Good old family classic shepherd’s pie made vegan friendly. A perfect comfort food dish for a cold winter’s day, which the whole family will enjoy (even the fussiest little eaters will love it). Vegan, gluten & dairy free.
*This post was originally written in January 2018 and has been updated in November 2020 with more pictures, instructions and recipe video.
Finally, after a lot of technical problems with my blog, which caused the whole site to go down (to say it was an emotional disaster was an understatement), I’m back with this lip-smacking recipe of a vegan shepherd’s pie.
This cosy dinner has been the most asked for recipe on my Instagram page @fit.foodie.nutter to date (if you don’t follow me on social media, I post some recipes there too, so pop in and say hello). As soon as I posted this shepherd’s pie on Instagram, I received so many messages, emails and comments asking for the recipe – thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. To see that you guys enjoy the recipes I create is the best reward I could ever ask for and serves as the best encouragement to keep going with my blog.
As I haven’t been able to post the recipe on the blog up until now, I emailed it to my email list subscribers. If you’d like to receive my recipe emails straight into your inbox, be sure to sign up for my recipe newsletters.
The inspiration for this vegan shepherd’s pie came from a meal at a good old English pub where we dined with our friends one evening over the Christmas period. I must be honest, you’ll be lucky to get a great vegetarian meal in a pub (although there’s a much wider choice of vegetarian dishes now). So I was pleasantly surprised to see a vegan shepherd’s pie on the menu. As soon as I tasted it, that was it. I HAD to recreate it at home. It turned out so good that the family asked me to make it 3 times in 1 week! I couldn’t say no of course…
WHICH INGREDIENTS DO I NEED TO MAKE VEGAN SHEPHERD’S PIE?
One of the great things about this recipe is that the ingredients list is quite short (and highly customizable too).
The key ingredients you’ll need:
- Green lentils
- Sweet potatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Tinned tomatoes
- Green peas
RECIPE INGREDIENTS SUBSTITUTIONS
The beauty of this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe is that although it tastes utterly delicious as it is, you can easily customize it to suit your taste buds & dietary requirements.
- Don’t like green lentils? Swap them for beans (tinned black beans or red kidney beans work really well).
- Have leftover vegetables in the fridge that need using up? Add them to the base. Mushrooms, celery, courgettes work really well. Just watch out for the ratio of sauce & vegetables. You don’t want the base to be too dry.
- No sweet potatoes? Use white potatoes instead. Some readers have also reported mixing half sweet potatoes & half white potatoes.
- Add your favourite herbs & spices to the base to enhance the flavours. Sage, oregano, rosemary, ground cumin work really well.
TIPS ON MAKING YOUR VEGAN SHEPHERD’S PIE TASTE THE BEST
- Make sure you use good quality tinned tomatoes as cheap brands tend to be very runny, which makes the sauce too thin and less flavoursome.
- A great thing about this recipe is that you can add a variety of your favourite vegetables or pulses to the filling – see ingredients alternatives below for ideas.
- If you feel a little more indulgent, sprinkle the pie with grated dairy free cheese before putting it in the oven. It’ll will make it a totally irresistible comfort meal for the whole family!
LOOKING FOR MORE MEAT-FREE RECIPES INSPIRATION?
Check out some of the readers’ favourite:
- The best creamy mushroom stroganoff
- Oh-so-delicious vegan stuffed pasta
- Quick & easy vegan sticky aubergine
- Easy butternut squash & chickpea stew
- Family favourite vegan chili
If you make this vegan shepherd’s pie, I would be over the moon if you shared your feedback with me in the comments section and tag me in your creations on Instagram #fitfoodienutter or Pinterest. I really love seeing your takes on my recipes.
Thank you for popping in. See you next week.
Healthfully yours,
Tania x
PIN FOR LATER:
THE ALL TIME FAMILY FAVOURITE VEGAN SHEPHERD’S PIE (GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE)
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 3 medium size sweet potatoes (around 1kg) , peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp . olive oil
- 1 medium onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed
- 1 medium carrot , finely grated
- 1 heaped tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 400g tin organic chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup green peas ( I used frozen)
- Salt & pepper
- 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
- A bunch of fresh coriander
Instructions
- Cook the lentils according to the packet instructions. Set aside. * You can also use pre-cooked lentils to save time (they sell them in little pouches in the UK supermarkets).
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F, Gas mark 6).
- Place diced sweet potato in a pan, season with salt & pepper, cover with water & bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium heat & cook until the potatoes are soft. When cooked, cool slightly before mashing the potatoes up. Set aside.
- In the meantime, fry the onions and garlic in a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil on a low to medium heat until just softened. Add grated carrot & cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, smoked paprika & chili flakes and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add cooked lentils into the pan with onions & garlic & mix well. Stir in chopped tomatoes & peas & cook on medium heat for around 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, add freshly chopped coriander and season with salt & pepper.
- Transfer the lentil mixture into an oven proof dish and spread evenly. Top with sweet potato mash (use a fork to spread the mash evenly).
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the potato is starting to turn golden brown.
Oh my goodness! This looks and sounds INCREDIBLE! I love that you’ve used sweet potatoes, and a little chilli in there too! I’ll definitely be trying this out! Thank you! <3 xx
Thank you Chrissy! I hope you’ll enjoy the recipe as much as our family did! PS I’m making it again tonight, the 5th time in 2 weeks!! Can you tell the family love it? lol. Have a great day Chrissy and thank you for visiting my blog x
I made something similar a few weeks ago – great minds think alike! Especially love that extra flavor boost from the sweet potatoes!
Great minds indeed Sarah! PS I don’t think I’ll be using normal potatoes for shepherd’s pie, sweet potatoes are so much more flavorsome and more nutritious. Win win!
I love Shepherd’s pie and this vegan version looks very tasty! I enjoy cooking with sweet potatoes, so will have to give this recipe a go at some point.
Thank you so much Diana. You really should give it a go – it’s so delicious and nutritious at the same time! Have a great day and thank you for visiting my blog x
So glad you got your site back up! And wow, what a fantastic recipe to come back with! So many yummy ingredients! 🙂
Hi Demeter! Thank you so much for your kind words. It seems like it was the end of the world when the blog went down, so I’m really pleased and grateful it’s back up and running! Have a wonderful day Demeter and thank you for popping in x
Traditional shepherd’s pie is one of my son’s favorite meals. I’d never thought about topping one with sweet potatoes. Love that this is a healthier version!
Oh Jill, I dare hope that you’ll cook this meat free version for your son – he will thank you for it:) My fussy young daughter asked for seconds, which was a definite sign of ‘mum’s done well this time!’. I hope your son will enjoy it just as much x
What a fantastic vegan version of a classic! I’m thinking I might just love this nutrient dense version way, way more than the original – fantastic idea to use sweet potatoes as the topping!
Hi Shashi! Thank you so much indeed! And I’m totally with you on the meat free version – prefer this one much more than the original dish! Thank you for popping in Shashi. Have a great day x
So incredible that you managed to re-create such a classic dish into a vegan dish…this is a stunning recipe, love the use of sweet potatoes
Thank you so much Albert. I had to do a little dance in the kitchen when it turned out as good as the meat version of a traditional pie! Have a wonderful day and thank you for leaving a comment.
I love how you used sweet potatoes here! This looks so healthy and comforting on these cold winter nights.
Thank you so much Sarah! It was a real treat for the whole family. PS They keep asking me to cook this pie every week! I suppose I should’t complain as practice makes it perfect:) Have a great day x
I never had shepherds pie pre vegan. I can’t wait to make this!
Thank you so much Gina! I really hope that you’ll be a ‘shepherd’s pie’ converter after this one. Even my other half, who is a big meat lover, prefers this veggie version:) x
OMG – LOVE Shepherd’s Pie! Can’t wait to try this one. Looks so good with the sweet potato on top.
Thank you so much Stephanie. I hope you and your family will enjoy this pie just as much as we do. Thank you for stopping by.
Such a terrific dish Tania! I’ve never tried sheperds’ pie with sweet potatoes, and I can’t wait to do so, you’ve made me so hungry with these pictures!!! Lovely work, as always!
Thank you so much my dear! Sweet potatoes really make it a different ball game, you should give it a try Anna. I bet Jon will love it too! xx
Oh yum! This is full of all my favorites, looks so tasty 🙂
Thank you so much Jenna! It sure is full of veggie goodness and great flavour 🙂 x
Mmm! Love the sound of this on a cold winter’s night. 🙂
Thank you so much Sarah!
This pie looks amazingggg! And also, so sorry about the site going down. I would have been an emotional wreck as well!!! Glad that you’re back.
Hi Jen. Thank you so much for your kind words. The site went down at the worst possible time (just typical). I’m glad it’s back up and running now. Thank you so much for visiting my blog. Enjoy your evening.
How many ounces is 1 tin organic chopped tomatoes?
Hi Lynn. The tin of tomatoes is 400 grams, which will make it just over 14 ounces (if my maths is any good!)
Omg my first vegan homemade meal and was really easy and tasted so good. Full of flavour will definitely make again
Thank you so much Beth! You have totally made my evening! Vegan lasagne next?! lol.
I love shepherd’s pie! It’s so delicious with sweet potatoes. What a great recipe!
Thank you so much for your kind words Amy!
I just cooked it today.. .. it’s soooo yummy!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe❤
Thank you so much Cherine! You’ve made my day it’s the best thing in the world when I hear feedback like yours. I hope you enjoy making it many more times (my family keep asking me to make it nearly every week!)
Just finally got to make this today and it is amazing. The smoked paprika gives it a lovely taste. I added some mushrooms and used a tin of green lentils. I did extra veg to go along with it. It was tastier than I was expecting so was pleasantly surprised. Now added to my favourite vegetarian (even vegan) meals to cook. The sweet potatoe is so much easier to mash than white potatoes – plus better for you as not adding butter or milk.
Thank you for working out the nutritional information and emailing me back quickly.
Will check out your other recipes too.
Hi Cherine. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love the sound of all the extra nutrients you added to the recipe too! Thank you for taking the time to make a recipe and posting your comment, really appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family x
Sounds delicious and eager to try. Would you mind letting me know the size of tin for the tomatoes as here in Canada they vary from 14 to 19 to 28 fl. oz? Also what is the casserole size that you recommend for this dish?
Thanks so much! Terry
Hi Terry. Thank you so much for stopping by on my blog. I used 400 grams of tinned tomatoes and my casserole dish was about 35cm x 25cm. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I and the family do:)
Have vegan friends over from Thailand coming to dinner tomorrow, and this will be a tasty warming dish to serve in this chilly weather. Thank you!
Thank you so much Jennifer, I’m truly humbled that you chose to make this recipe for your friends. I hope they enjoyed this warming dish and I hope you had a great time together x
Love this recipe. I have made it several times and it is always a big hit.
Wow Cierra, thank you so much for your kind comment. It filled my heart with so much joy to know that you liked the recipe! Thank you so much indeed, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hi!
I made this a few weeks ago and now I can’t access the recipe. It only shows me the comments. Am I doing something wrong? ????????♀️ I have to make it again , IT WAS SO GOOD!
Help!!!
X
Hi Rosie. I’m so pleased you liked the recipe! So sorry I was having some technical issues with the blog, it should be all fixed now. Please drop me a message if you are having difficulties with accessing the recipe. Thank you for stopping by Rosie.
I think I may have missed it but can you tell me how many this meal feeds?
Hi Lin. This meal feeds 3 to 4 people (as long as they don’t keep coming back for seconds, just like our family does lol). Would love to hear your feedback if you make it. Thank you Lin x
I love Shepherd’s pie and this recipe sounds so delicious . I am not an vegetarian but I must try it. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much Ellen. My other half, who is a big meat eater, prefers this vegetarian recipe to the traditional Shepherd’s pie with minced meat, which says a lot in my book! I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. Thank you for popping in to my blog. Have a great day x
Hello! For the tin of tomatoes – what size can? Is diced ok? Also, should they be drained or not drained? Thank you!
Hi Crystal! It’s 400g tin of chopped tinned tomatoes in natural juice. You don’t need to drain them, the natural juice is there to keep the filling moist and ‘saucy’. Let me know how you get along! x
I made this and followed the recipe, but it tasted very bland. What did I do wrong?
Hi Patty. Sorry to hear you found the dish bland. Perhaps you can increase the amount of spices to suit your own taste palate. I’d recommend tasting it before you add the mashed potato layer, just to see if it as enough spice/flavour for you.
I have made this with a pouch of tomato flavour lentils. I added a few black beans as I had them in the fridge and I used ordinary mash potatoes not sweet potatoes as I was also making a fish pie for non vegetarians. It was delicious!
Hi Gill! Thank you so much for your kind comment. I love it that you used tomato flavoured lentils and added black beans – extra flavour and extra protein too! Thank you so much for recreating the recipe and leaving a kind comment on my blog Gill. Have a great day x
I made this earlier this year for my Daughter and Grandaughter, we all enjoyed it and I’m planning to make it for Christmas…with maybe some roast potatoes and Brussels.
Dear Myra, you have totally made my day! Thank you so much for re-creating this recipe and I’m so privileged for you to be serving it during the festive season! Wishing you a merry Christmas and a prosperous and a healthy new year! x
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. Been trying various vegan recipes over a month now and had become disillusioned with so many bland recipes. This one has altered my opinion, thank you so much. It actually tastes better than the meat version.
You have totally made my day Janet! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to post your kind comment. You have also reminded me that I haven’t made this recipe for a while, so I’ll be doing it tomorrow for my friends get together! Thank you Janet. Have a great day!
Hi! Am I able to make this a day in advance? I will be making this for my brother for Christmas dinner so hopefully you’ll reply before then ☺️
Hi Amanda. So sorry I’ve only just seen your comment. I hope you enjoyed this shepherd’s pie for Christmas dinner?! I’m so humbled you made it. And yes, it can be made a day in advance and re-heated in the oven until piping hot. Wishing you and the family a wonderful 2020. Best wishes, Tania
WOW, vegan shepherd’s pie – I want to try it right away. Looks so hearty and delicious. Love that sweet potato topping.
Thank you so much Pavani! Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as my family does! x
I love shepherd’s pie so much! This vegan version sure does look delicious 🙂
Thanks a lot Chris!
I am definitely going to try this vegan shepard’s pie! All of the ingredients, especially paired with the sweet potatoes, sound delicious!
Thank you so much Gita! Let me know how it turns out! x
I was looking for something vegan to serve at Thanksgiving for our vegan family members, I showed them this recipe and they are already drooling!
How exciting Pam! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as my friends and family did! x
Looks like a great recipe and I look forward to trying it out.
Couple of questions…
1) can you sub green lentils for red?
2) what is the nutritional values for this recipe? Interested in amount of calories
Thank you
Hi Rachel. Thank you for your comment. Although you can use red lentils, they’re a lot softer than green lentils, which will result in the change of texture & might make the pie filling too ‘mushy’. I’d recommend to stick with green lentils, as they’re harder and have a more of a bite to them, but please let me know if you decide to try the red lentils instead. In terms of the nutritional value, as a rough guide it’s 248 calories per serving. I’ve put the nutritional label for you below. Thank you for taking the time to comment and I’m looking forward to hearing how this recipe will turn out for you.
Amount per serving Calories 248
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.1g 5%
Saturated Fat 0.6g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 56mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 43.3g 16%
Dietary Fiber 13.4g 48%
Total Sugars 12.4g
Protein 10.5g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 67mg 5%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 792mg 17%
Truly appreciate the way you made this delicious and wonderful recipe. Everything is so nicely described that really helped me. I am looking forward for more of such recipes in coming days also.
Thank you so much for your kind comment and for trying the recipe.