Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie ♡ saucy mushrooms, carrots, and peas topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Real food meets comfort food!
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
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.
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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
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!
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
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
- 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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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
- 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!
Filed Under: All Recipes Carrot Casserole Dinner Dutch Oven Fall Kid-Friendly Main Dishes Most Popular Mushroom Recipes Tomato Vegetarian
November 21, 2022
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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meat sounds so HEAVY these days :-/ so this is perfect 😀 love the warmth in these photos as well <3
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
Outstanding! I subbed half of the mushrooms with lentils. The wine/tomato paste addition to the sauce gives it depth.
Very comforting!
Please give me some tips for how to add lentils! My vegetarian sis doesn’t like mushrooms!
i made vegetarian sherperd’s pie before and it didnt turn out great…so im definitely adding this to my list.
Added ground beef and a few extra vegetables and it was delicious!
Love a vegetarian alternative some nights!! So good!
Such a classic recipe, now everyone can enjoy it!
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!
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!
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.
“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 😉
🙄 Were you always this annoying, Claudia, or just since you “went vegan”?
The only one annoying here is you elsie.
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.
Exactly.
They call vegetarian shepherd’s pies “Shepherdess Pies” in England.
‘PJ’ we do not call vegetarian shepherd pie ‘Shepherdless pies’ in England. So get your facts straight. We call it vegetarian shepherd’s pie.
“Shepherdess Pies” is what pj called it.
As in a female shepherd.
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.
How about Gardeners pie?
Thank you for ending that, didi.
Hear, hear! Well said, Didi.
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
Andy, adding impossible burger to this is an excellent idea. I’ll have to try that one out myself.
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.
Hi I am making this tonight and was wonder if I can substitute the red wine to and non alcoholic substitution???
Hi Joann! Absolutely! Enjoy!
We hope you enjoy it, Paula!
Can I use wheat flour instead?
Can I make in a deep pyrex?
Yes that should work just fine!
What size Pyrex dish would you use for this?
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!
What other vegetables would you suggest? I’m weary of mushrooms! 🙂
I think Cauliflower would be great!
Would this work as a freezer meal??
This was a great recipe for getting your helping of veggies but in a cozy, comfort food kind of way.
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!!
SO glad to hear it!
Can I do 1c peas and 1c corn?
Can we use something else instead of wine?
You could just sub a bit more broth.
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!
How much lentils did you sub in? Same amount as mushrooms?
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.
I’m not a vegetarian but I absolutely adore this recipe it’s delicious and simple to make.
No love, mushrooms are weary of you okay 🙂
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!
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! 🙂
YUM, YUM, YUM…you guys are always right on the mark when it comes to food!
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.
I was thinking about throwing in a handful of red lentils for the same reason.
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.
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.’
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!
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.
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.
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.
I love this idea! Gotta try this for Meatless Monday!
Who doesn’t love Shepherds Pie? It’s an American classic, even if we did ‘borrow’ it from the Irish;)
Shepherds Pie is British actually, not Irish.
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!
We actually never have tried a Vegan shepheards pie before, but this does look so good to miss out. Gonna give it a try soon.
Thanks for sharing!!! I am def trying this out soon.
Wow, awesome recipe! I`m gonna try this out today 🙂 Can it be cooked without the wine though?
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.
Lentills instead of meat. O so jummy!
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!!
Thank you for your opinion on one cup of broth. The “1 or 2 cups” and “some onions and garlic” is extreamly frustrating!
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!
I’m trying to rate this recipe, but for some reason, it’s not letting me. So…5 STARS!!
Yum! I saw this on your stories. Looks so good!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/raspberry-mule-absolut-elyx/
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.
This isn’t looks good, this looks awesome and really delicious.
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
I am always looking for vegetarian options for my family. Both my 2 and 4 year old loved it. Thank you!!!
This looks delicious! I love shepherd’s pie. Will have to try the gluten free variation sometime!