..but tasty.

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Genius…sheer genius! I just made this – so quick, so easy and SO delicious!! I did cook some puy lentils separately and invited them to the party. As someone else mentioned, the peas alone are not enough protein for this vegetarian. I found that 1 cup of broth was plenty to make a nice, rich gravy. Thank you so very much for an outstanding recipe!!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Thank you for your opinion on one cup of broth. The “1 or 2 cups” and “some onions and garlic” is extreamly frustrating!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        This was a great meatless Monday meal for my family! Had all the classic flavors of Shepard’s Pie without the beef or lamb, and was plenty filling. I like my pie topped with cheese, so adding mozzarella on top of the potatoes was my only detour from the recipe. Thank you!

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I’m trying to rate this recipe, but for some reason, it’s not letting me. So…5 STARS!!

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    It’s meat free meals like this that keep people healthy and inspired to consume less meat and rely on the good foods of the earth.

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Goodmorning Lindsay,
    This looks totally delicious, I made a veggie shepherds pie a while ago, adding lentils, it was lovely but lacked sauciness😉I will give this recipe a go when our weather turns cool again next year. Have a lovely day. Fi

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I am always looking for vegetarian options for my family. Both my 2 and 4 year old loved it. Thank you!!!