Vegan Shepherd’s Pie – The Stingy Vegan

0 Budget Food

March 15, 2025

This vegan shepherd’s pie has a secret ingredient for a super deep and savory flavor. It’s the most flavorful vegan shepherd’s pie recipe! Serve this shepherd’s pie on a chilly winter evening or as a vegetarian or vegan main on Thanksgiving, Christmas or at a potluck.

Vegan shepherd's pie in a grey bowl with a fork in it.

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What makes this the best vegan shepherd’s pie recipe?

When it comes to traditionally meat-heavy comfort food like shepherd’s pie, my recipes are never about swapping out the meat for beans and calling it a day.

In my recipes I aim to replicate the same deep, rich, savory and umami flavors of the original but using just plants.

Sometimes that means doing things a bit differently.

For this vegan shepherd’s pie I borrowed a technique from my vegan gumbo recipe and started off with a dark roux.

If you’re not familiar with roux, I’ll explain more below, but the purpose of the roux in this recipe is to add massive amounts of savory, rich depth of flavor that makes this vegan shepherd’s pie taste like it has meat in it, while being just lentils and some veggies.

True, making a roux is an extra step that other vegan shepherds pie recipes don’t call for.

But try it once and you’ll see why this is THE BEST vegan shepherd’s pie you’ve ever tasted!

What is vegan shepherd’s pie made of?

Vegan shepherd’s pie would be more correctly called “garden pie” since shepherd’s pie is very specifically made with lamb.

Vegan shepherd’s pie typically uses fiber-rich lentils and/or mushrooms or a vegan ground beef like Beyond Meat or Impossible to replace the lamb.

In addition to lentils or vegan mince, shepherd’s pie has a sprinkling of vegetables and herbs. Carrots and peas are essential, imo, and you can use your favorite herb.

The gravy or sauce is made from a base of dark roux and tomato paste for maximum umami savoriness. Then a good quality vegetable broth is added.

The filling is topped off with silky mashed potatoes that are baked until golden brown with crispy bits.

Pure comfort food!

What lentils are best for shepherd’s pie?

You can make lentil shepherd’s pie with brown lentils or green lentils because they hold their shape while cooking.

Do not use red or yellow lentils which turn mushy when cooked.

You can use canned lentils or dry lentils. If using canned, drain and rinse them first, then add them to the other filling ingredients as per the recipe.

If using dried lentils, they will need to be cooked before adding them to your shepherd’s pie.

One cup of dried lentils equals about two and a half cups of cooked lentils.

Cook one cup of dried lentils in three cups of water. Drain and add them to your recipe.

Onions and celery on top of a dark roux in a metal pan.

What is a roux?

A roux is a mixture of fat and flour that makes the base of savory sauces, gravy, soups and stews.

The purpose of a roux is to thicken and add flavor.

To make a roux, butter or oil is gently heated over medium-low heat then flour is added. The roux is gently cooked and continuously stirred until the desired color is reached.

The darker the roux, the more flavor it will add to your recipe.

A dark roux has a savory, umami-rich flavor that makes this vegan shepherd’s pie taste like it was made with meat that was slow-cooked for hours.

Roux has a reputation for being difficult but it really isn’t.

It just takes a bit of time to reach a nice deep color but since we’re waiting for the potatoes to cook, we can make the roux at the same time.

Simply cook and stir the roux over medium-low heat until it reaches a dark brown or mahogany color.

Be careful not to have the heat too high or it will burn. Additionally, the slower it cooks the more flavor gets in.

How long it takes to reach a dark brown chocolate color depends on how low your heat is. Medium-low can take 15 – 20 minutes while low can take 30 minutes.

If you’re nervous about burning it, go low and slow. If you’ve made roux before, you can push the heat a bit higher to start and adjust it down as the roux develops color.

Once you learn to make a roux and see how much flavor it adds, you’ll want to add it to all your vegan soups, vegan stew and sauces!

Carrots on top of the fried onion and celery in a metal pot.

What are the best potatoes for mashed potatoes?

Yukon Gold potatoes are the best potato variety for mashing.

Because they have a medium starch content and absorb less water when cooking they are less at risk of become gummy.

Furthermore, the correct cooking technique for mashed potatoes is to boil them whole with the skin on.

This prevents them from absorbing the cooking water which can lead to watery mashed potatoes and limits how much milk (i.e. flavor) you can add later.

You can also use russet potatoes but they have more starch and are more susceptible to becoming gummy if over-mixed.

To use russet potatoes, don’t mash them to oblivion and gently mix in the butter and milk until just combined.

To make vegan mashed potatoes I like to use a barista-style plant-based milk for the higher fat content to make them creamier.

Tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme in the middle of a pan of fried vegetables.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this vegan shepherd’s pie are simple and cheap but cooked in a special way that adds tons of flavor.

Lentils: Brown or green lentils can be used. You could also use black / caviar lentils but they’re more expensive. Don’t use red or yellow lentils. The lentils need to be cooked prior to making this recipe so you can use either canned lentils or previously cook dry lentils from scratch.

Vegetables: Onion, garlic, celery, carrots and peas are the veggies that I use in this recipe. The filing is mainly lentils so you don’t need too much vegetable. Frozen peas are fine and don’t need to be thawed beforehand. Chop all the veggies finely so that they meld into the filling and cook quicker.

Potatoes: Choose a potato that’s good for mashing such as Yukon Gold.

Oil: A neutral oil that does not add any flavor to the recipe is essential for making the roux. I use sunflower but canola, vegetable or avocado oil will work. Don’t use olive oil because it has too much flavor.

Flour: White, all-purpose flour makes the roux. It will deepen to a dark chocolate brown color and add tons of flavor.

Tomato paste: A couple tablespoons of tomato paste add umami flavor and also help to thicken the filling a bit.

Herbs: Personally, I like thyme and bay / laurel in my stews. There are lots of options for herbs and you can use your favorite ones.

Milk and butter: To make the mashed potatoes, you’ll add dairy-free milk and vegan butter or margarine. I prefer a barista-style milk for it’s higher fat content. When choosing a vegan butter, get one that actually has a buttery flavor (Violife, for example, doesn’t taste like anything).

Soy sauce and salt: Soy sauce or tamari adds even more umami to the filling as well as saltiness. You can taste your filling and decide if it needs an extra pinch of salt to bring together the flavors. The mashed potatoes also need a good dose of salt.

Pouring vegetable stock into the pan of lentils.

How to make vegan shepherd’s pie

To make vegan shepherd’s pie you’ll prepare the lentil filling and the mashed potato topping before bringing it all together in a casserole and baking it to golden perfection.

Preparation

The preparation for this recipe is fairly easy because there aren’t too many vegetables.

Start by peeling and dicing up the onion, carrot, celery and garlic.

The carrot and celery can be diced quite small so that they blend into the filling and also cook faster.

If you’re using canned lentils, drain and rinse them.

Make the mashed potatoes

Place the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.

Boil the potatoes until they can be pierced with a knife.

Once done, drain them and set them aside until they cool enough to handle.

Once you can touch them without burning your hands, peel them and place them in a large bowl.

Mash the potatoes with a fork or potato mashed. Stir in the butter, milk and salt.

Make the roux

You can make the roux while the potatoes are cooking.

Place the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the oil has warmed, sprinkle over the flour.

Stir it well to remove any lumps and allow to cook gently until it reaches a dark brown, mahogany color.

You should stir the roux very frequently, almost continuously. Sometimes I walk away from it for 30 seconds or so, but you need to stir it often to prevent it from burning.

How long it takes to reach a dark brown color will depend on how low your heat is.

For the best flavor development, you want to cook it very slowly, which could take up to 30 minutes.

I get impatient so I tend to start it at a bit of a higher heat, like medium, and then lower the heat once it reaches a peanut butter color so that it can develop flavor and prevent burning. It takes me about 15 to 20 minutes this way.

The filling for vegan shepherd's pie with a spoon in it.

Make the filling

Once the roux is nice and dark, add the onions and celery.

You can raise the heat a little bit now to medium so that they sauté faster.

Once the onions are soft – about 5 minutes, add the carrots and garlic.

You only need to cook the carrots until they are beginning to tenderize since they will finish cooking once you add the stock and simmer it.

Add the tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Give it about 2 minutes frying to bring out the flavor of the tomato paste.

Now toss in the lentils and pour in enough vegetable stock to cover the lentils.

Raise the heat to bring it to a boil, stirring to dissolve the flour, then reduce it to a simmer and cook until the liquid has thickened into a gravy-like consistency and the carrots have cooked through to tender – about 5 minutes.

If you want, you can adjust the thickness of the sauce. If it seems watery, let it simmer down for a few minutes. If it seems dry, add another splash of vegetable stock.

Now add in the frozen peas and soy sauce and remove the bay leaves. Give it a taste and add salt if you think it’s necessary.

Combine and bake

Pour the filling into a large casserole dish and spoon over dollops of mashed potato.

Use a spoon to spread out the mashed potatoes then run a fork over them to created texture that will crisp up in the oven.

Bake in a 400 f / 200 c oven until the mashed potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling – 20 to 30 minutes.

You can also pop it under the broiler for 3 – 5 minutes to help the top crisp up a bit.

To keep your shepherd’s pie from falling apart, let it cool for 10 – 15 minutes to thicken up before serving.

Vegan shepherd's pie filling with dollops of mashed potato on top.

Variations and substitutions

Mash: Get creative with the mash by substituting sweet potato or cauliflower mash for the mashed potatoes.

Vegan mince: Since the flavor is in the roux, you can substitute the lentils for another meat substitute like vegan ground beef or TVP.

Vegetables: You can add other vegetable to shepherd’s pie such as mushrooms, parsnips, turnips, or corn.

Herbs and seasonings: I like thyme but you can substitute or add rosemary, sage, oregano or fennel seeds. Vegan Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar are common additions to shepherd’s pie. Garnish your shepherd’s pie with some fresh chopped parsley.

FAQs

What the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie?

Shepherd’s pie is made with lamb and cottage pie is made with beef. Garden pie or gardener’s pie is a vegetarian version that is often made with lentils, mushrooms or vegan mince.

How can I thicken my shepherd’s pie?

Shepherd’s pie is generally thickened with flour that is incorporated into the filling before adding liquid. My recipe is thickened with a roux. Some recipes thicken the filling after adding the liquid by adding a cornstarch slurry. If your filling has accidentally come out too watery, you can let it simmer down for a few minutes to evaporate or you can add a slurry of a couple teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with water.

How do I keep my shepherd’s pie from falling apart?

To keep your shepherd’s pie from falling apart allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Should I freeze shepherd’s pie before or after baking?

Freeze shepherd’s pie before you bake it.

Vegan shepherd's pie mashed potato topping before baking.

Make ahead and storage tips

Shepherd’s pie takes a bit of time to make so anything you can do ahead of time is a win!

Firstly, you can make shepherd’s pie with leftover mashed potatoes.

You can also make the shepherd’s pie, cover it and place it in the refrigerator to bake at a later time.

Shepherd’s pie is also a great freezer meal.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for 4 – 5 days.

Can shepherd’s pie be frozen?

Yes! Shepherd’s pie is an ideal freezer meal for vegan meal prep.

It’s recommended to freeze shepherd’s pie before you bake it.

Thaw the shepherd’s pie in the fridge overnight before following the baking instructions.

If you bake it frozen directly out of the freezer it will take a really long time.

How to serve vegan shepherd’s pie

Serve vegan shepherd’s pie accompanied by your favorite steamed or roasted vegetable such as broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, green beans, etc.

Dinner rolls, garlic bread or Irish soda bread are great for mopping up any sauce left on your plate.

For something quick and easy, chop up some fresh veggies and lettuce for a nice green salad.

You can attempt vegan Yorkshire pudding if you’re brave.