This vegan shepherd’s pie recipe is a simple, delicious option for fans of comfort food. It’s a cheap and easy way to bring some of your favourite ingredients together.

Slice of shepherd's pie on a white plate.

This vegan cottage pie is a gather-around-the-table classic perfect for a chilly evening.

This meatless and gluten-free take on a British favourite is made with plant-based mince and lentils seasoned to perfection, then topped with creamy mashed potatoes.

This budget-friendly dish is perfect for meal prep!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Potatoes – try to get a starchy, floury variety.
Olive oil
Carrot – try parsnips for a similar but slightly different flavor.
Onion and Garlic

Meatless crumbles/mince – I used Gardine which is precooked, but you can also use soy mince, rehydrated in vegetable stock.
Plant-based grounds such as Beyond Meat and Impossible are exceptionally good but can be pricier compared to other options.
They will also require extra cooking time to brown in the pan before adding the remaining ingredients.

Dried lentils – green or brown, soaked overnight for quicker cooking. They are ideal as they’ll be the correct size and texture for a meat-like dish. They also help thicken the stew. You can use all lentils or replace them with more vegan mince in this recipe.

Brown mushrooms – baby bella or crimini, oyster or shiitake. These are optional but do add a lot of umami. I use frozen shiitakes, which are cheaper than fresh ones. If small ones are unavailable, you can also use one large portobello or king oyster.

All-purpose flour
Thyme
Mixed herbs – try to go for green herbs like rosemary or basil, as they’ll work well with the thyme.
Tomato paste
Chopped or crushed tomatoes
Sugar – balances the acidity of the tomatoes in the dish.

Vegetable stock – I used Better than Bouillion No Beef Base, but any option will work. Homemade vegetable stock is excellent, too!
Vegan butter or margarine

Oat milk – I’d suggest oat milk over other plant-based types of milk as it has a neutral flavor.
Nutritional yeast – optional, but it adds a wonderful flavor to the mashed potatoes.
Salt and pepper

How To Make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Peel, chop and boil the potatoes for about 30 minutes until they’re soft. Preheat the oven to 425˚F or 220˚C, and grease a casserole dish.

Images showing step by step process for making shepherd's pie filling.

Add the oil, onion, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic to a pan, and cook them until the onions soften and start to brown.
Add the meatless crumbles and flour. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds. For uncooked plant-based ground such as Beyond Meat, brown while breaking it up into smaller pieces before adding in the flour.
Add the lentils, herbs, puree, tomatoes, stock, and sugar. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for around 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and the filling thickens. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Season the mixture to taste, and then pour it into the casserole dish.

Two bowls showing the before and after mashing potatoes.

Mash the potatoes with vegan butter and oat milk until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast.

Casserole shown with and without mashed potato topping.

Add the mash to the top of the casserole dish, and spread it evenly. Mark the top with a pattern using a fork or butter knife if desired.
Brush the top with a bit of melted vegan butter to help with browning. Bake the pie in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Cool for about 30 minutes for easier slicing.

Baked shepherd's pie in a casserole dish.

Meal Prep Storage

Allow the meal to cool to room temperature, and then transfer servings of the pie to individual containers.

Transfer the containers to the fridge for three to four days or to the freezer for up to three months.

You can also assemble the casserole ahead of time. Wrap it tightly in layers of cling film and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

How To Reheat

To reheat prebaked refrigerated shepherd’s pie, transfer a portion to a microwave-safe plate or container heat on High for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

For an entire pie, place it in the oven, preheated to 180˚C or 350˚F, for 30 to 40 minutes.

For the frozen pie, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. If the pie is unbaked, bake as directed in the recipe.

More Budget-friendly Vegan Dinner Recipes

Hi Geraldine,

The Gardine mince comes precooked so not much heating or browning is required before adding the remaining ingredients. This would be the same if you used rehydrated soy mince.

If you do use a brand that requires more cooking (e.g. Beyond Meat, Impossible) then allow it to brown in the pot while breaking it up into smaller pieces before adding the flour.

I’ll add a note about other types of vegan mince in the recipe as well.

Thank you for your question. I hope this helps!