This Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is perfect comfort food! It's a tasty and hearty blend of vegetables, lentils and vegetarian mince in a delicious and flavoursome sauce. On top is creamy mashed potato with a sprinkle of cheese for that perfect golden topping. This is a brilliant family meal and ideal for serving a hungry crowd. It's the kind of food that really warms you up, body and soul!
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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- A white onion is perfect for this recipe, but if you have a red onion to use up instead then it won't make a huge difference.
- I used Quorn mince for this recicpe, but you can use any vegetarian or vegan mince. If you don't want to use the mince, you can use mushrooms or crumbled tofu instead.
- Marmite, also known as yeast extract, this is used for adding flavour to the sauce, but don't worry if you are a Marmite hater, your pie won't taste like Marmite!
- You will need tinned green or brown lentils for this recipe, I have not tried this recipe with dried lentils.
- I used regular white potatoes for topping this pie, but you can also top it with sweet potato, or even a mix of white and sweet potato.
- I used a dried herb mix containing thyme, marjoram, parsley, oregano, sage, basil. If you don't have a mix then I suggest using thyme at a minimum, and rosemary too if you can. They add lovely fragrant flavour.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Cook the onion, garlic, celery, courgette and carrot together until the onion is softened. Add the vegetarian mince, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, water, both stock cubes, marmite, balsamic vinegar and mixed herbs. Bring to a simmer. While it's simmering, peel and chop the potatoes and boil them for 15-20 minutes until soft. Stir the lentils into the filling mixture and pour it all into a baking dish.
Mash up the cooked potatoes with milk and butter. Carefully top the filling with the mashed potato. Run a fork all over the top, then add grated cheese all over. Cook the pie for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and bubbling.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Can this recipe be made vegan?
Yes! Make sure to use a vegan suitable mince (or substitute it for mushrooms or crumbled tofu). Then use dairy free butter and dairy free milk when mashing the potatoes. Finally, sprinkle dairy free cheese on top of the pie.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes! The best way to do this is to make the filling in advance as the mashed potato is best when it's fresh. Once the filling is made and cooled, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. You can add it to the baking dish cold, then top with fresh mashed potato and cook as per the instructions.
How long does the Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie last for and can it be frozen?
Once fully cooled, you can cover and store the shepherd's pie in the fridge for 3 days. Or you can portion it out into Tupperware containers and freeze it for up to 3 months.
What can you serve with a shepherd's pie?
- Bread and butter
- Lashings of vegetarian gravy
- Most steamed or boiled vegetables like carrots, peas, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, leeks, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, etc.
- Corn on the cob
- Extra mashed potato
- Mashed, roasted or boiled sweet potato
More tips for making the Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie:
- I always place a baking tray underneath my baking dish as pies like this can often bubble over the sides. Putting the dish on a baking tray, or placing a baking tray on the shelf underneath, saves you from having to clean spills from your oven.
- For an extra crunchy topping you can sprinkle on some breadcrumbs as well as the cheese.
- The ceramic dish I used to make this recipe was from Tesco and it measures 21cm in width, 31cm in length and 6cm in depth.
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Chef's knives
- Garlic press
- Chopping boards
- Baking dish
- Kitchen scales
- Cheese grater
- Saucepan
- Can opener
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Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the filling
- ½ tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 Onion diced
- 2 Carrots diced
- 2 Celery sticks diced
- 1 Courgette diced (also known as zucchini)
- 2-3 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 300 g Vegetarian mince I used Quorn
- 400 g Chopped tomatoes tinned
- ½ tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1 Red wine stock cube
- 1 Vegetable stock cube
- 300 ml Water
- ½ tsp Marmite (yeast extract)
- 1 tbsp Tomato puree
- 1 tsp Mixed herbs
- 235 g Tinned lentils drained and rinsed
- Salt & Pepper to taste
For the potato topping
- 900 g Potatoes peeled and chopped
- 20 g Butter
- 3 tbsp Milk
- 40 g Cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan on a low heat
- Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and courgette. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the onion has softened
- Add the chopped tomatoes, vegetarian mince, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, Marmite, vegetable stock cube, red wine stock cube, water and mixed herbs
- Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer, simmer for 20 minutes
- While it is simmering, prepare the potatoes and place into a pan of boiling water. Boil them for 15-20 minutes until soft, then drain them
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6Mash the potatoes up with the milk and butter
- Add the lentils to the filling and stir them in. Then taste the filling mixture and add salt and pepper to your preference, then put it in your baking dish
- Carefully top the filling with the mash potato. Run a fork all over the top to create texture (this helps to make the top lovely and crispy)Sprinkle the grated cheese all over the pie
- Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and bubbling
- Remove from the oven and serve. Fully cooled leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for 3 months
Notes
- A white onion is perfect for this recipe, but if you have a red onion to use up instead then it won't make a huge difference.
- I used Quorn mince for this recicpe, but you can use any vegetarian or vegan mince. If you don't want to use the mince, you can use mushrooms or crumbled tofu instead.
- Marmite, also known as yeast extract, this is used for adding flavour to the sauce, but don't worry if you are a Marmite hater, your pie won't taste like Marmite!
- You will need tinned green or brown lentils for this recipe, I have not tried this recipe with dried lentils.
- I used regular white potatoes for topping this pie, but you can also top it with sweet potato, or even a mix of white and sweet potato.
- I used a dried herb mix containing thyme, marjoram, parsley, oregano, sage, basil. If you don't have a mix then I suggest using thyme at a minimum, and rosemary too if you can. They add lovely fragrant flavour.
- I always place a baking tray underneath my baking dish as pies like this can often bubble over the sides. Putting the dish on a baking tray, or placing a baking tray on the shelf underneath, saves you from having to clean spills from your oven.
- For an extra crunchy topping you can sprinkle on some breadcrumbs as well as the cheese.
- The ceramic dish I used to make this recipe was from Tesco and it measures 21cm in width, 31cm in length and 6cm in depth.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
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