• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Veggie Desserts
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Cake and Desserts
    • Vegan Dinner
    • Vegan Breakfast
    • Vegan Guides
  • Cookbook
    • About My Cookbook
    • Buy Veggie Desserts + Cakes
  • About Me
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Press
    • Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram Posts
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About Me
  • Cookbook
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About Me
  • Cookbook
×
Home » Recipes » Vegan Dinners

Vegan Shepherds Pie

Published: Feb 12, 2018 · Modified: Jan 24, 2019 by Kate Hackworthy · 22 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This vegan shepherds pie is easy to make in just 30 minutes and is full of nourishing ingredients. This healthy hearty comfort food brings mushrooms and lentils together under a blanket of crushed potatoes.  #veganrecipes #glutenfreevegan #shepherdspie #vegandinner

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.

Vegan shepherd's pie with crushed new potatoes on a plate with parsley. Gluten free and full of lentils and mushrooms.

 

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.

Baking dish of shepherd\'s pie.

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.

 

A casserole dish full of vegan shepherd's pie recipe ready to go into the oven.

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. 

 

A casserole dish of cooked vegan shepherd's pie with crushed new potatoes instead of mashed potato.

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.

 

A plate of shepherd\'s pie next to a baking dish of it.

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.

📖 Recipe

Vegan shepherd's pie with crushed new potatoes on a plate with parsley. Gluten free and full of lentils and mushrooms.

Vegan Shepherds Pie

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
Ready in just 30 minutes, this vegan shepherd's pie is hearty and tasty. The classic comfort food is elevated to extra-special with crushed new potatoes that get beautifully crispy. 
4.83 from 17 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
SaveSaved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine British, gluten-free, International, Vegan
Servings 4
Calories 313 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 500 g (3 cups) new potatoes
  • 2 tbsp parsley , finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon 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 teaspoon dried crushed chillies (optional)
  • 250 g (1 cup) ready-to-eat puy lentils (pre-cooked packet)
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g/15oz can)
  • 2 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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!

Notes

Freezer-friendly. We would recommend cooling your leftovers as quickly as possible, ideally within two hours before freezing and then eating within 24 hours of fully defrosting.
Adapted with permission from Tesco

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 8gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 167mgPotassium: 1302mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 320IUVitamin C: 43.3mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 3.1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

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. 

More Vegan Dinner Recipes

  • A cast iron dish of chickpea curry on a wooden table.
    Easy Chickpea Curry
  • Close up of tofu curry on a plate with rice and wilted spinach.
    Tofu Curry
  • Dish of vegan pad thai on a table.
    Vegan Pad Thai
  • Looking down at a table with a dish of bean stew and napkin.
    Red Bean Stew
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.83 from 17 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Lana d

    February 15, 2023 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    My family is vegetarian and all though it was so good.

    Reply
  2. Debby

    March 04, 2021 at 1:27 am

    4 stars
    Liked this a lot. I added a few tablespoons of red wine and it really intensified the flavors. I'll be making it again.

    Reply
  3. Natalie

    January 10, 2019 at 2:03 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 24, 2018 at 8:41 am

      That's another great thing about vegan food - it's faster to prepare!

      Reply
  4. Sarah

    October 03, 2018 at 9:29 pm

    5 stars
    The crushed potatoes on top were amazing! Much better than mashed potatoes. My kids even loved it and that's saying somethign (picky eaters).

    Reply
  5. Katrina

    June 12, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  6. Nicky

    March 28, 2018 at 12:40 pm

    5 stars
    Looks so delicious! Mushrooms, garlic and crushed potatoes - WANT!!!!!

    Reply
  7. Yeah Lifestyle

    February 25, 2018 at 10:05 am

    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.

    Reply
  8. Becca Talbot

    February 24, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    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

    Reply
  9. Sarah

    February 24, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  10. Julia

    February 24, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    5 stars
    What a great meatless alternative to this classic recipe! Love the photos!

    Reply
  11. Charla

    February 24, 2018 at 12:41 pm

    I do enjoy some good old British Shepherd's pie. Love that you made it vegan too!!

    Reply
  12. Tanya Brannan

    February 24, 2018 at 12:25 pm

    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!

    Reply
  13. Mairi

    February 24, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so tasty! I have got to try making this at home - yum. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  14. Bethany Naismith

    February 24, 2018 at 11:39 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  15. Kaz | Ickle Pickles Life and Travels

    February 24, 2018 at 11:23 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this - I love the idea of a vegan shepherds pie. Kaz

    Reply
  16. Elizabeth

    February 24, 2018 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    Even as a meat-eater this recipe sounds incredible! I am a big fan of lentils though, and that potato topping sounds divine!

    Reply
  17. Suzie

    February 24, 2018 at 10:45 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  18. Veena Azmanov

    February 24, 2018 at 8:15 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 24, 2018 at 8:41 am

      I hope you enjoy this version!

      Reply
    • Sharon Kaluau-Ingram

      May 18, 2021 at 2:35 am

      Do you think this would work with with Yukon gold potatoes? I don't have new potatoes on hand. I also only have dried parsley not fresh. Do you think these subs will still work?

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        July 20, 2021 at 1:13 pm

        Yes, those subs should work!

        Reply

Primary Sidebar

Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. Here you'll find vegetarian recipes and vegan recipes celebrating vegetables, from dinner to dessert! If you love vegetables, you've come to the right place. About Me

Collage of press logos that Veggie Desserts has appeared in, including The Guardian, Marie Claire, Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, Seattle Times and The Sunday Telegraph.

Popular recipes

  • Stack of naan breads on a plate.
    Easy Naan Bread Recipe (15 Min Yeast-Free Flatbread)
  • Close up of a plate of red lentil dahl with rice and spinach.
    The BEST Easy Red Lentil Dahl
  • A jar of quick, easy and tasty raspberry compote, with a spoonful of it next to a blue and white tea towel.
    Quick Raspberry Compote Recipe
  • Bowl of stewed pears with a serving spoon and a cinnamon stick.
    Easy Stewed Pears Recipe

Vegetable Cake Recipes

  • A cake and a piece of cake sitting on top of a table.
    Apple Kale Cake with Apple Icing
  • Close up of cut loaf cake.
    Parsnip Loaf Cake
  • Cake on a cake stand with slices missing
    Vanilla Spinach Cake
  • A slice of lemon cucumber cake on a plate.
    Lemon and Cucumber Cake

My cookbook

Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About me
  • Contact
  • Work with me
  • Press
  • Veggie Desserts Cookbook

Newsletter

  • Sign Up for newsletter updates

Partner Sites

  • You Say Potatoes

Disclaimers

  • Disclosures & Affiliate Policies
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Kate Hackworthy / Veggie Desserts

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This recipe worked out perfectly!
The whole family loved this recipe!
Easy and tasty!
I'm sure we'll be making this recipe again and again!

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.