1-Hour Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe is delicious and one of my go to recipes!

Thank you!

I went to make this and realized too late that I needed to cook the lentils on the stove prior to putting them in the oven. I hadn’t allowed enough time for myself. So, instead of delaying dinner, I replaced the lentils with black beans and reduced the broth. It still turned out excellent and I will definitely make it again! I’m making this in the middle of summer, I can only imagine how good it will be this fall and winter. :)

I make this often, I love it. Thank you!

Really good, even non-vegans love it. It’s a great recipe to adjust the vegetables based on what you already have in the house. Will make this again and again.

I made this with the following changes: used fresh vegetables, including mushrooms (to add a meaty texture for those non-vegans), added a splash of tamari and sherry vinegar, used a mix of potato and yam for topping, and accidentally added rosemary first then added the proper thyme. It was delicious. It makes a lot, so I made 1/2 recipe and with the mushrooms added it was enough to fill a 8×8 pan.

First off, your vegan shepherd’s pie is delicious. Also, I have to tell you that shepherd’s pie is not made with ground beef – cottage pie is. Shepherds herd sheep and their pie is made with lamb.

Hubby and I were so skeptical, due to all the failed recipes we have made lately. (Not yours of course, mostly Facebook recipes.

This recipe was delicious and easy. We only modified by adding an 8 ounce box of mushrooms. Was delightful tasting and we both had seconds. Will definately make again. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Enjoy!

This was delicious, easy and quick to make and not much washing up which is always a bonus. The lentils didn’t need as long as the recipe stated, maybe because I used red lentils. I used fresh carrots and celery instead of frozen veg – added them after the onions and before the lentils. I also added a tin of plum tomatoes, splash of soy sauce and splash of balsamic vinegar to the lentil and veggie mix. For the mash, I boiled celeriac along with the potatoes and mashed them together with a tin of butter beans. Yummy!

This dish was a HUGE hit at a St. Patrick’s Day party – among vegans and meat eaters. It was really easy to make ahead of time. I made the filling and the mashed potatoes the day before. The day of the party, I assembled the dish, preheated the oven, and cooked for 20 min covered and 10 min uncovered. It was heated through. I did not use the tomato paste. I also added a block of Impossible Beef, which I browned like hamburger meat, set aside, and mixed back in when the lentils were finished. I also added a little bit of olive oil to the mashed potatoes to make them extra flavorful and decadent. Everyone was raving and asking for the recipe.

This was a great recipe. It is quite easy. It is a perfect chilly night meal. I made a few slight changes. 1. I left out the tomato paste. Did not seem like a great addition to me and I thought I had some in the pantry but I did not. I had leftover roasted veggies in the fridge so I put them in instead of frozen. Worked great and I really think any leftover veggies you had would be great. I also put in green and brown lentils. Again that was what I had opened so I used up one bag and opened up the next. Anyway, It was really good and my Non Vegan husband, after turning up his nose at it ended up eating two bowls, and bringing it to his work for lunch. Total win.

This was a great recipe! I added extra seasonings (paprika, extra thyme) and added coconut cream to thicken it up. We also made garlic Rosemary mashed potatoes. We loved it and will definitely make it again.

I needed an idea for a family dinner and my mom suggested vegan Shepard’s pie.
I was surprised that it satisfied the tastes of everyone. From my husband who loves meat, my vegan mom with food allergies, my super picky eater brother-in-law to my 6 year old that leaves his veggies for last. A+
Mind you I had to take out the tomatoes due to food allergies, but it turned out great.

I found this recipe originally years ago and it has become a staple in our household, thank you!! I make it probably at least every 8 weeks give or take. I definitely recommend blending the filling some to give it a thicker texture. I love that it’s stuff I almost always have on hand and nothing too expensive, especially with how expensive groceries have gotten!!

I make this often. The thyme really makes it. I also use 1/2 dry lentils and 1/2 Ives veggie ground. Yummy!

This is a game changer recipe fore. I didn’t know it is do easy to make Shepherd Pie and more so Vegan. This os definitely a must keep recipe. I might replace lentils with Oyster Mushroom. What do you think?

Thank you so much for this recipe, has been a favourite in my vegan household for a long time now and is always requested by my kiddos. Sorry I’ve only just got round to rating it now! But it’s so delicious, nutritious, quick and easy and lovely having any (rare) leftovers heated up the next day. Thanks again 😊

Yummy. I added more butter and salt to potatoes, and used ground round with a cup of soup broth instead of lentils. Added a bit of ketchup. Used onions, carrots, peppers and garlic for base, then corn, then mash. Added rosemary and sage to ground round too. All vegan, fyi.

Amazing recipe! Came out perfect. I made the lentil mixture and mashed potatoes ahead early in the day because I was determined to make this but knew I wouldn’t have time after I got out of work running the kids around. I chose to make the veggie separate, and only used corn, so I could layer the lentils, then corn and mashed potatoes on top, heated up perfect. The mashed potatoes sat for a bit so I clumped them evenly and then spread around as they warmed up.

The lentils were still not cooked fully after 45 minutes. I don’t think I would make this again.

Another great recipe! I followed it as written, except for the tomato paste. Didn’t have any, so I subbed ketchup, and I used a lot, lol. Didn’t measure, but added to taste. For the “adjust seasonings” instructions, I also added a teaspoon of rosemary and a little nutmeg. I sprinkled flour – maybe 4 tablespoons, into the mix when simmering to thicken it up a bit. Love that this recipe uses lentils rather than processed meat substitute. 5 stars! Thank you!

I made this exactly following the recipe – cooked down the minimal liquid and thickened with a bit of potato – My family absolutely loves it. Serious comfort food – so inexpensive to make. The fresh thyme adds surprise complexity to such simple ingredients.

This has become one of my go-to recipes. I don’t follow it exactly anymore because I’ve discovered it’s super versatile! It’s a great “dump recipe“ to use up any leftover vegetables you have that might be on the verge of going bad. And it freezes really well so it’s a great way to stock the freezer. Delicious, healthy, cheap comfort food. What more could you want?

Easiest and best vegan Shepherd’s Pie I’ve tried. It’s simply delicious made as-is, but I can also imagine dolling it up with some fresh veggies, mushrooms, different seasoning or ??? There’s just 2 of us but my spouse would be very unhappy if I halved the recipe because he loves good leftovers for lunch.

Just made this, it was really yummy. My two non-vegan parents also loved it. I didn’t have to make any major adjustments. I didn’t use the tomato paste and it still came out yummy.

Absolutely amazing! I make this regularly and freeze the leftovers so I always have food on days that I don’t feel like cooking.

This was great. I used red lentils instead of brown and that cut the cooking time down significantly. I also didn’t peel the potatoes because I forgot and it still tasted excellent :-]
I’d recommend not starting your oven until the potatoes are done cooking, otherwise it will be on for a while.
This will definitely become one of my staples.

Great recipe – one suggestion though – put the preheating the oven instruction later on in the recipe, perhaps when assembling the pie. Having the oven on for the 30-45 minutes that the filling is cooking is quite teh waste of electricity

I made this today in my slow cooker. I skipped the oil threw everything else in with a bit of Worcester sauce and rosemary (as suggested by someone else). Then when I got home from work I just made some mash potatoes to go on the plate with it. Amazing!!! Thanks for such a great recipe.

I made this recipe yesterday for a Passover Seder, I used 2Tb matzoh meal to thicken the lentil mixture which worked perfectly. I added celery because I had it which was delicious and omitted the carrots because I didn’t have them. I used the vegan no-beef broth from better than bullion to cook the lentils and that worked well with the tomato paste and herbs de Provence I used (didn’t have thyme by itself). There were 18 people at the Seder and they all mentioned how good it was, my husband and I really liked it and even the toddlers liked it too!
Will definitely repeat this recipe, it was great.

I’ve made this many times now.
I love adding a tablespoon of vegan worchestershire sauce, a teaspoon of rosemary, and just a tiny bit of Balsamico vinegar in addition to the other ingredients. Tastes sooo good, and our meat eating friends and family loves it too.

Put a little rosemary in and it was delicious. Probably didn’t need it but a lovely recipe to play around with. Thank you.

This was AWESOME!
I know I don’t really like thyme, so I simply omitted it.
I used 10oz of peas instead of mixed vegetables and added 1 more clove of garlic. Simply scrumptious!
I was a little confused on when to add the peas (based on the numbering) so I added them before the thickening process (lid off plus adding mashed potatoes).

I found prep time to be much longer. We enjoyed it.

This is heaven. I have made it several times now. I double the “gravy” and use an entire can of tomato paste.

This recipe is a Winner!

Ok, it took me more than 1 hour, but my blender/beaters died part way through the mashing of the potatoes. Hand mashing ended up with lumpy mashed potatoes – what I called “rustic”. Grin!

I did make some changes:
* Better then Bouillon veggie base broth & Better the Bouillon Roasted Garlic
* I forgot to add the tomato paste, stressed after my beaters died
* I used red lentils
* I sized it down to 3/4 of the recipe, and it fit into my square Pyrex dish just fine

The dish is Heavenly!!

I don’t recommend this recipe. It took forever (far longer than described) and tasted terrible. A really disappointing outcome after so much effort. I have no idea how others had success, but I wouldn’t risk it. Try somethubt else.

I have made this recipe twice and my family loves it. Thank you so much! It takes us about an hour and a half to prepare and is worth every minute!

i followed exactly and there was way too much lentils for the potato topping for some reason. i would use a cup of lentils next time not 1.5 cups

Made this and topped it with dried chives and it looked super duper fancy!
Comfort food for me here in the Lone Star Staye where we are experiencing a little taste of winter!
I have started adding meat back in to my diet. I have made this with lentils in the past and it was super delicious but this time I replaced the lentils with grass fed free range bison from Force of Nature… calm down angry vegans.. I still love the animals …. after a decade of being vegan I had to make dietary changes for my health. I also used homemade bone broth in the potatoes and grass fed butter. It was yummy!
I have lots of leftovers and will be making again and again!

This was an excellent base recipe! I made it about 80% as written, and I riffed off of some of the helpful comments. Every foodie present was clamoring for the recipe!

‘Taters:
-Boil potatoes skin-on, allow skin to split. Drain and let sit for 15 min.
-Add 1/2 c Earth Balance and 1/2 C coconut milk to potatoes
-Add 2tbsp nutritional yeast and 1tbsp pepper (salt to taste)
-Mash mash mash!
Filling:
-Sautee/caramelize finely chopped shallot, onion, garlic in EVOO and Earth Balance (the Earth Balance adds a greater depth of flavor)
-Add finely chopped organic baby bella mushrooms, cook until very tender
-Add vegan Worcestershire sauce
-Add lentils
-Add dried thyme, sage, umami seasoning, pepper, vegetable bouillon. Coat thoroughly.
-Add 1tbsp tomato paste, brown
-Deglaze with 2-3 splashes red wine
-Add 1.5 c veggie stock, 1.5 c filtered water
-Add 1/2 packet veggie brown gravy mix (I happened to have it on hand)
-Simmer lid-on until lentils are fluffy, then take lid off to let reduce
-Add frozen peas and green beans, continue to simmer/reduce until desired consistency is reached

Assemble and bake as directed, let sit for a while! SUPER YUMMY (and beef-eaters said the house smelled like a beef stew, so that’s a plus for some!)

This Shepherd’s pie is so delicious! I make it slightly differently to accommodate some dietary restrictions, but the basic recipe is great!

Fantastic recipe! Delicious! I made mushroom gravy to go with it, which worked out well.

This was a great recipe to get rid of some extra dried potato flakes and barley. I just made pre-made the barley (instead of lentils) and added it in right before I put it in the oven. I also added cheese on top and I made the potatoes from a box!

Just made this again, used sweet potatoes this time and a mirepoix blend I had instead of just onion. Topped with a bit of brown sugar after it came from the oven just for flavor and it was SOOO good! I had to adjust the step for cooking the potatoes (cut into smaller pieces and once water was at a boil cooked for 20 mins which *might* be a little too long (check doneness at maybe 15 mins from reaching boil next time) but my hubby LOVED it!

I’ve made this recipe several times with modifications, my favorite being:
-use red lentils (sweeter and more colorful), but simmer for 10-12 minutes only
-add frozen vegetables and cook UNCOVERED for 5-10 minutes, so more of the liquid evaporates
-add about 1 cup of the mashed potatoes to vegetable mix, no need to add cornstarch or arrowroot powder
-add pesto to the mashed potatoes and nutritional yeast if you want more of a cheesy flavor

I was trying to use up my Quorn vegan pieces instead of lentils; had to throw the whole thing out. OMG I forgot how comfort food tasted; when I redid my dinner last night it was a delight to use this recipe. I used my Duo Instant Pot to cook my lentils and put the broth instead of water into the pot. Cut the time down and it was incredible. I only had thin green beans to add to it but I could have eaten the whole pan. I made half the recipe, because it is only ME! Once again you posted a wonderul keeper recipe.

LIke all recipes on this blog, it turned out fantastic. I’m making it again today and I am so excited!! It goes great with homemade sourdough bread too.

I added 3tsp Italian seasoning, a little rosemary and some roasted garlic to the potatoes and it’s delicious! I’ve made it twice now and it definitely took longer than an hour. It was more like an hour and half to two hours. It’s so good it’s worth it though.

I actually used fresh roasted vegetables (butternut squash, broccoli, green beans, carrots and mushrooms). It was great

I love this recipe and follow it to a ‘T’…although today I added a teaspoon of dijon mustard to the mash potatoes. So, thank you for all your great recipes. I will make a couple of observations that seem pretty consistent across the board with your recipes.
The estimated timing always seems to be on the short side.For example with this recipe, I had all the ingredients on the table when I started watching the clock and it still took me an hour and a half.
And then the timing of when to Preheat the oven always seems premature. My oven takes under 10 minutes to preheat so I started it at the same time that I added the frozen vegetables.
thanks again
Scott

Let me say, I absolutely adore the lentil filling in this recipe. I could eat it alone with a spoon! I think calling it “one-hour” is a little optimistic, though. I made this in about two and a half hours, though I think the fact that I added two portobello caps to the onions and garlic had something to do with that (it takes FOREVER to cook all the water out of those suckers!). I really like the addition of the mushrooms for extra depth of flavor, though. I’d like to make this again and add some vegetarian Worcestershire sauce to the filling as well…

I’m not sure what went wrong with my potatoes, though; they came out quite gluey and it was very unfortunate. In the future I think I’ll stick to my separate tried-and-true mashed potato recipe. All in all, I really appreciate the simplicity of the ingredients in this recipe, because these are all staples I keep around and it means I can make a really good meal just about any time.

This was my first time making a recipe from your blog, and it did not disappoint! I added mushrooms to the sautéed onion/garlic, and added the entire can of tomato paste. In addition, I added nutritional yeast to the mashed potatoes. Before baking it, I added smoked paprika to the top for some extra flavor. This was also my first time cooking lentils, and they came out perfectly! Thank you for writing/creating/sharing this recipe, it’s SO good!

This is amazing! I did find the lentil/veggie mix a bit bland so I added some rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder and some extra thyme and a bit of worchestershire sauce. It’s absolutely delicious and super filling! Thanks for the recipe!

This was so easy to make and incredibly delicious.

So simple and yet delicious. My son does not like too many flavours and this recipe is gentle, healthy and delicious. Thank you!

I lost track of how many times I have made this! I did not have enough potatoes, so I used sweet potatoes mixed with red and it turned out great. Such an easy recipe to follow, you can add any veggie and I have even added soy chorizo before! .

I made this for the family last night. I didn’t have thyme, or time, so I substituted in a tablespoon of vegan Wostershire sauce for extra flavor, and threw in a bayleaf while I was cooking the veggies. And I used tinned lentils to save time.

It was absolutely delicious. Hubby had his serve and half of mine, the kids (teen boys who used to say nothing would ever be as nice as meat) both complained there wasn’t MORE, and I ate way to much filling while preparing it because it was yum!

This will be on the weekly rotation!

Absolutely delicious. It took me more than an hour to make because I had to skin my potatoes and I cooked my lentils before adding them to filling. I would say don’t add any extra salt to recipe as there is quite a lot on the potatoes and vegetable stock. Other than that, I’m so impressed.

I made this today and it was wonderful! I cooked the filling in my instant pot for 11 minutes and it was perfect!

I love this recipe! I’ve made it at least five times. Sometimes I put a little bit more of each ingredient and end up with one pie for dinner and one to freeze. It reheats really nicely too! I like to add celery and carrots with the garlic and onion in the beginning, then instead of adding a bag of frozen veggies in the last step I add a huge pile of sliced mushrooms and some sautéed impossible meat. The flavor is totally unbeatable for vegans (me) and meat-eaters (my husband).

Ok. First. I love this stuff. I’m a meat eater and I worked at an Irish pub for over a decade, and I can attest: this recipe is delicious!! I’ve probably made it 20 times now.

Second, I make a couple changes-
– I saute red peppers with the onions and garlic.
– I add rosemary along with the thyme, and that goes in the onions peppers and garlic BEFORE the lentils and veggie broth.
– I don’t know how you can make a recipe this big with *pinches* of salt and pepper. I put in about 1.5 tsp salt in the lentils as they simmer. I put in a heap of salt while the potatoes are boiling. I add probably 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper,, 4 tbsp butter (literally country crock) and about 1/2 cup almond milk for the mash
– on that note *Russet* potatoes

Now here’s my beef with the recipe (Get it?). One hour is impossible. At least that is my experience. This is a 2 hour recipe, at the least.

Absolutely delicious. But not 1-hour.

Absolutely delicious. I doubled up on the onion & garlic, used tomatoe paste and sprinkled vegan cheese on top – super tasty dish. Loved it. Thank you so much for sharing 👌🏼

Made this a few times and enjoyed, the mash I added rosemary (crushed) and vegan cheese. 👍🏽

This is incredibly delicious, but no surprise there!! Every MB recipe I have tried blows us away. This is the third one we have made this week because everything is so good we just keep coming back for more ideas. We have recently made the switch to a fully plant-based lifestyle, but regardless on your dietary preference this is sure to impress. You do not miss the meat AT ALL. The lentils give such a great texture to the mixture. So good, so easy and approachable. Thank you again!!!

I’m not a practiced cook. The first time I made this I followed the directions and made the potatoes first, but then had to wait for the lentils. This time I got the lentils started and then made the potatoes. That way everything is ready for the oven at the same time.
Thanks!

Very bland. I followed the ratios in the recipe just as instructed. Also my lentil mixture was just a thick orange mush after baking. I even cooked the lentils for about 10 minutes less than suggested because they were already done before the “uncovered ” portion of time was supposed to begin. I hate wasting food, but I can’t seem to dump enough salt, pepper, or garlic on it for it to taste like anything. I don’t want to throw it out, but I’m just not eating it because it’s not appealing.

I made some adjustments to the recipe for more flavor and it turned out really good! I would definitely make it again.

In the potatoes after mashing I added in about half cup of vegan cream cheese.

I mixed in beyond “burger meat” with the onions and cooked only half the lentils (so 3/4 cup) I used 2.5 cups of broth since there were less lentils,

I added worshteshire and some coconut aminos before tossing in the veggies.

I added sweet potatoes, celery and carrots to the veggie blend.

I cooked two regular size round pies and since I had a pie crust laying around, I put one of them I put a pie crust (that’s not traditional but it was good!)

I served it with a Chopped spinach and avocado topping.

I needed to do the final bake for 20 mins to get the potatoes to brown.

I realllly loved this with all the changes I made!

Thanks for sharing!

This was a most disappointing recipe. The quantities were way off. I would never make this again. There was far too many lentils for the amount of vegetables. Way too many potatoes. It was pretty bad. Sorry!

Tastes delicious, cheap and liked by my omnivores family :) Takes two hours to make, though ;)

My non bean loving 15 year olds daughter went back for seconds! Yeah! Finally a dish the whole family will eat! I made adjustments per other reviewers ( soy sauce, liquid smoke and bay leaf) /
Thanks so much for your recipe!

I make this recipe at least once a month! So savory and filling!

I don’t think I’ve commented or rated this recipe yet but it’s one of my go to’s on a fall/cold day. I use whatever vegetables are in season or whatever I have on hand. It’s always delicious! Thank you for sharing this.

This was so delicious and super easy to make! I did use the tomato paste, which added some flavour. I also added some vegan cheese on top!
Thanks again for always inspiring my vegan cooking !! ♥️✨🌱