Vegan Shepherds Pie is easy to make in just 30 minutes and is full of nourishing ingredients. This tasty hearty comfort food brings mushrooms and lentils together under a blanket of crushed potatoes. Vegan and gluten-free.
Easy Vegan Shepherds Pie
In this 30 minute vegan shepherd's pie, earthy mushrooms and lentils mingle in a sumptuous broth beneath a crown of crushed potatoes.
The potatoes get beautifully crispy on all the exposed edges and make this shepherd's pie extra special.
Plus, it's easier than making mash and you can keep the skin on the spuds. And only 313 calories per serving!
This vegan take on the classic family comfort food is packed with veggies with a herb-infused crushed potato topping. It's perfect for family meals.
Commissioned by Tesco
Family meals
It's very important to me that we all eat together at the dinner table.
My kids are still in primary school and although they often want plain pasta (why do kids love that so much! Bleurgh!!), I want them to have nourishing home-cooked foods, and for us all to eat together.
This vegan shepherd's pie is perfect family food - it's quick, easy and the whole family are guaranteed to tuck in. It's now a regular on my meal plan along with other tasty vegan dishes like lentil dahl, Spanish beans and lentil soup.
How to Make Vegan Shepherds Pie
Step 1: Cook the baby potatoes until tender, then drain and lightly crush them.
Step 2: Saute the onions until soft, then add the mushrooms and cook until softened.
Step 3: Stir in the water, garlic, dried crushed chillies, lentils, chopped tomatoes and tomato purée, then reduce the heat and simmer.
Step 4: Heat the grill/broiler. Add the lentil mixture to a casserole dish then cover with the potatoes. Cook under the grill/broiler for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy.
Veganized Shepherd's Pie
Typical shepherds pie is made from ground meat topped with mashed potato. But there's no reason you can't veganize it!
It's easy to swap the meat for chopped mushrooms and those luscious legumes: lentils. They give it a great flavour and texture that will even appeal to meat eaters.
The other changeup in this recipe is that instead of mash, it's topped with crushed new potatoes.
Crushing them allows lots of edges to get nice and crispy while it's baking, while the insides of the spuds stay soft. It's a wonderful contrast of texture that works beautifully against the earthy lentil and mushroom filling.
Fresh parsley sprinkled over the potatoes lifts the dish and gives it a fragrant finish.
Get the Vegan Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how this vegan shepherds pie recipe turned out for you! Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #veggiedesserts and tag @tescofood.
Vegan Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
- 500 g (3 cups) new potatoes
- 2 tbsp parsley , finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 625 g (6 cups) mushrooms , halved and thinly sliced
- 250 ml (1 cup) water
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- ¼ tsp dried crushed chillies (optional)
- 250 g (1 cup) ready-to-eat puy lentils (pre-cooked packet)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g/15oz can)
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 12 mins or until tender. Drain and return to the pan. Season, then lightly crush with a potato masher or fork. Stir in half the parsley.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 mins. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the mushrooms and fry for 7-8 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the mushrooms and fry for 7 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened and they've released their juices.
- Stir in the water, garlic, dried crushed chillies, lentils, chopped tomatoes and tomato purée, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 mins or until the sauce has thickened, then add the remaining parsley and season with the salt and pepper. Preheat the grill to high.
- Pour the lentil mixture into a large baking dish, then spoon the crushed potatoes over the top. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and grill for 8-10 mins or until the potatoes are golden and begin to turn crispy.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Nutrition Information
Vegan Recipes
I adapted this recipe from Tesco.com. They have an ever-growing range of vegan recipes from breakfast and main meals to vegan desserts. Check out Tesco's vegan recipes. You'll find inspiration from mushroom carbonara and oat chickpea dumplings to lemon scones and salted caramel cupcakes. Tesco Read Food's Vegan Hub.
This vegan shepherds pie recipe was commissioned by Tesco. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to be a UK food blogger and write Veggie Desserts, about vegetable cakes, desserts and meals.
Natalie
WOW this Shepard's pie was so delicious and comforting! Hearty and perfect. We eat meat but are trying to cut down and this is perfect.
Kate Hackworthy
That's another great thing about vegan food - it's faster to prepare!
Sarah
The crushed potatoes on top were amazing! Much better than mashed potatoes. My kids even loved it and that's saying somethign (picky eaters).
Katrina
Wow, just wow. I don’t like traditional Shepard’s pie because of the mash, but we LOVED this one. I chopped the mushrooms really finely so they were more like mince.
Nicky
Looks so delicious! Mushrooms, garlic and crushed potatoes - WANT!!!!!
Yeah Lifestyle
This looks totally delicious and the potatoes are cooked so well, cant believe you have used lentils. I am trying to get my kids to eat more of it.
Becca Talbot
I don't usually like shepherds pie or cottage pie, because I don't like the crusty mash on top. But I like the way of doing it with crushed potatoes on top instead - I may have to try this! x
Sarah
Got it in the oven now! I saw the video on instagram and had everything except mushrooms.
Got some and can't wait for dinner now.
Smells good.
Sarah
Julia
What a great meatless alternative to this classic recipe! Love the photos!
Charla
I do enjoy some good old British Shepherd's pie. Love that you made it vegan too!!
Tanya Brannan
Absolutely fabulous recipe and one I will be trying out. My daughter went Vegetarian 18 months ago and even now I can still struggle for new ideas for dinner for her. This looks like something the whole family would love, not just her. so thank you!
Mairi
This looks so tasty! I have got to try making this at home - yum. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Bethany Naismith
This looks so delicious! I'm not vegan, but I do have loads of vegan friends that I am going to try making this for!
Kaz | Ickle Pickles Life and Travels
Thank you so much for sharing this - I love the idea of a vegan shepherds pie. Kaz
Elizabeth
Even as a meat-eater this recipe sounds incredible! I am a big fan of lentils though, and that potato topping sounds divine!
Suzie
This looks so good! I'll take a look at Tesco's vegan recipes. There's a metro near me so I pop in often.
Veena Azmanov
I love Shepard's Pie and over the years made the meat version - now in an attempt eat more veggies I've made a few vegetarian options. This sounds so incredibly delicious. Saving for later.
Kate Hackworthy
I hope you enjoy this version!