This vegan shepherd’s pie is what (dinner) dreams are made of!
Jaye was the one who conceived of it (he’s great with the savory stuff!) and he wanted to experiment with chopping up mushrooms super fine and putting them in with the veggie mince to create a really hearty texture. And oh wow it worked fabulously!
This veggie mince was amazing! And topped with some fabulous vegan mashed potatoes this is a super satisfying vegan dinner meal.
Cottage pie and shepherd’s pie are basically the same thing when it comes to vegan fare, but traditionally a cottage pie is based on beef and shepherd’s pie is based on lamb. But since we’re making vegan versions we can really call it whatever, but since we’ve already done a vegan cottage pie, and we did that quite differently, we’ve called this one a vegan shepherd’s pie!
To make the veggie mince you fry up some onion and garlic in some olive oil and then add in some soy mince. Ours was a frozen soy mince that you can cook directly from frozen. If yours is not frozen that’s fine, but you want it to be soy mince that’s ready to go – as in, it can be cooked up right away. If you’re using a version that needs to be hydrated first, then do that in advance.
You fry up the soy mince with the onions and garlic until the soy mince is nice and soft and browned. If your soy mince has quite chunky pieces then you can just use your spatula as you’re sautéeing it to break the pieces up and make it into a finer mince. Then you add in the chopped mushrooms.
As you can see above, we chopped up the mushrooms in the food processor, so they were super super fine, and barely even resembled mushrooms anymore, this is ideal!
Add in the mushrooms, and some soy sauce, maple syrup, dried basil and oregano and some tomato paste and mix it in. Then you add some frozen peas and carrots and sauté everything until the peas and carrots are softened and you have a deliciously thick veggie mince like you see above.
While you’re making the veggie mince you have some potatoes on the go in the next pot, and when they’re nicely soft and cooked you mash them up with some vegan butter, non-dairy milk and salt and pepper.
Layer the mince in a pie dish (a rectangular or square dish is also fine) and top with the mashed potato. Create some nice ridges in the top with your fork (looks pretty and helps with browning) and top it with some knobs of vegan butter.
Bake in the oven at 390°F (200°C) for 30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes switch it over to grill to really brown the top super nicely.
This does take a while, you’re looking at 75 minutes at least if you’re fast, but more likely 90 minutes from starting this meal to having it on the table.
But it feeds a fair few people, at least 6!
This vegan shepherd’s pie is everything you want a shepherd’s pie to be, it is:
- Hearty
- Very filling
- Comforting
- Veggie-Packed
- Totally delicious!
It keeps super well in the fridge so leftovers are not going to be an issue at all and can be easily reheated the next day.
So what do you think of this vegan shepherd’s pie? Do let us know in the comments and please rate the recipe too!
For more delicious comfort food style vegan dinner recipes, check out these awesome options:
- Vegan Pasta Bake
- Vegan Chili
- Vegan Meatloaf
- Creamy Coconut Red Lentil Dal
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Lasagna
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Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Filling and comforting vegan shepherd’s pie made with a delicious veggie-packed veggie mince and creamy mashed potatoes. Perfect for a hearty and satisfying vegan dinner.
Ingredients
For the Veggie Mince:
- 1 Onion (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 12oz (340g) Soy Mince*
- 2 Packs (18oz/500g total) Button Mushrooms (finely chopped)
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 cup (130g) Tomato Paste
- 2 cups (280g) Frozen Peas and Carrots*
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 4 Large Potatoes (~1100g/2.5lb)
- 4 Tbsp (60g) Vegan Butter (plus more for the top)
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup (80ml – 120ml) Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)*
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes and add them to a pot. Cover with water and bring them to the boil. Cook for around 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft and cooked.
- Process the mushrooms in a food processor on the S blade until they are finely chopped.
- Add the onion, and garlic to a pot with the olive oil and sauté until softened.
- Then add in the soy mince and sauté with the onion and garlic until soft and browned. If your soy mince is a bit chunky then use your spatula while sautéeing to break it up into small pieces.
- Add in the chopped mushrooms, soy sauce, maple syrup, basil, oregano and tomato paste and mix in.
- Add the frozen peas and carrots and sauté with the veggie mince until the peas and carrots are slightly softened.
- When the potatoes are cooked, add in the vegan butter and soy milk and mash it up. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Add the veggie mince to a pie dish (a square or rectangular dish will also do fine) and smooth down.
- Add the mashed potatoes on top and smooth them down as the top layer. Use a fork to create ridges in the mashed potatoes.
- Dot with some vegan butter on top and sprinkle with black pepper.
- Place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes switch over to grill for some extra browning on top.
Notes
*We used a soy mince that you cook directly from frozen, this worked really well and is ideal for this recipe. However, if you are using a soy mince that needs to be hydrated first, then do this before you start.
*If you can’t get frozen peas and carrots together then get them separately and use 1 cup of each.
*I have generally found 1/3 cup soy milk to be enough for the mashed potatoes but you might need a bit more, but start with 1/3 cup and only add more if needed.
- Category: Entree, Dinner, Savory
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serve (of 6)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8.8g
- Sodium: 905mg
- Fat: 16.9g
- Saturated Fat: 3.9g
- Carbohydrates: 72.8g
- Fiber: 14.9g
- Protein: 20g
Keywords: vegan shepherd's pie
This was an amazing recipe! I was craving comfort food and was not in the mood for a lentil-based version. This really hit the spot.
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks Emma! 🙂
Meat-lovers enjoyed this main dish that I brought to a Christmas Eve party! I used a combination, 50/50 of Soy Crumbles and Beyond meat. I peeled the potatoes, to make the mashed potatoes smooth. It was easy to double the recipe. I’m very happy to be able to have this dish in a plant-based version! Yay! Sheep should be snuggled and kissed- not eaten. 😉
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks Sharon. 🙂
I have never worked with soy mince. If one uses the dried soy mince and constitutes it, how does one calculate the required 12 oz? Do you use the dry weight or the reconstituted? Then how to you convert that to cups? Thanks!
Hi Anne, you would use the reconstituted soy mince and use 12 ounces/340 grams of that. I didn’t check this in cups but I would estimate about 2 and 1/2 cups. And the measurement can be a little ‘loose’ for this as it won’t go very far wrong even if you use too much or too little.
This looks so perfect- just like what one “expects” something called “Shepherd’s/Cottage Pie” to look like (which is KEY when trying to feed vegan-shy friends and family.) One question: could you make this and freeze it for a later date? I’m thinking it could be a good thing to bring to a pot luck on a Saturday but would like to make it ahead on the weekend prior and/or to have in the freezer for “I don’ wanna cook” nights. 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Jen, I think this would be freezer friendly! Let it cool completely before covering and freezing and then thaw overnight in the fridge.
Love this recipe, and so did my husband! We’re new to a fully plant based diet and this recipe made us so happy and sure that we made the right decision and we wouldn’t be missing out on any of our favorite foods. Thank you!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that Heather! Thanks for the wonderful review! 🙂
This was soooooo delicious I couldn’t believe it. Way better than the Shepherds pies from my pre-vegan days.
I will definitely make this again.
Thank you.
★★★★★
Great to hear that! Thanks Catherine. 🙂
Wow! This was a huge hit! I chose this recipe because I wanted a shepherd’s pie that wasn’t lentil based, since we’d had lentil “meat” loaf yesterday. It was really delicious. Thank you for a great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for posting. 🙂
Just looked at your moussaka recipe (looks fab) have you tried the moussaka mince in this pie? What are your thoughts? I would personally omit the cinnamon.
Hi Nina, yes the moussaka mince (minus the cinnamon) would be great to use in this recipe as well! We also used that mince (without cinnamon) in our Vegan Sloppy Joes. The cinnamon is very specific to moussaka so that’s why I would definitely also omit it if using it in this shepherd’s pie, but I definitely think it would work very well in this recipe.
Thanks for replying to my question, very much appreciated. I live in the UK and I don’t like the tvp substitutes. I have been on the look out for a mince substitute for some tim.
My only concern is that I’m unsure of the tofu in the recipe, but I think that I will give it a try.
How did the tofu work out?
Dear Alison, all I can say is WOW! Sheer genius. This is the first recipe I have made from your website and if this anything to go by it’ll be my go to site for vegan inspiration. My family have very recently switched to a vegan diet and there’s no going back! In fact this shepherds pie looked so much like the meat version that I nearly didn’t want to eat it! It was delicious. I added some garlic and spring onions to the mash but otherwise followed your recipe to the letter. Loved the story about how you adopted your two kittens… sending love to you all from the UK.
★★★★★
Hi Satin, so happy you liked the recipe and congrats on switching to a vegan diet, that’s awesome! Thanks so much for posting and the amazing review! 🙂
Another absolute winner! Followed the recipe to a T except for using dried mixed herbs in place of the basil and oregano and my frozen veg had peas, corn and carrots in it. Thank you again for an amazing website! Non-vegan and vegan family members alike loved this.
★★★★★
Awesome! So pleased to hear this Bek, thanks a million! 🙂
Wonderful!! I’m a mom of three, and the hub & I made this for the family last night. We doubled the recipe to have leftovers, and are having those for brunch today! I didn’t have enough tomato paste for the double batch, so made up the diff with ketchup. The soy mince I used also didn’t have a wonderful flavor, so to mask it I added more of everything in the recipe + balsamic vinegar and a couple small pinches of powdered monkfruit. Seriously, soooooo delicious — my kids have said they want it for EVERY meal, ha!
★★★★★
Oh haha, so pleased the kids liked it too! Thanks for sharing, sounds like you made the perfect adjustments to make it work great for you. Thanks so much for the awesome review. 🙂
Meal prep’d this for lunch next week. Omg so good!! I tried Shepards Pie last year with Lentil but the soy meatless crumbles made this so much better!! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Wonderful to hear that Theresa! Thanks so much for the great review. 🙂
Hi do you think your recipe for taco meat would work in this recipe- thanks
You could try it!
This was a great recipe, my guests loved it; the finely blended/chopped mushrooms made for a very rich minced base.
★★★★★
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks Chris. ?
Alison,
Great recipe. I just tried it and thought of leaving my comments. I put a bit of Garam masala as this spices it up a bit as well. Well done for showing us this great recipe.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Garam masala is definitely a great addition too. Thanks for the great review! 🙂
Recipe tested this evening for a dinner with friends. Everybody liked it !!! It’s tasty, savoury and so easy to cook.
I think your website will become my new bible ! Thanks again and go on !
Yay! Sounds great. So happy to hear that, and hope you find lots more recipes here that you enjoy. 🙂
I just made this just now havent put it in the oven yet. Curious if i can let it cool then put it in the oven tomorrow for dinner
Hi Dani, yes sure! You can assemble it ahead of time, cover and refrigerate and bake when you’re ready. 🙂
What can I substitute for soy mince?
★★★★
Not sure, maybe something like lentils.
What about using something like soyrizo?
I haven’t used that, but it might be great! 🙂
Hi Ildiko,
Alison is right, you can try Puy Lentils. Boil them first then the cooking in the sauce make sure the lentils have soaked the juices before placing them in the dish to bake. I also would try some chilli powder to spice it up a bit if you are not prone to chillies.
★★★★★
Quorn mince is great try that.
Great dinner! Our friends loved it, and even the kids enjoyed it – it’s very rare to find a recipe that pleases kids AND vegan & non-vegan adults! Thank you.
Not only is my hubby vegan but he can’t eat pulses and beans, so this dinner really ticked all our boxes. ?
★★★★★
That is awesome to hear! Thanks so much for sharing and your fabulous review Tanya! 🙂
Hearty and delicious meal for anytime of the year!
★★★★★
It sure is! 🙂
This looks fabulous. I’m going to make it and post it on my blog with a link back. The only thing I would add is garlic to the mashed potatoes, but that’s my own taste. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Hi Deborah, yes garlic would be a great addition! 🙂