Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie is a show-stopping dish featuring a delicious medley of vegetables, a flavorful gravy, and the best mashed potatoes on top.
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
I’ve often made this Shepherd’s Pie (or, more accurately, Cottage Pie) for guests, and it’s always a hit, especially with my boys. With several vegetarians in the family, I decided to create a vegetarian version that’s just as amazing.
This meat-free pie is packed with flavor and will have you craving more veggies while completely missing the meat. It’s perfect for entertaining vegetarian guests and is great as a make-ahead or freezer meal.
Ingredients
Base:
- Olive Oil, Garlic, Onion, Carrots, Celery: Sautéed together for a flavorful foundation.
- Cremini Mushrooms: Adds a meaty texture. I love using baby bella or crimini.
- Seasonings (Thyme, Italian Seasoning, Paprika, Salt, Pepper, Bay Leaves): Enhance overall flavor.
- Flour and Tomato Paste: These thicken the filling and sauté together to balance the acidity of the tomato paste.
- Peas, Corn, Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Add the frozen peas and corn directly to the pan—no need to defrost. Also, add the entire can of diced tomatoes without draining.
- Vegetable Stock and Red Wine Vinegar: Create a savory gravy and balance flavors.
Topping:
- Potatoes (Yukon Gold and Russet): Form the creamy topping.
- Heavy Cream, Sour Cream, Butter, Salt, Pepper: Make the potatoes rich and flavorful.
- Optional Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Thyme): For garnish and added freshness.
How To Make A Vegetarian Shepherds Pie
- Prepare the Potatoes: Peel, cube, and rinse potatoes, then boil with salt and a bay leaf, drain, and mash with heavy cream, sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the Vegetable Base: Sauté onions in olive oil, add garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, and cook until tender, then stir in flour, tomato paste, seasonings, and some vegetable stock.
- Thicken the Base: Add tomatoes, peas, corn, remaining stock, and a bay leaf to the skillet, simmer to thicken, and then stir in red wine vinegar before cooling in the fridge.
- Assemble and Bake: Spread the vegetable mixture in a dish, top with mashed potatoes, seal the edges, texture with a fork, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 350°F until golden, about 25-30 minutes, optionally broiling for a crispy top, and garnish with herbs to serve.
Quick Tip
Make sure the pan you use for Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie will work with a broiler. Glass pans, including Pyrex®, can’t withstand the 500+ degree temperatures. And if the pan you’re using has plastic or wooden handles, they shouldn’t be broiled. Most other pans are able to stand up to the heat.
Storage
Can You Freeze Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie?
Serve This Dish With
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is a show-stopping dish featuring a delicious medley of vegetables, a flavorful gravy, and the best mashed potatoes on top.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup each: finely diced yellow onion, carrots, & celery (1/2 of 1 large onion, 3 carrots, 3-4 stalks)
- 8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced (baby bella, brown, crimini)
- Optional: 1 can lentils, drained & rinsed
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon each: dried thyme & Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tablespoons each: white flour & tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves, separated
- 1 cup each: frozen peas & corn
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced or crushed tomatoes, undrained (I love fire-roasted)
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock divided (Note 1)
- Optional: 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
Topping
- 2-1/2 pounds gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (can use half and half)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (can use light or fat free)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Optional: fresh parsley or fresh thyme (for topping)
Instructions
- POTATOES: Peel and then cube the potatoes into golf-ball sized pieces. Place in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Place in a large pot and cover by 1-inch with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and 1 bay leaf, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender; about 15-20 minutes. When a potato can easily be pierced, drain the potatoes in a strainer and let stand (to dry) for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
- VEGGIES: While potatoes are cooking, add 1-1/2 tbsp oil to a large oven-safe skillet (3.5 quart skillet) over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot. Sauté, stirring occasionally until veggies are softened, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the mushrooms. Add in the mushrooms and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are tender. Add in the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook off the rawness of the flour. Add in the tomato paste, thyme, Italian seasoning, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. (I add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, add to preference). Stir for another 1-2 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth (note 2) and stir for 1-2 more minutes or until thick.
- FINISHING VEGGIE BASE: Reduce heat to medium and add in the can of diced tomatoes, frozen peas, frozen corn, and remaining 1 bay leaf. Add in the remaining 1 cup of vegetable stock and stir until combined. Bring this mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to medium and cook for 25-35 minutes, stirring every 5 or so minutes, until you have a thickened gravy. Stir in the red wine vinegar. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- FINISHING VEGGIE BASE CONT.: Remove veggies from heat, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. (I like making this in the morning and assembling right before dinner). If making immediately, place in the fridge until potatoes are completely finished (you want the mixture to chill for as long as possible so the layers stay separate when baking, 15-20 minutes at a minimum). If you didn't prepare in an oven-safe skillet, transfer to a 1.5-2 quart oven-safe dish. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
- POTATOES CONT.: While the potatoes are drying in the strainer, add the heavy cream, sour cream, and butter to the pot the potatoes cooked in. Melt on low heat and stir to combine. While potatoes are still hot, put them through a ricer and add on top of the butter/sour cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Cover and place in the fridge until ready to assemble pie.
- ASSEMBLY: Gently spread the potatoes in an even layer on top of the veggies. Use a large spoon or silicone spatula to press them to cover all the veggies and make sure to "seal" the edges with potatoes. Use a fork to add marks onto the surface of the potatoes. Drizzle with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
- BAKE: Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Broil for 1-2 minutes on high to get the very tops of the potatoes crispy! (note 2) Remove from heat and garnish with fresh thyme or fresh parsley as desired. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Traditional Shepherd’s Pie uses red wine in the gravy. If you’d like to do the same, you can substitute 1/2 cup of medium-bodied red wine, such as pinot noir, for the same amount of vegetable broth.
Note 2: Glass baking pans, including Pyrex® cannot withstand the high heat of a broiler. Additionally, if your baking pan has plastic or wooden handles, they won’t work, either. Most other pans are safe for oven and broiler use.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 1309mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3976IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you prepare it in advance and cooked the next day?
Yes!