There is something very wintry, very comforting about Shepherd’s Pie.
Hearty vegetables in a brothy sauce topped with fluffy mashed potatoes, all baked to bubbly perfectly. It’s kind of what Thanksgiving dreams are made of, at least in my world.
My family wasn’t big on casseroles growing up and John and I aren’t big on them now, but this recipe may be our one exception.
Traditional Shepherd’s pie contains ground beef, which I considered swapping for walnuts, a combination of mushrooms and walnuts, or lentils.
Being that lentils seemed to pack the most nutritional punch and protein, I went that route! Plus, they cook up nicely while your potatoes are boiling, making the whole process rather seamless.
Lentils are a plant-based powerhouse. Not only are they affordable and easy to cook, they’re also high in essential nutrients like fiber, iron and protein (9 grams per 1/2 cup serving).
They also absorb flavors well and can be added in place of ground beef in just about any recipe. That’s great news if you ask me!
This recipe is not only nutritious, tasty and filling, it’s also simple!
Just 9 ingredients required and about 1 hour from start to finish. I could see this not only being a vegetarian-friendly Thanksgiving entree, but an easy weeknight meal for colder months ahead.
So, what does it taste like? I’m glad you asked. It’s:
Hearty
Filling
Savory
Loaded with veggies
Herb-infused
Warm
Comforting
& Seriously satisfying
I cooked this up and John and I both gladly ate two servings for dinner. We’re not even really “casserole” people, but we both loved the flavor, consistency and simple nature of this dish.
This will definitely become a staple for us in the winter months ahead.
We hope you guys love this recipe! If you give it a try, be sure to let us know in the comments, or by tagging a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see.
Cheers, friends!
1-Hour Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
FILLING
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils (rinsed and drained)
- 4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (or sub 1 tsp dried thyme per 2 tsp fresh)
- 1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn
MASHED POTATOES
- 3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, partially peeled (thoroughly washed)
- 3-4 Tbsp vegan butter
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
-
Slice any large potatoes in half, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.
-
Once cooked, drain, add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a masher, pastry cutter or large fork to mash until smooth. Add add desired amount of vegan butter (2-4 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.
-
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish (or comparable sized dish, such as 9x13 pan. An 8x8 won’t fit it all but close! // as original recipe is written // adjust number or size of dish if altering batch size).
-
In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) until lightly browned and caramelized - about 5 minutes.
-
Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes).
-
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together.
-
OPTIONAL: To thicken the mixture, add 2-3 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) mashed potatoes and stir. Alternatively, scoop out 1/2 of the mixture and whisk in 2 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) cornstarch or arrowroot powder and whisk. Return to the pan and whisk to thicken.
-
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt.
-
Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashers are lightly browned on top.
-
Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheats well in the microwave.
Notes
*Inspiration from Martha Stewart
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 6)
- Calories: 396
- Fat: 5.3g
- Saturated fat: 1.6g
- Sodium: 109mg
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 19g
- Sugar: 4g
- Protein: 17.7g
It’s just as good as it says! I made it exactly as the recipe states and turned out fantastic! Great meatless comfort food.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Selena. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Hello! I’ve made this a few times and my hubby and I LOVE it. I’m wondering if I were to double the recipe would it be possible to make the lentil part in the slow cooker? If so, how long on high and low setting would I want to do it for?
Hi Ali, we haven’t tried this in the crockpot, but we don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Not sure on the cooking specifics- but maybe on low for 4-6 hours? Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Hi, just making this and wondering if I could add nutritional yeast to mash for a cheesy flavour?! So far it smells delicious and so easy to make!
Sure! Let us know how it goes!
Amazing! My meat eating husband loved it. Great recipe and will definitely make it again.
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Oh Dana, this was absolutely superb!! We’ve just had it and it was so beautiful, I had to leave you a review! I followed it pretty much exactly to a T, apart from that my lentils needed a bit more water during cooking and I had no frozen veg so used up some chopped up carrots and fine beans and it was delicious! Definitely recommend and defo making it again, thank you!!!
Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Gina! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi ?
Can I use uncooked red lentils?
Thanks
Sure! Just cook for slightly less time so they don’t get mushy.
Dear Dana,
This recipe is delicious, but I’m wondering if we are supposed to drain the excess vegetable broth from the lentil/vegetable mix before transferring it to the pan and into the oven. I always seem to end up with a layer of liquid left at the bottom. Thank you so much!
Hi Kelly, maybe try with less broth next time? Or cook with the lid off at the end to evaporate remaining water. We wouldn’t recommend draining the broth as it may remove some of the flavor. Hope that helps!
Made this for me and husband and we both thought it was delicious! He told me to make it again, and he’s a big army dude so you know it’s gotta be good if it fills up a soldier!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kerry. We are so glad you both enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
This was great! I will say it took more like an hour and a half once you factor in peeling potatoes. I would recommend adding a good amount of salt to the lentils. I used Miyoko’s vegan butter in the mashed potatoes (so! good!) and added sauteed mushrooms to the lentils before baking. I also mixed vegan gravy into the lentils before baking, which I think helped with thickening and definitely added flavor. Will definitely be making this again — vegan comfort food at its finest.
Hi Dana! Thank you very much for this delicious recipe. I am going to cook it as well. It will be my first time. Yes, I believe the corn starch will keep it together. All the best!!!
Thanks for sharing, Isabel!
Great recipe!!! Thank you!!!
My potatoes needed a lot more boiling time, and a LOT more butter.
I threw Tomato Paste and Worcestershire Sauce (liberally) into the mix for more flavor.
Great portion size and the lentils rock! Gonna have tons of leftovers!
We are not vegan, but I found this recipe and decided to make it as a healthier option. It was truly AMAZING! I followed the recipe with 2 changes, I used 2 cups of lentils and increased the vegetable broth by an additional cup. My family went crazy it was so good. Truly you have to try it, you will not miss the beef.
So kind! Thanks for sharing, Angela!
This recipe looks amazing! Is this meal freezer friendly? A friend of mine and her hubby are both vegan and they are expecting a little bundle of joy due in mid march 2020. As a mom, I know how crazy things can get once a baby is born and wanted to make them something to ease the transition. If I make this ahead of time and give it to them as a freezer meal, would that affect the dish?
Such a good friend! We haven’t tried freezing it, but another reader mentioned success with freezing without baking and then reheating in the oven. Hope that helps!
My husband and I have been Whole Food Plant Based since the beginning of the year. We mostly eat raw vegetables, hummus and vegetable soups, stews and chili. We needed something with the same basic ingredients and this met the criteria. Just finished eating it and we were both delighted and satisfied! I used a little truffle salt in the potatoes and Milkadamia milk. Outside of that followed the recipe to a T! Delicious! Thank you!
Only 3tbsp of vegan butter for 3 pounds of potato??? I thought that would be a bit dry. I heated up unsweetened non dairy milk with with vegan butter and added it in until creamy.
this is so so delicious! i used a can of lentils and simmered them for 30 minutes in / to soak up the veggie stock flavour (2 cups) and added mushrooms in and green beans and the consistency was perfect! i’ll definitely be making this in winter too, thank youuu dana
I’m making this again tomorrow. I topped the last one with a combination of mashed potato and cauliflower. So good. Tomorrow I’m going to ad some mushrooms to the lentils. I also froze individual servings and it was successful. This is such a versatile recipe. Delicious enough for company and a family of cooks. ?.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Beth. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Sorry. Thought I did give it 5 stars.
Thanks Beth!
Hi – why Can the recipe not be frozen ?
Hi Claire, We haven’t tried freezing it, but it looks like others have and had success with it!
Hi Dana!
I made this for the first time as part of my meal prep for the week and it turned out AMAZING! I’m not vegan or vegetarian and I honestly prefer this recipe over the tradition one!
My only modifications were I used a combo of vegetable and mushroom broth (because that’s what I had) and chopped fresh veggies instead of frozen . This recipe is a keeper for sure, thank you!!
Delicious! Simple to make and incredibly satisfying. Thank you
Thanks, Julie!
This was so comforting, healthy and yummy! Added to favourites and will make often to make a nice vegitarian option for the week (I used real butter in my mash as I am not intolerant) thank you Dana :)
Hi Dana
I would like to just start by saying you are by far one of my favourite!! This is kind of off topic but I am starting my own Vegan food blog and was wondering if you had any tips? I truly love all your recipes and you have inspired me? I look forward to hearing from you!
Kind Regards,
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, Thanks so much! Check out this resource: https://minimalistbaker.com/starting-food-blog-free-email-course/
Its tasty but came out super dry, and I’m not sure why. I even added extra veggie stock when the lentil were getting soft because the destructions said there might be extra, and I definitely wasn’t seeing that. The potatoes are a bit dry too. Will have to figure out a way to moisten it up to salvage the leftovers.
Any suggestions?
Hmm, it sounds like maybe it baked too long or at too high of a temp? Adding more vegan butter may help moisten the potato layer. Hope that helps!
I added more veggie broth to the leftovers by sort of poking holes through the potatoes and pouring in the broth. ? I wrapped up the leftovers and they have been fantastic for two more days! I’m wondering if I didn’t measure either the lentils or the broth correctly.
Definitely a 5 star recipe!!
When simmering the lentils, should they be covered, or covered only after the mixed veggies are added?
Covering speeds the cooking, but it isn’t necessary.
Hiii!! I’m new too the vegan world and saw this recipe and wanted too make it!! I have a couple questions?:) Im confused on how one serving is 72g of carbs? I feel that’s very high but im assuming it’s healthy carbs but is it because of how big the serving size is or the ingredients used?
Hi Sabrena, the potatoes, lentils, and veggies all contribute to the carb amount. You could try swapping out the mashed potatoes for this cauliflower mash for a lower carb version: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-garlic-mashed-cauliflower/. Hope that helps!
Dana, this recipe was priceless. I mixed white potatoes and sweet potatoes…really good.
I couldn’t find green or brown lentils did red. I also added liquid smoke, Worcester sauce and balsamic vinegar sauce. I’m limited on sodium so no salt. But this was really tasty and filling. Going for 2nd serving. My husband is working on his 3rd!!!
Thank you. Following you on Instagram.
Happy New Year❤
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Nilda! Thanks so much for sharing! Happy New Year
Thank you! Absolutely delicious. I made the recipe exact. I am freezing half of the lentils and will repurpose in the future but will top with mashed sweet potatoes. Much appreciation.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Rebecca! Thanks for sharing!
I mad this casserole last night for dinner. I am always a little hesitant when making a vegan main dish since I am usually a meat eater, however, my son arrived from far away and he is a vegan. It took me a little longer than the times posted because I cook on an electric range but this was very easy to make and OMG the flavor was delicious! My husband, our son, and I each had seconds! Best of all, we have leftovers for tomorrow night too!
Thank you for a delicious and easy main dish for the reluctant vegan!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Sally!!
Hello from Norway! We make this one every year as new years eve dinner! We loooooove it! I make my own broth from scraps wich makes a perfect taste! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Christel! Thanks for sharing!
Added mushrooms. Delicious as all your recipes are. Thank you!
Thanks Camille!
I’ve made this several times, it’s so good! I either halve the filling, or freeze half, because it does make alot. I also add at least a pound of sliced & sauted mushrooms, and man does it add alot of flavor and texture. Make it.
Thanks for sharing, Megan! We’re so glad you enjoy it!
A good comfort meal after a cold day outside. Only adjustments I made was adding a splash of coconut aminos and a bay leaf while the lentils were cooking.
Sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing, Julie!
I have yet to buy vegan butter and was wondering if I could use coconut oil instead? Or just a little oil and some potato water?
There might be a coconut taste, but if that doesn’t bother you, it should work.
A friend asked me to make something for her Christmas party that the vegetarians and vegans could eat. I found this recipe and felt it would be perfect. I water sautéed the onions and garlic. I also used the precooked lentils from Trader Joes. Not knowing how much the package was in comparison to using dried lentils I added a bit of cooked brown rice to the mixture. I only used about 2 cups of the vegetable broth, enough to loosen up the mix. Everyone raved about how awesome it was! I steered a couple people to your website so they could get the recipe for themselves! I will definitely be making this again. The flavors were perfect!
Thanks for a great recipe and website!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Valerie. We are so glad everyone enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
As a british person from the north of England, corn and green beans wouldn’t be ideal for a Sheperds/Cottage Pie — not sure what dish this would make, though it wouldn’t be traditional British food. I would also suggest adding 1/4 cup vegan cream to the mash. And ideally a couple of tablespoons of Bisto granules rather than mash / cornflour, if you have it. Finally, the magic ingediant is 1-2 tbs of brown sauce such as A1 or HP or I personally add 1/2 tsp of Marmite and 1 tsp HP.
tried these recs, they were great! thanks!!
Could this be made ahead and frozen?
I think so, yes! Scan the comments as I believe others have done so with success.
I added sautéed mushrooms and mix of a few tablespoons each of tomato paste / balsamic vinegar/ broth to the lentil veggie mix. Without it Tasted to me like it was missing “something,” it helped tremendously. Thank you for the easy weeknight recipe
Thanks for sharing your experience, Angela! Your modifications sound lovely!
Second time I’ve made this recipe and it is a winner for the whole fam, for sure.
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Erin!
I made it and it came out quite delicious. My boyfriend who isn’t vegan, loved it! I highly recommend making this for your non-vegan friends & family!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Veronique!
Delicious! I followed the recipe as written except I added an extra 1/2 cup frozen veggies. Used about a teaspoon of corn starch and 2 tablespoons of the mashed potatoes to thicken. Perfection! Served to two non-vegan guests and they (and my mostly plant based husband) all loved it! Five stars!!!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Marsha!
I made this last year, and it was fabulous! I LOVED it with the “Easy Vegan Gravy” from this site, and it was so simple to make.
However, wanted to make a smaller batch this time. If I halve the recipe, can I use a square 9 x 9 dish? My 9 x 13 will be preoccupied with another yummy recipe ;)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing! We used a 9×9 pan when we made a full batch, so no need to halve. But you can if you would prefer.
So I soaked my 1.5 cups of lentils overnight for better digestion but now there is way more than 1.5 cups. Should I use it all or just 1.5 cups of the soaked lentils? Thanks!
Use all of it.
Thank you for the quick response!!
Hi! Does anyone have any tips for making this ahead?
Hi Aka, we would recommend preparing up to the point of putting the mashed potatoes on top. Then refrigerate and bake as instructed later on!
SIMPLY DELICIOUS. Not my first time doing this recipe, and I twist it a bit by adding nibblets between the mashed potatoes and the lentils mixture by make it even Moreno like a shepherds pie. Plus, I’ve frozen this recipe before with great success…! Just saying :). Thank you for such a perfect warm and cozy fall/winter recipe my dear.
Catherine
Thanks for sharing, Catherine! We’re so glad you enjoy it!
We had leftover mashed potatoes from the night before and this was a great way to use them up! I absolutely loved this meal, it will definitely be in the rotation going forward and I think it would be a great dish to serve your meat eating friends and family to show how familiar, satisfying, and nutritious vegan cooking can be.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lindsay! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Hi Dana,
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. I love making everything!
Jeanie
Thanks Jeanie! We’re so glad to hear it!
I made this last night and it was deelish. I modified it slightly. I added 8oz of sliced portobello to the saute mix of onions and garlic. The mushrooms gave a real nice meaty taste and texture. I also substituted pureed cauliflower (about 1 1/2 heads) for the mashed potatoes. I simply steamed the cauliflower, then into the food processor with the vegan butter. After spreading the mix on top I sprinkled some paprika over it and baked.
Really good and thanks for the recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
I’d like to use fresh veggies. About how many cups should I use of each veggie?
I’d say roughly 2 – 2 1/2 cups total?
Loved this recipe! I made it last night but added Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and extra herbs spices like smoked paprika and dried sage. I also used purple yams instead of golden yams and it looks so colourful and amazing! I’m stoked.
Can’t wait to make this for all the hard-core meat eaters in my family :)
Your modifications sound lovely, Emma! Thanks so much for sharing!
Delicious and so filling! We made this two weeks in a row because we loved it so much the first time we tried it!
Whoop! So glad to hear it, Amy! Thanks for sharing!
Made this last night, I used fresh carrots and celery, staggered putting them in the filler to avoid over-cooking them. Also in the filler I used about 1/2tbps paprika, shredded the garlic (4 cloves) instead of diced, and added 2tbps corn starch about 30 minutes into simmering. Added garlic to the mashed potatoes and used cashew/almond milk blend in addition to the vegan butter, then a light brush of olive oil before baking. Thank you so much for this recipe, it was delicious, rich and filling, and my family thoroughly enjoyed it. Will definitely be trying more from this page.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Carlos!
Is freezer friendly! I just didn’t do the oven portion and then thawed and put in oven to reheat!
Does this freeze well? I’m traveling for thanksgiving and would like to make and freeze for trip.
Hi Lisa, We haven’t tried it, but it looks like others have and had success with it!
YUM. Made this tonight and it tasted just like my mom’s beef shepherd’s pie growing up. Thought I’d left that cozy flavor behind forever when I stopped eating meat but this was instant nostalgia! I assembled this 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge, baked just before dinner. We’re not big potato fans, so I used mashed cauliflower. One head of cauliflower was enough for half this recipe. Will be making this over and over!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Louise! Thanks so much for sharing!
So good I’ve made it twice already!! I enjoy dipping it with bbq sauce. Highly recommend!
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Jillian! Thanks so much for sharing!
I will definitely be making this recipe again (enthusiastically approved by boyfriend!). I love the homeyness and simplicity. I lightened it up by making a batch of your potato and cauliflower mash for the topping. I also found the lentil mix wanting additional flavor and seasoning so I added 1 TB of vegan Worcestershire sauce, around 2 TB of tamari, and about a tsp. of Beyond Bullion vegetable stock seasoning.
Thanks for sharing you experience, Dana!
Both my husband and I loved it! Easy to make and simply delicious! Note: If you use canned lentils, like I did, you will have to reduce the amount of vegetable broth to just enough to cook the mixed vegetables. (I found it to be very liquidy otherwise, but I drained the excess liquid and used it when I made a batch of veggie soup. It didn’t go to waste!)
Thanks for sharing your experience, Joanne!
Wonderful recipe.. made a few adjustments
-seasoned the lentils with salt,pepper,paprika,tomato paste and cumin and let it steam a bit BEFORE adding broth..
-added chunks of squash to other veggies/lentils.. let it cook until soft then mash some with spoon to ticken added a dash of A1 and some sazon seasoning!
-added cauliflower to potatoes and mashed it together..DELISH!! Thank you!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Marsha. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
This is my go-to recipe for Vegan Shepherd’s Pie! My family loves it! Very easy and versatile for every taste. I like to use a little mint with thyme and rosemary. I also like fresh chives and some sour cream in the whipped potatoes. Yum-Yum!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
Thank you so much for this recipe. This Shepard’s Pie just won my work’s holiday pie contest. It’s a specialty food and beverage shop so there were a lot of discerning palettes to please. I added about 1tbsp of tamari to the lentils as a substitute for Worcester sauce (saw in another recipe) to make it extra savory.
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear that, Mia! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
OK I can’t find Yukon potatoes anywhere.
Can I substitute with red or Russet?
Thanks?
We would recommend red!
Making it again! So good
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Diana!
I made this for my family and my carnivore kids ate it up!!!! They could not get enough and didn’t miss the meat!!! Total game changer!!! Need more Casserole recipes like this!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Andrea. We are so glad everyone enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Starting making this and then realized that I didn’t have enough lentils (only had 3/4 cup)! So I added 1/2 cup quinoa and 1/2 can garbanzo beans to make up for it. Still turned out delicious!! Can’t wait to make this as a plant based option at my family’s Thanksgiving!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your experience!
This was soooooo delicious. I made it exactly the way the recipe said to and it had so much flavor for so few ingredients. Definitely will be making again.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Anna! xo
Recently went vegan and am so thankful to find a yummy version of my favorite dish!!! Thank you so so so much for sharing! Definitely adding to my recipe box!
Enjoy =)
I made this last year because I was the only vegetarian at my husband’s holiday gathering and wanted something to share with them. It was great but I tweaked it by added rosemary, cooking wine, diced mushrooms, tomato paste, vegan worcestershire sauce, and topped it with a mushroom gravy made from mushrooms, “butter”, coconut milk, salt, and poultry seasoning. The lentils I got sucked up a LOT of seasoning so I’d constantly have to add more salt, thyme, and rosemary as I was cooking so I have no idea how much I used. This clearly is not a healthy meal with all the salt and butter but I don’t eat this way usually. My husband’s family LOVED it they were going in for seconds and thirds. I’m making it again this year at their request.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Karen!!
Like some others here, I also added red wine! I decided to add nutritional yeast to the potatoes, too… I regret nothing.
Thanks so much for sharing, Linda. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
I love your recipes!
Thank you :)
Thanks for sharing, Aziza!
Hi is there something I can use instead of vegan butter? Also does this freeze well?
You could try olive oil? Or perhaps refined coconut oil? And yes, it does freeze well.
This was incredible! Loved that it had simple ingredients, but tasted delicious.
So great! Thanks for sharing, Sydney!
Made this last night, it was AMAZING!!
My husband is a meat eater and absolutely loved it. I added chopped celery and mushrooms to the lentil mix. Can’t wait for leftovers (although there’s not much left!). Thanks for the great recipe!
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Stephanie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
I make this for Thanksgiving every year (and multiple times throughout the cold months) and it is such a delicious, hearty, ultimate comfort meal. I make a mushroom gravy on the side just to really make it thanksgiving-y and it hits all those spots for me. Definitely one to come back to over and over!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
I made this last night for dinner. I agree with another commenter that there was way to much lentils. I would probably do half the amount if I make this again. To cut down on the cooking time, I used my Instant pots to cook the potatoes and the lentils.
Thanks for the feedback, Bonnie. We’ll give it another look to see if we can improve the ratio!
I have recently cut out all meat and dairy and this dish tastes better than my childhood shepards pie! Thank you for sharing, it tastes delicious!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Bonnie!
This turned out great. A quick view of the comments show that no one else had this issue, so maybe it was just me: 1.5 cups of uncooked lentils was WAY TOO MUCH. I used the suggested sized baking dish, and had a lot of leftover filling. I saved it for a while and tried to creatively use it in other dishes, but eventually threw the rest out.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Beth!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit among the vegetarians and meat-eaters! It is a very user friendly recipe and makes for a satisfying comfort food. The only thing I added to this recipe was two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar when adding the vegetable stock. Definitely will be making again!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Alexandria!
Delicious! Used to be one of my favorite meals before I changed my diet and stopped eating meat and dairy. Thrilled to have found this gem! My husband wanted to eat the whole tray the first time I made it ?
haha yay! Thanks for sharing!
What a yummy dinner. I added about 1/4 c red wine, 2-3 tablespoons of miyokos butter, baby Bella mushrooms and about 1/2 tablespoon of fresh rosemary from my garden. Oh and pushed the garlic up to 8 cloves. So good! Thank you for all your recipes!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Rebekah!
Yum!
It was very good
Loved, loved it. I added a little red wine, fresh carrots and spinach. This will definitely be a go to in my house….
I might add sun dried tomatoes next time!
So glad you enjoyed it, Krista! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Can you make this dish the day before a get-together? Prepare everything, put it in the fridge, and them bake on the day of?
That should work well, Sabrina! Let us know if you give it a try!
This has been a staple recipe of mine for years now. It’s always a hit at potlucks! The only thing I change is to add chopped crimini mushrooms to the lentil mixture. A wonderful recipe, thank you!
Great idea, Amanda! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
This was absolutely delicious I almost liked it better than the traditional Shepard’s pie I used fresh veggies instead of the frozen and I also added sweet potato just damn good
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Chandra. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
So yummy. I swapped corn for peas and used canned lentils. I should have let that all simmer for 5 mins before assembling as carrots a bit hard. But i ate too much anyway as it was so good.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Paula. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
What would be the equivalent amount if using canned vs dry lentils? Thanks!
Hi Kate, about 3 cups canned lentils. That should be about two 15-ounce cans. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi there,
Thanks for this modification! I have some canned lentils at home that I’m looking to use. Would you recommend decreasing the amount of veggie broth if using canned lentils, or would you keep the rest of the recipe the same?
Alternatively, could you use red lentils? I do have dried red lentils, but not sure if they cook differently or wouldn’t taste as good in this recipe.
Thank you!
Katie
Hi Katie, red lentils should work! They just require less time to cook. For canned lentils, yes- maybe reduce veggie stock to just 1 cup? Let us know if you try these modifications!
I’ve never had classic shepherd’s pie, but I don’t think it would hold a candle to this! It was an easy recipe, it just took me a bit of time as I had never made lentils before. I had to play around with the liquid amount to get it right, but it was so worth it.
So kind! Thanks, Paige!
Would it be ok do you think, to freeze the lentil/ veg mix once cooked?
We think the flavor would be okay, but it would likely end up watery. Some readers have reported freezing with success though!
Could you freeze this for future dinners?
Hi Gresa, Some readers have reported success with freezing! We were concerned that it might end up a little watery with freezing and reheating. Hope that helps!
Came out great!
Two things:
1. I used “whole green moong beans” that we had from the Indian store. They are whole and high in fiber. Very chewy and nutty. They worked great in this recipe. I mention this in case you want a specific type of lentil to buy.
2. I wouldn’t preheat the oven until the lentils are nearly done. Otherwise, the hot oven will be sitting empty for nearly 40 minutes. (I would actually recommend pressure cooking them if possible as it will only take 15 minutes that way.)
My partner and I subbed the frozen veggies out for fresh carrot, green beans and corn. We added the carrot and beans with the stock and lentils towards the start, and just added the corn in the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentils. We loved this recipe and will definitely be cooking it again! It’s very easy and extremely comforting…
A housemate glibly commented that a shepherd’s pie is made from lamb and a cottage pie is made from from beef, so what should we call this variation? I said I suppose we’ll just call this one a gardener’s pie.
Clever! So glad you enjoyed it, Dylan! Thanks for sharing!
Yum! Used red lentils, ginger and sweet potatoes instead and was delish. Thanks for great recipe.
I’ve made this several times. Never ever disappoints. Meat eaters are always shocked at just how delicious (though mine is typically vegetarian). I use 1.5 tsp ish thyme & occasionally add cheese on top of the potatoes when I bake it. Oh…I use butter when making the potatoes. Family favorite!
Absolutely delicious!! We followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. Really really tasty and was so easy to make.
THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! My husband is a meat lover considering going vegan, for health reasons, so I’ve been trying to find go-to recipes. This is now one of them! Thank you so much. We mixed in a few splashes of soy sauce with the lentils before adding the mash and it was so delicious!
If you’re craving vegan comfort food, this won’t disappoint!
So glad to hear it, Margo! Thanks for the lovely review! xo
I made this with the gardein “ground beef” instead of lentils because I don’t like lentils ?. It came out perfect! Actually, it doesn’t taste vegan. Very easy recipe thank you!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Amanda. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Wow. I took one peek at this ingredient list and thought it was going to be flavorless but decided to give it a shot based on the reviews. I was so wrong! This is rich, hearty, earthy and satisfying! I did make a couple of slight changes. I used about a teaspoon and a half of tamari rather than salt in the lentil/vegetable mix. I also added about a half of a teaspoon of dried rosemary to the potatoes for a little extra herby flavor. Last but not least I baked for about 15 minutes and then broiled on low for about 4 minutes. Garnished with some fresh flat leaf parsley and voila! It was absolutely incredible! Thank you so much for the recipe. I’ll be back for more!
We are so glad you enjoyed it, Hannah! Thanks so much for sharing!
Was good, got the Omni seal of approval from my dad! I subbed some diced tomato for the vege stock.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Katie. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Made this with sweet potato mash, and added in frozen spinach and canned tomatoes. I left out the thyme too and used way more garlic. Doubled the recipie and it tooker than described, but cheap, yummy, filling and easy! Highly recommend.
Loved this recipe. I used blue potatoes as that’s all I had – using almond milk and nutalex to make creamy.
I used Lentils, Chickpeas, Cauliflower, Peas, Carrots and Onions for the base adding vegetable stock, red wine, vegemite, chilli, garlic and pepper. Absolutely amazing! Loved it! Reheated in oven!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Farah. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
This was so good! I added some chili and garlic powder. I’ll definitely be making this again!
I’ve made this recipe on several occassions, always a family favorite. I add soy milk to my mashed potatoes so they are a little creamier. Going to try and make a large tray of this deliciousness for a party this wknd so our non-vegan friends can give it a try. I’m sure it will turn out perfect.
I’ve made this several times. Satisfying even for my meatatarian husband!
Hi,
Can you substitute canned vegetable broth for vegetable stock?
Thanks,
Hollie
Hi Hollie, that should work! Let us know how it goes!
This is soooo good! My super fussy 4 year old cleared her plate in minutes and asked for more… This is usually unheard of ! Easily feeds our family of 4 for 2 days. Looking forward to seconds tomorrow.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Patricia!
Fantastic recipe. Wonderful flavors and textures. Aromatic . We added some dry red wine to the lentil mixture , just balanced out the taste. Will def make again and again for vegan and non vegans…,
Thank you for the recipe.
Made this today for dinner and wow my hubby and I enjoyed it thoroughly! It was sooo delicious and so easy to make!
Just stupid good, as always. I made a half batch for my husband and to try and it turned out awesome! We just leftovers on day 2 and to no surprise, the flavor was better than yesterday and it reheated in perfect little squares. I will definitely be making a full batch to bring to a family potluck one day soon and I’m sure you’ll gain a few more followers afterwards. ;-)
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the lovely review, Katie!
Just wondering why this isn’t freezer friendly please? :-)
Some readers have reported success with freezing! We were concerned that it might end up a little watery with freezing and reheating. Hope that helps!
I don’t like mashed potatoes when I freeze them, their texture becomes grainy and weird.
But I have frozen the filling and topped it with new mashed potatoes and it’s just fantastic.
Did you have to do anything to the defrosted filling at all? Was it watery?I’ve just made this for the first time and it’s so good I want to make some batches
I made this lentil Shepherds Pie and it is delicious! Can I freeze the rest for a few weeks? Thanks
Some other readers have reported it freezes well. Hope that helps!
On the stove now! Followed EXACTLY. Can’t wait! Although having not having eaten this yet… So simple to make and looks delicious… THAT deserves FIVE STARS! Only thing I wasn’t sure of…was I supposed to cover my pan while it simmers? I haven’t. Can let you know what happens! Thanks for the recipe
Cover in the last 10 minutes only! Hope that helps!
OMG!! AB-FAB!! I was a bit rushed while making this so I added the frozen veggies a tad earlier and then covered hopin the lentils will soften and cooked quickly. They were perfectly cooked and soft! I placed the mixture into mini foil loaf pans. I find this size is the perfect serving as I don’t have to keep reheating in a larger size. Got 5 pans out of the recipe. Amazing! Thanks again! Justin.
I added a few Tbsp coconut aminos, and 2 tsp. Trader Joe’s Unami seasoning, with a few Tbsp tomato sauce to lentil mixture…. also added 1/4 cup nutritional yeast to potatoes…. epic ?
I made this for dinner and it was awesome!!!! I did however substitute the fresh lentils for ones in the can. I added fresh cilantro to help with the seasoning. The recipe still came out great! Thanks!!!
Hihi! This is an amazing recipe like all the other recipes of yours! And the reason why I really love your recipes is that they’re super flexible, ingredients can be easily switched!
So for this one I didn’t have lentils and enough potatoes. I only had two purple potatoes but I had cauliflower! :)
So I made a puree from a whole cauliflower and those two purple potatoes. I didn’t have lentils but I had black beans and that’s what I used instead. Girl, this turned out to be piece of art! Thanks so much!!
I’m not a fan of cooking but I LOVE cooking your recipes bc they’re so easy and AMAZINGLY tasty!
Xoxo
-Didi
What consistency should the lentil stew part be?
Mostly thick, but a little brothy. If you want it to be more cohesive, you could blend half of the lentil stew in a food processor and add it back to the remaining filling. Hope this helps!
I just made this but I used TVP instead of lentils, it’s delicious. I haven’t had shepherds pie in years & this is the first vegan version I’ve had. Thank you ?
Hello! I’m making this today! Can I freeze it ? Thanks!
Hi Anna! Yes, it should freeze well! Hope that helps!
This was amazing!!!! Will be added to my rotation often. I skipped the oil and used a little of the veggie broth for cooking the onion & garlic. I also used a mix of green green beans, corn and peas since I had them in the freezer. I kept in the oven just over 30min but I think my oven struggles but I have not checked it with a thermometer, I also like a good crusted top so it helped with that too. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
I just made this and it’s so good. I put a bay leaf in with potatoes boiling. Whipped with my hand blender potatoes with 250ml BelSoy, 1/4 nutritional yeast and some becel. Sprinkled some smoked paprika on the top.
For the filling, I followed exactly except just threw in 5 sprigs of thyme while lentils simmering (instead of 2 teaspoons). I used better than bouillon veg broth.
This is a winner and will be making again for sure ???
I made this for my partner who is vegan. I ‘m no chef but I have to say this was easy and it smelt fantastic (I live on cereal as I’m fussy so anything past opening a cereal box is a task unless it involves baking cakes!) I
I’m in the UK and couldn’t find an accurate conversion from ‘cups ‘ into grams so I just guessed and ended up doing 150g of red lentils and 150g or green lentils, along with mixed beans, sweetcorn, green beans, carrots and I also put in a little soya mince and the rest as per recipe.
I did have to add more water as it bubbled away quickly although this could be due to the fact I had to guess the stock amount as with the lentils so I will add a bit more from the start next time.
My partner loved it! Even my fussy 5 year old child said ‘I like the smell’ although he wouldn’t try it.
I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you ?
Hi Chloe, So glad to hear that you, your partner, and child enjoyed this recipe! You are a trooper for doing the metric conversions yourself! For future reference, just below the “Ingredients” label, there is an option to change to metric measurements. Hope that helps for the future!
This is such a fantastic recipe, by far the most delicious and I had ever tried and I will never look back!
From time to time I’ll add my spin on the ‘Mash Topping’ by combining 3 parsnips into it. But all in all a perfect hearty dinner – and yes I have another on the go now.
Can not wait to eat it!!
Thank you for this recipe, it is also my partners favourite meal that I make too. (Winks)
This was excellent and easy to make! Will for sure try to make it again sometime soon. Thank you
Unfortunately I’m allergic to Lentils. However, I made the dish regardless because it looked soooo delicious. It was a very emotional experience because as I was cooking, I was imagining how delicious how would taste, and how I will never be able to without my face becoming a bright red Goodyear blimp. After making it, I sat down at the table and smelled the aromas as I imagined eating it. It tasted Delicious! (In my imagination). I would of given it 5 stars but I didnt actually eat it. You have got to try this recipe! Even if your allergic like me. It will taste great in your imagination!
Why is the crust not on this, the best bit of sheppie pie is missing a 45 min baked potato crust in this recipe
Just made this and it turned out amazing, above expectations! Both kids loved it (very rare lol) and they look forward to eating it again tomorrow. Your recipes have really been a huge help in our journey of eating more plant based foods. Can’t thank you enough!
Hi Teressa,
Thanks so much for the sweet note! So glad to hear both kids loved it- woohoo!
This is in the oven now! It smells SOOO good!! I made the lentils, but half. The other half I used vegan crumbles. I hope it works, but I’m sure it’ll taste great because of how it smells! Thank you so much!
Hi, I was wondering if I could use dried beluga lentils instead? That’s all I have at home :/ thanks!
Hi Ruth! We think that would work. Just adjust the cooking time as different lentil varieties require more / less cooking time. Hope that helps!
This was amazing!!! The only change I made was to add 1tbs of Worcestershire sauce for a little extra flavor (even though it’s still delish without!). Thank you!!
Do you know how I can dramatically reduce the carbs? I’m supposed to only have 30 carbs per meal. I’m guessing the problem is the potato-maybe a cauliflower mash would work?
Yes, you could try another vegetable that is lower in carbs to replace the potatoes, but this recipe is tricky to make carb-light.. Let us know if you experiment with the recipe!
What a disappointment. The lentil mixture lacked cohesion. It tasted like lentils with pepper and thyme. It needed something else to tie the flavors together. The potatoes also needed at least 1/2 cup almond milk. They were so dry without it. I’ll be looking for another recipe.
Thanks. We tend to eat Shepard’s pie with meat, but I tried it this way and loved it. I added some tomato puree and Lea & Perrin’s sauce which, sadly, unveganed the dish, I noticed ;) still, lovely way to eat lentils and definitely will try this again.
Super yummy! I used the dried thyme and it worked great. I’m new to the vegan cooking and was so happy this turned out delicious!!
We’re glad to hear that, Noelle!
If I wanted to add jackfruit to this recipe, do you think it would be better to add it at the lentil stage or closer to the end with the frozen veggies?
Any help appreciated!
This is the 3rd time I made this. We are not plant based but have spells where we try to eat a lot more plant based than normal. I would like to be totally plant based, but old habits are hard to break. In any case, the 2nd time I had made this we had friends over unexpectedly. I told them I made a vegan shepherd’s pie and offered for them to join us. They are not vegan at all. They said it was pretty good, and my girlfriend suggested adding a can of creamed corn as it was a little dry. I did that tonight and I really like it with the creamed corn. I just added a 15 oz can on top of the lentil vegetable mix and then topped it with potatoes. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Sadly, I found this devoid of flavour. I’m headed over to epicurious for their vegetarian (which I will make vegan) one with roasted fall veggies and lentils. I always like to test before I serve to guests and I’m glad I did. Sorry–don’t mean to be downer.
This is one of my (meat-eating) husband’s favorite recipes. I’ve made it a bunch of different ways but my favorite time savers are to use pre-cooked lentils and pre-chopped mirepoix instead of the frozen veggies/onion. It reheats great and also is delicious with a little hot sauce. Thanks for all the awesome recipes Dana!
Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s my favourite new thing to make; especially with the sweet potato topping! ^__^
I made this for my omnivore family’s Xmas party this evening. It was hugely popular, and I got a ton of positive feedback. Even from my step-dad, who has gone to places like Bibibop and simply ordered a bowl of steak because he doesn’t want all of that “rabbit food”
The modifications I made were very minor. I used half Yukon gold potatoes and half red-skinned potatoes because that’s what I had on hand.
I also did half green lentils and half black lentils, again because that’s what I had.
While sautéing onion and garlic I also added a few sliced mushrooms, just for the fun of it.
I doubled the amount of frozen vegetables, using one 10oz bag of “California blend” and one 10oz bag of root vegetable blend.
I used a very very small amount of Thyme. Historically my kids don’t love the flavor, but I do. I wanted it there, but I was hoping they wouldn’t notice.
The recipe was incredibly easy to follow. The prep was especially easy with the use of frozen veggies.
This turned out to be a delicious and relatively easy to put together! I would definitely make it again. The only downfall was the time it took, due to the lentils. Next time I will start the lentils while I peel and boil the potatoes, because otherwise this will take nowhere near an hour. I ended up adding more vegetable broth so the lentils wouldn’t stick and burn and so that they would cook all the way through. I added organic tomato paste to my lentils, onion and garlic powder to my potatoes and talk about perfection!
I totally agree that the lentils need to be started first, then the potatoes, then switch the oven on, and the rest of the recipe as it is.
I never leave reviews, but minimalist baker always has my favorite recipes. This one was so easy and incredibly delicious. Making this for Christmas dinner!
Another winner Dana! Thanks for your help in making our dinners easy, healthy and delicious.
Love this recipe! Made it on a recommendation form a coworker and it did not disappoint! We will definitely be making this again.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Christy!
Ahhhhhh mazing! Making this for an early Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow! Preparing it tonight so it develops that awesome second day flavor. SO easy & budget friendly too!!
This was dinner tonight and WOW it was so delicious, simple, and satisfying. My husband and I both had multiple servings and are super excited to eat the leftovers for another dinner later this week. Also I used redskin potatoes because it’s what I had and they worked great. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! We’re glad you enjoyed it, Bethany!
Can I sub carrots and green beans for frozen cauliflower and cooked mushrooms?
Its worth a shot, though the flavors would be pretty different.
I made this with mashed cauliflower instead and it’s SO GOOD! The fresh thyme really makes it. I’ve started only making recipes from you because every single one is AMAZING!!
This recipe is so simple and SO yummy! The ultimate comfort with this cold weather starting here in the Northeast! I have been wanting to experiment with Shepherd’s pie for a long time, and to be honest have never even had a traditional one before. But I’m grateful that I chose this recipe for my first attempt because it was fantastic? I used a bit of tapioca starch to thicken the base and used Russet potatoes because that’s what I had (still recommend the Yukon as per the recipe though, because the Russet were a tad tried) Great dish though, highly recommend!
This dish is amazing, it freezes well. I freeze is portions size so I can grab to take to work with me. Popular with both the Vegans and meat eaters in my life.
Sometimes we do have white and sweet potato which gives a different taste and is really good too.
Whoop! We’re glad to hear that, Patricia!
Perfect weeknight meal! I subbed fresh carrots and canned green beans for the frozen veggies. I added the carrots with the lentils and the green beans into the lentils just before transferring to the pan. So yummy and filling! Lovely fall dish.
Great! Thanks for sharing your changes, Ashley!
Can this be reheated in the oven, not microwave. If so, at what temperature and for how long? Thanks.
I’d reheat at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes to start!
My family loves this one dish meal (2 year old & baby included!). I like to also add a stalk or two of finely diced celery & serve everything on top of fluffy quinoa for added protein. Thanks Dana!
Whoop!
We are hosting an exchange student who is vegetarian so I was excited to try this recipe! It turned out very well and everyone seemed to enjoy it but I think I need to cut back on the amount of lentils I added (more than the recipe called for) and add more seasoning. I would definitely make it again!
We are glad it was a hit, Kristina! Feel free to cut back on the lentils in the future if preferred.
Can you make this in the crockpot?
We haven’t tried it, but if you do let us know how it turns out!
So… Mine was made a little differently.
•I had russet potatoes on hand that needed to be used up, so I made plain mashed potatoes with plain unsweetened almond milk & soy-free Earth Balance. I used a whisk to help mash it to a smoother texture.
•They never ghave veggie stock at the store so I used veggie broth (not having ingredients for DIY).
•I couldn’t find a 10 oz bag of a combination of frozen carrots, green beans, corn & peas, so I bought a bag of each and mixed up just over a cup of them together, trying to have an equal amount of each veggie.
•I ended up only having 1 TBS of cornstarch, so I used 1 TBS Non-GMO cornstarch + 2ish TBS nutritional yeast + mashed potato to thicken the filling.
Veggie stock would give it a bit more flavor that it could use, but it still turned out delicious! I wish it would freeze well. I cook for just myself most of the time & don’t eat much so I think I’m set for lunch/dinner for a week!
This is a yummy recipe that’s pretty easy to make. I love it!! :)
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Christie! We are glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is easy and very tasty, just needed a bit more flavor. I’ve made it twice now and for a more savory robust taste, I substituted one of the cups of vegetable stock for 1 cup or red wine. FABULOUS!! I also added fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, 3 tablesoopns worchestire sauce, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and I also added sautéed mushrooms to the mix. I also added garlic salt. I put a dash of nutmeg to my potatoes as well. Just a few tweaks to an already great recipe. Check out the eggplant pasta she has….to die for! Enjoy!
Thanks, Tanya!
I made this for my boyfriends family (most of which are meat eaters) and they all absolutely loved it! (Caught everyone coming back for seconds and they’re the kind of people who only see a meal as something which contains meat so I knew this was a massive success. My partner also said he likes it as much as a meat Shepard’s pie!.) I don’t usually cook meals that take longer than 20 minutes either so was concerned about how it would turn out but seemed full proof! (I added a few extra veggies and some almond milk in with the mash to make it creamier but regardless was shocked at how good this was with such few ingredients!) It’s one of those meals that make you happy just from eating it without the guilt afterwards!
Thanks for sharing, Jem! xo
Fantastic is an understatement! This is a meal that will now go into my rotation. Any non-vegan/vegetarian would love this as much as our family. Thank your for this great recipe!!
Whoop! We are glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kirsten!
I have never made mashed potatoes without adding liquid. Oat milk worked well taste wise. Recipe suggests adding only vegan butter.
Are the potatoes spreadable without added liquid? Also would it be a good idea to soak the lentils before cooking?
We haven’t tried without adding liquid! No need to soak the lentils prior, just ensure they are rinsed and drained!
Yummy! I was quite generous in the quantity, so we’ll happily have the leftovers tomorrow for lunch.
I added more veggies in the lentils mix: fresh dices tomatoes, sauteed spinach and mushrooms.
Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it, Clairelle!
I just made this and it is soooo good! I will be making this again , for sure!! Hearty, tasty and filling. Loved it!!
Thanks for sharing
Whoop! GLad you enjoyed it, Frankie!
Hi! I was wondering if this freezes well.
Not this recipe, sorry!
Followed the recipe almost to the letter (red lentil’s), even needing the boil over bottom pan for the baking portion, and it was a complete hit! I’ll be trying this on my non-vegan and vegan friends alike, especially a few hardcore shepherds pie fans (not surprising being here in Ireland).
Thanks for the great recipe!
I love this recipe! Even my non-vegan friends really enjoy it~
Though the weight of potato seems to be about a third of what’s needed.
I usually leave out the corn, add mushroom, and use about a cup less stock. I replace that portion of stock with a tin of diced tomato and some red wine. Some garlic powder in the mash is a tasty addition if you’re feeling it.
Tried this out last night and it was brilliant! I did modify it slightly because I added a little leftover bacon marinade and crispy tofu bacon pieces (only a small handful) that I had in the fridge because it needed to be sed up. thumbs way up for the recipe though. Easy peasy especially if you boil the potatoes ahead of time
I have made this twice now and really love it. This recipe is a great base to make as is or mix and match with other flavors from the fridge. This time I tossed in some mushrooms and did a mixed sweet and russet potato topping( I didn’t have enough for just one of with on hand)
Enough of these ingredients are staples in my house that this is easily becoming a go to recipe for when I don’t know what to make and I want amazing lunch leftovers. ?
Amazing! I’m new to veganism. This turned out great. I used my instant pot to make the potatoes. Then used it to make the lentils. It turned out awesome.
Woot woot! Glad to hear it!
Yes, shepherd’s pie is most definitely a comforting, wintry food! My neck of the woods is experiencing some hot spring weather now, so such dishes are not in order, but I still enjoy them even now. When my family has traditional beef shepherd’s pie, I like to prepare a single serving size of your recipe, using 1/6 the amount of all the ingredients and 1/2 pound (~1 large) sweet potato instead of the yukon gold and baking the lot in a mini loaf pan. Instead of vegan butter, which I don’t have in the house, I either substitute olive oil or do without the butter/oil entirely. Either way works well!
This is an easy recipe that isn’t intrusive to prepare beside a traditional shepherd’s pie. The one recommendation I’d make is to add more liquid than than the recipe calls to use (maybe 1/4-1/2 cup more) to keep the filling moist.
I’m making this almost every week the kids love it… despite the 22’C heat.
Thanks
Woot woot!
I’m making this for the second time tonight. I made very minor changes. To give the filling a little more of a meaty taste and texture, I addeda half pound of sliced mushrooms and a splash each of Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. I skipped the listed vegetables and added a layer of corn to make it more like my mom’s. I was beyond pleased with this dish. Tonight I’ll be adding chives to the potatoes because we just pulled a bunch out of the garden.
Thanks for sharing your changes, Patty!
Loved this Sheppards pie with some mushroom gravy! We are thinking of serving it at our wedding, If we are preparing the dish the night before and baking for dinner the next do you think it will be okay ? Or would you recommend we bake the day before when we prepare and reheat for dinner the next day?
Hi David! Yes that should work to prepare and bake the day, but it also reheats well so really either option would work! Have a great wedding!
Absolutely loved it, changed lifestyle a week ago and have a hard to please partner. I halved recipe as only 2 of us and still plenty left, he said next time I make it can I put extra mash. That’s a thumbs up from fussy pants eater
When we win the hearts of fussy eaters, it warms our hearts :D We’re glad you and your partner enjoyed it, Kristy!
This is my first time making this, and my lentil mixture is still very watery, even though I cooked it for a little extra time and added the potatoes to thicken. I did use a blend of three colors of lentils (red, brown, and black), maybe that has something to do with it?
For now I’m going to use a slotted spoon to layer the mixture in. I’ll post about how that turns out. Any suggestions for next time?
Hi! For future, if you’re noticing that it is more watery than it should be, you can always scoop some of the liquid out prior to putting the sweet potato on top. Hope this helps!
So so so tasty!!! My husband (meat eater) loves it. I just added salt and a bit of my fave vegan cream to the mash. The rest is perfect. Thanks Dana!!!
I just made this for lunch& dinner for the week ahead! I doubled the recipe and it made about 12 portions. It is absolutely delicious! One thing I did add to the lentil mix was some brown sugar, a bit of maple syrup (i like my food with a hint of sweetness!), and some sriracha sauce and also a touch of soy sauce&a squeeze of lime! I even added a touch of sesame oil. It is so tasty this way! This will be one of my go-to- Sunday- cook- off- batch- cook- for the- week- and- freeze- half- recipes!! I also didn’t boil the frozen veg I just added it once lentils had finished cooking. I’ll be reheating it anyway.
I also made the mash using 2 sweet potatoes& a large cauliflower instead of using white potatoes. and i didn’t bother Browning it in oven, i just dished it into portions after mashing and seasoning. I will freeze some tubs & refridgerate some.
No fuss, tasty, healthy, easy, CHEAP, protein – packed, quick recipe. thank you!! GO AND MAKE THIS!!
This was delicious! I had leftover Irish mashed potatoes (spuds mashed with sauteed kale and lots of butter) and used that as the topping. We only had red lentils, which broke down too much, but it still worked. Serious yum!
Used red lentils instead as that’s all I had on hand, and there was far too much liquid, but the taste was yum. Will try again for sure!
I love your shepherds pie so much that I am making it tomorrow (Thursday) in LA and then driving it to Vegas for a big family dinner Friday night. What do you think the best way to do that would be? Do everything except for the oven part and then put it in the fridge / cooler until ready to heat before Friday’s dinner or do I need to freeze it? Please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you!!
I would do everything except cooking, and freeze for transport!
Loved this recipe! I added 1.5 cups of Vegan Ground Crumbles, 8 oz. of mushroom pieces, and 1/2 can of tomato paste to the lentil filling. I used fresh carrots, frozen peas and left out the corn and green beans. I also added 1 cup of mashed cauliflower to the mashed potatoes and I couldn’t even tell it was there. I will add 2 cups next time.
I cooked it in a 9-inch by 14-inch pan for 30 minutes and it was great! Thanks for a fantastic recipe that can be adapted to
Thanks for sharing your changes, Sharon! We’re glad you enjoyed it :D
this is soooooo good. my dad is from England so he grew up eating this dish, traditionally made with beef. he loves this vegan version even better!!
I went vegan a week ago after having unexpected surgery. I refuse to let health issues wreck my life, so here I am. I am off work for two weeks, which lets me have the time to reboot my diet. My goodness! This is DELICIOUS! I will make this again. I sort of always disliked meat anyway; this is so much better than the original.
I meant to give five stars AND my adjustments (too busy shoveling the deliciousness in my face). I added extra lentils – no need to use a thickener – and for half of the potatoes, I substituted cauliflower to lower the carbs. I also added chopped bella mushrooms with the lentils for additional “meat” texture.
Thank you for the rating + sharing your changes!
Made this for my non-vegan family and they loved it! Definitely could add more veggies and a few less lentils. Only request was to have gravy on the side of more moist potatoes.
I made this last night for St. Patrick’s Day—even my kiddos gobbled it up! I did not have fresh herbs but substituted Herbs de Provence and the flavors were still great. Thanks!
I use a bottom pie crust and put all of this in them use the potatoes on top.
I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
Yes, go for it! Here is our image sharing guide for reference to how we like our images to be shared. Thanks!
I made this last night. I thought it was good, but my wife and son loved it. They both agreed that some type of sauce would probably set this off. My kid’s a fan of ketchup or bbq, but I think some mushroom gravy would go really well.
This is really the BEST vegan Shephard’s Pie. Family favorite comfort food. Yummy! We love most all your recipes.
Can I add nutritional yeast on top of the potatoes? Or would that be weird!!!
You totally can!
Delicious! I made lentil portion in instant pot. Turned out perfect! 12 minutes, quick release.
Made this as part of vegan Christmas dinner – absolutely incredible! My mouth waters just thinking about it STILL.
I made this last night for the first time. My very particular vegan son ate so much I thought he’d burst. I substituted poultry seasoning as I did not have thyme and used fresh broccoli, cauliflower, celery and baby onions in place of frozen veggies. I doubled recipe and he sprinkled a very small amount of vegan cheese on top. So delicious! Thanks
I made this and instead of the last bit of baking I broiled for 15 min. Excellent !!!seriously so good!
This was DELICIOUS! I’m not usually a shepherds pie person but found this delicious.
I made it exactly as it, but added garlic puree and nutritional yeast to the mash – IT’S A MUST. Plus served with roasted broccoli (added olive oil, garlic puree, soy sauce, and lemon juice, yum).
For a “quick” shepherds pie, this was great. I think I’ll spend a little more time and make one with a more substantial gravy and not-frozen veggies in the future.
Delicious! Just tried this tonight. Ours came out a little dry, so we whipped up a quick vegan gravy to serve with it. We will absolutely make this again!! :)
Looking forward to making this recipe and have had great success with other recipes on your website! Question about the mashed potato topping: will subbing in your recipe for cauliflower mashed potato yield the amount necessary for the shepard’s pie? Many thanks!
Great recipe. I added nutritional yeast to the mashed potatoes for a cheesy flavor. Yummy!
I also wanted to mention that since I can’t have onions and garlic (sad, I know) I added in a few other spices for flavor. Cumin added great flavor to the dish.
I have been using your recpies for some time now and have not done them justice with reviews! As I come across ones I have used I will leave reviews. This recipe is spot on. It is hearty, lentils are not mushy so use the cook time suggested (no longer than 35 mins), tasty, and makes enough for plenty. Followed it almost exactly and it came out perfect! I did drain a bit of the stock so I ended up using only about 3 1/2 C but that depends on your heat level and steam escape when cooking the lentil filling. I also used a simple flour and butter crust for it which made it flaky on the outside. As a vegan, I made it 100% vegan with vegan butter instead. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you.
So good! I’ve made it 3 times now. Its great to reheat for lunch or a quick dinner too. I sometimes have Vegan gravy with it but its great on its own too. I prefer a cauliflower/ broccoli/ carrot veggie mixture. The lentil mixture is so good I could eat it on its own!
Absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for posting it. I made it in November as a dry run, then made it for Christmas dinner. Even the meat-eaters loved it! I added another stage – I create a “meat” base by sauteing onions and mushrooms then adding a package of Boca crumbles (any brand will do). Once that’s all cooked and browned, I set that aside and continue with your recipe, then add it back in once the lentils are cooked.
One note on prep time – it takes WAY more than 15 minutes! It takes me 15-20 minutes just to wash and peel the potatoes! Then they take another 15-20 to cook. I’d say a more realistic estimate of prep time is 30-45 min. Then there’s the 40 min for the lentils. I also find in my oven it takes about 30 min to cook.
Love this recipe. So easy and still healthy/delicious. Topped with cashew parm before putting in oven. ?
Loved this recipe! My mashed potatoes came out really dry, though. Any suggestions?
Add in some coconut oil or vegan butter and/or plain unsweetened almond milk when mashing!
I was frantically searching for a comfort food dinner and came upon this recipe. Would you believe that I had ALL the ingredients available? It was a no-brainer to try out since I’ve always loved Shepherd’s Pie growing up as a kid, only our family version was with ground beef (yuck!). I followed the recipe exactly without veering off and it turned out delicious! Thank you for an easy and comforting meal. My family enjoyed it!!
Oh yes, one thing! I cooked the onions and garlic over medium heat longer than 5 minutes. It was about 15 minutes that I had them cooking as I wanted them to get softer and caramelized. After 5 minutes, I still felt they were not “soft” enough.
Can you make a day ahead?
Made this last night and it was SO good on a cold Canadian evening! I added a splash of red wine to sauteed onions before adding the lentils. Then, when the lentils/vegetable mixture was almost finished cooking, I threw in a few spoonfuls of tomato paste to give it a bit of depth and thickness. I’ll definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! People went back for seconds and thirds! My dad called me 2 days later and said even the leftovers were excellent! Thank you Dana!!
Have you made the lentil mixture in an instant pot? If so, would you please leave instructions? Thank you!
I just did this and it worked great.
1. Sautee garlic & onion .
2. Add lentils, stock & thyme. Mix. Turn off saute.
3. Pressure cook on high, 10 minutes,.
4. I waited about 5 min, then manually released the pressure, and stirred in the mixed veg.
This is an excellent recipe! To mimic other shepherd’s pie recipes I’ve made in the past I did add a few spoonfuls of tomato paste and a spoonful of worchestershire sauce – made an already great recipe even more awesome! Thanks Dana!
I made This tonight, I’ve made a vegan Shepard’s pie before but lost the recipe so tried this one instead. I dont Know what I did wrong. I follwed the steps carefully but I found it very liquidy, even after I followed the steps to thicken it using both corn starch and the mashed potatoes. It turned out more like a stew for me, and the mash pretty much sunk when I put it over top. The only thing I guess that was different was I used Pre-soaked lentils, rather then dry. But I was Always taught to pre soak them before cooking, I know This recipe is older, but if you see this and have any recommendations on what I could do better next time that would be appreciated.
Ok, so I made a couple more mods. First, I added a bay leaf to the lentil mixture while cooking. Because…why not? What I’m learning abiut vegan cooking is that it’s all about building flavors. We’re used to animal fat and flesh as our flavor base and it takes a bit to think differently about how to build flavor.
Second, I topped the thing with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast before tossing it in the oven. Couldn’t hurt, right?
I’m making this for the second time as we speak. It immediately became a staple of my winter dinner rotation!
The only modification I’ve made is to add coconut milk to the potatoes for extra creaminess. And also roasted garlic because I loooove roasted garlic in my mashed potatoes!
I made this and it was GREAT! I made some changes though.
1st: I used leftover mashed potatoes. This made it way easier to make by getting rid of the first few steps. I put a couple pats of butter (not vegan) on top of the potatoes once I had assembled everything.
2nd: I used my INSTANT POT! It was awesome! I cooked the onion and garlic on the sauté function, then added and cooked the lentils at high pressure for 15 mins, let it sit for 10 mins, and then did a quick release, at which point I added the frozen veggies, covered the pot again, and let them heat up.
3rd: After I felt the frozen veggies were nice and cooked, I seasoned. I found that adding vegan worcestershire sauce reaaaally elevated the dish (otherwise it was pretty bland). I probably used closed to a tablespoon.
This recipe was delicious, and definitely will be a favorite of mine whenever I have leftover mashed potatoes. :)
Delicious! I added 8oz of quartered crimini mushrooms sauteed with garlic, and cooked all filling ingredients in a cast iron skillet, then topped with the potatoes and baked in the same pan. Next time I’ll add even more mushrooms for more umami. Great hearty recipe, thank you.
My whole family loved this! We were short on time so we used premade lentils from TD. We also added a small amount of onion soup mix. We served it with your mushroom gravy. Even our non vegan kids liked it!
It appears I’m in the minority, but I found the lentil layer to be super bland. ?
LOVE this! It turned out perfect! SO good…I just re-heated a piece and its yummy.
I dont cook with lentils much (I know I know….I wish I had a better relationship with them!) so I used Gardenia’s “meat crumbles”…..so good. I also added Sage (1 tsp), shredded portabella mushrooms. Added a tbls of Vegan Mayo (I love Just mayo) to the potatoes just to add a secret flair to it. This was kind of a family tradition..my mom would secretly put in whipped cream – a small amount -to potatoes. Sicne I dont use whip cream – i tried the mayo and that amount was subtle and just enough,
Just found this website and am grateful for it. Its wonderful.
This was amazing! My boyfriend and I made it for our thanksgiving. His parents (meat eaters) loved the dish just as much as we did. It was a hit, full of flavor and texture. We will be making the again and adding it to our favorites!
This is delicious and I’ll definitely make it again!! I did use canned lentils just because I always have them on hand and it’s quick and easy. Thank you for sharing!
Very nice recipe, excellent flavour. Just to let you know, and sorry about the correction, Shepard’s pie is made with lamb, cottage pie is made with beef. The are countless recipes that sub beef because it is cheaper and more readily available in the USA. Shepards care for sheep, not cows.
Hello! Thinking this may be our entreé for our first meatless Thanksgiving. :). Silly question, but wondering if you have any tricks for making the mashed potato topping look so festive as you did? Did you use a piping bag or..? Thanks so much!
Awesome recipe! We made this with red lentils, which softened up really quickly and nicely (though lost its texture). Loved having a hearty, flavorful meal that’s full of veges. I’d definitely make this again.
Oops, forgot to rate in my previous comment. 5 STARS FOR SURE!!!
I LOVE this recipe. I found it a couple years ago back when I was in college (and vegetarian) and fell in love. Now that I’m eating meat again it’s still one of my go to hearty veggie packed meals.
I was wondering though, do you think it would work to throw veggies/lentils in a crockpot on low for a few hours, then top with mashed potatoes and throw in the oven? This recipe is already soo easy, but I’m trying to think of ways to use my crockpot to save a little time when I get home from work.
Thanks so much for this recipe!
Hi Aidan! We haven’t tried it, but if you do let us know how it turns out!
I made this Friday and the taste was fantastic but I would definitely make changes if I make it again. First, for whatever reason my lentils were quite dry. I’m going to make some mushroom gravy to serve the leftovers with. Second, I would actually use 2 lbs of potatoes, not 3. Way too much potato. But the flavors were perfect and I ate a ton :)
What fantastic comfort food this is a great recipe and it freezes well. It’s a bit of work when doubling the recipe it sure makes for an easy dinner when pulling out of the freezer. I mixed regular potatoes and a sweet potato in with them and it gave the illusion of cheddar cheese mixed into the potatoes which was kind of fun love the flavors of this dish I just sauteed my vegetables and added water and did not need any stock
Hi! I’m making this right now for dinner tonight. Can I put it all together and then warm it in the oven tonight for dinner or will it be too dry? Should I just put the lentil and veggies in the 9*13 and re-whip and add the potatoes to it later before baking?? Of course it’s easiest to put it all together now but don’t want to mess it up!
This was beautiful!! I’ve recently began following a vegan diet and this made my life so simple! My non-vegan mother enjoyed this dish as well.
Is it suitable to freeze?
Hi Anthea! We haven’t tried it, but it looks like others have and had success with it!
Can I use fresh veggies instead of frozen
Hi Jasmine! Yes you can!
I just made this and it is delicious!! I used canned brown lentils because I didn’t have dried. I ended up cooking the onions and garlic, added the veggies then I added about 3/4 cup broth and the spices and a dash of Worcester sauce. Heated it all up and then thickened it with a cold water/corn starch slurry. The potatoes browned up nicely and it was a perfect Casserole on this cold and dreary day in Maine today. Thank you for sharing this recipe and all the others. You’re my favorite blog for vegan recipes!
Yum! I will definitely make this again, my family loved it. I think I will try adding some tomato paste to the lentil mix fir a little extra flavor, but just as is it is delicious and hearty.
My Mum made this for us and it was delicious. I made it and it was so liquidy it was more like soup! I think where I may have gone wrong is that I used already cooked lentils so maybe I should have reduced the amount of stock used? Any ideas as I would like to try it again?