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Home » Recipes » Potatoes

Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Published: Sep 28, 2021 by Lexi

540 shares
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This vegan lentil shepherd's pie is the coziest winter dinner! It has a hearty lentil vegetable quinoa filling that's easy to make, and it's topped with homemade mashed potatoes and baked to perfection. It's warming, satisfying and absolutely delicious!

Overhead view of shepherd's pie with mashed potatoes and a scoop taken out.
Jump to:
  • 🥧 Why We Love This Recipe
  • 🥔 Ingredients
  • 📋 Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
  • 🍽 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

🥧 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Filling: This recipe is a great source of plant-based protein, thanks to the quinoa and lentils in the filling. Since it's so hearty and filling, it makes for a great main dish around the holidays, or really any winter dinner!
  • Make ahead potential: This lentil shepherd's pie is fairly easy to whip up, but if you cook the lentils and quinoa in advance, it's a breeze, so it has great make-ahead potential for a busy weeknight or holiday.
  • Vegan and gluten free take on a classic: nothing says comfort food like a shepherd's pie, so we're so excited to share an allergy-friendly version! Better yet, it's truly just as good as a non-vegan version. So flavorful and cozy!
  • And lastly...this vegan shepherd's pie is topped with a thick layer of fluffy, buttery, delicious homemade mashed potatoes. Need I say more?!

🥔 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan lentil shepherd's pie:

Overhead view of shepherd's pie ingredients.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Lentils: we used french green lentils in this vegan shepherd's pie. They tend to be firmer and hold up much better than brown lentils and prevent the dish from becoming too mushy. You can also sub with regular green lentils in a pinch. We don't suggest using red or yellow lentils in the recipe. They tend to get pretty mushy and are much better suited for puréed soups and stews.
  • Mushrooms: really any variety works well in this recipe. We typically use cremini or buttom mushrooms since they're easy to find, but you could also use shiitake or another wild mushroom for more flavor. They add a nice meatiness to this lentil shepherd's pie filling, which is much needed since the original recipe is made with ground beef!
  • Potatoes: we like using Yukon Golds for mashed potatoes – they're buttery, soft and delicious. In a pinch, Russets work well too. We don't suggest using red potatoes, which can get a bit waxy and mealy when mashed.
  • Quinoa: combined with lentils, quinoa makes for a hearty filling that has a texture more similar to ground beef. If you don't have any on hand, you can always sub with more lentils.
  • Peas: fresh are great if you can find them, but we typically just grab a bag of frozen peas. Much easier!
  • Vegetable broth: feel free to use low sodium if preferred. (You can also make your own with vegetable scrap leftovers!)
  • All purpose flour: this helps thicken up the filling so it's not too runny. If you're gluten free, feel free to sub with your favorite gluten free AP flour. In a pinch, cornstarch will work too.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C. In 2 separate pots, cook lentils and quinoa according to package directions.

(1) Bring 3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add peeled potatoes and cook until fork tender - about 20 minutes. When done, drain potatoes and return to a pot Mash until smooth.

Stir in butter and salt. Add in milk and stir (or use a hand mixer) until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.

Overhead view of mashed potatoes being stirred together.

(2) In a large oven-safe skillet, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

(3) Add mushrooms, carrots and peas and sauté for another 5 minutes.

On top: onions being sauteed. On the bottom: adding in mushrooms, carrots, and peas.

(4) Whisk together ¼ cup of broth with the flour until there are no clumps. Add the broth/flour mixture, cooked lentils, quinoa, 1 ¼ cup of vegetable broth, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika to the vegetable mixture and stir until well coated.

On the left: roux being made. On the right: adding in wet ingredients to vegetables in a pan.

(5) Let mixture simmer, stirring a few times, until most of the broth is absorbed (8-10 minutes). Taste and adjust salt if needed.

(6) If you're not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer the lentil mixture to another baking dish. Pipe or spread the mashed potatoes on top of the lentil mixture and lightly dust with paprika.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until mashed potatoes are lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Mashed potatoes being piped onto lentil mixture and then baked until golden brown.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Kick up the flavor of your mashed potatoes by adding roasted garlic: roasted garlic mashed potatoes are SO GOOD, especially atop this lentil shepherd's pie. To make roasted garlic, slice off the top of an entire head of garlic so the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and salt, wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 400˚F for 45 minutes, until golden brown and fork tender. We use about 4 cloves of roasted garlic in these mashed potatoes.
  • Use a piping bag: we really think that using a piping bag to add the mashed potatoes on top takes this recipe to another level. It looks amazing, but also provides lots of nooks and crannies with additional surface area that become golden brown and delicious, thus adding more flavor. Of course, it's totally not a necessary step – you can simply spread the mashed potatoes on with a spoon if preferred.
  • Use a hand mixer: we find that using a hand mixer to whip up the mashed potatoes just makes life easier. No more using an impossible-to-clean masher!
  • Make sure to use an oven-safe skillet: if you have a large cast iron skillet, now's the time to use it! It's perfect for sautéing the vegetables, but it's also great for baking at high temps, so you don't have to do any extra dishes. If you are using nonstick or another pan that's not oven safe, be sure to transfer the filling to a baking dish before baking in the oven.
  • Wine pairing: we love to enjoy this lentil shepherd's pie with a full-bodied, rich wine like Zinfandel or Bordeaux. Of course, it's also fantastic with a Guinness if you want to stay fully Irish.
close up view of vegan lentil shepherd's pie filling on serving spoon in skillet.
Can you prep vegan shepherd's pie ahead of time?


Definitely! You have a few options:

- Prep the cooked lentils, quinoa and mashed potatoes ahead of time. You can store these items easily in the refrigerator for several days. When you're ready to make the rest of the dish, this will majorly cut down on prep time. You should be able to finish up the rest of the recipe in just over 30 minutes!

- Make the entire dish ahead of time and wait to bake
. You can make the lentil shepherd's pie 2-3 days before you're ready to eat it (just be sure to cover tightly), and then bake just before serving.

Can you freeze lentil shepherd's pie?


Absolutely! If you're making this recipe ahead of time to eat at a later date (hello, meal prep!), we suggest freezing before you bake the entire dish. Just pipe on the potatoes, freeze, and finish baking until warmed through and golden brown when you're ready to eat.

Alternatively, you can also freeze leftovers for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then microwave or heat in the oven until warmed through.

Can you make this gluten free?


Yes, simply swap the regular all purpose flour with your favorite gluten free alternative.

What to serve with vegan shepherd's pie:


This lentil shepherd's pie is incredible as a vegan holiday main dish. It's filling, as plenty of plant-based protein, and even your non-vegan family members will want a bite!

Here are a few of our favorite side dishes to make it a full meal:
- Roasted Acorn Squash Kale Salad
- Cranberry Sauce
- Roasted Carrots
- Green Beans with Vegan Bacon

Close up shot of shepherd's pie and mashed potatoes on a plate.

🍽 Related Recipes

  • Vegan Mushroom Stew over Mashed Potatoes
  • Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
  • Vegan Lentil Bolognese
  • Vegan Mushroom Alfredo

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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📖 Recipe

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Overhead view of shepherd's pie with a scoop taken out.

Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie


★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This vegan lentil shepherd's pie is the coziest winter dinner! It has a hearty lentil vegetable quinoa filling that's easy to make, and it's topped with homemade mashed potatoes and baked to perfection. It's warming, satisfying and absolutely delicious! 


Ingredients

Units Scale

Filling:

  • 1 cup cooked French green lentils (cooked according to package directions)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (cooked according to package directions)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced (~1 ½ cups)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ cups cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • ¾ cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (can use gluten free)

Mashed Potatoes: 

  • 4-5 cups peeled, diced yellow potatoes
  • ¼ cup vegan butter
  • ⅓ cup nondairy milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C. In two separate pots, cook lentils and quinoa according to package directions.
  2. Bring 3 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add peeled potatoes and cook until fork tender - about 20 minutes. When done, drain potatoes and return to a pot Mash until smooth. Stir in butter and salt. Add in milk and stir (or use a hand mixer) until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.
  3. In a large saucepan, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add mushrooms, carrots and peas and sauté for another 5 minutes.
  5. Whisk together ¼ cup of broth with the flour. Add the broth/flour mixture, cooked lentils, quinoa, 1 ¼ cup of vegetable broth, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika to the vegetable mixture.
  6. Let mixture simmer, stirring a few times, until most of the broth is absorbed (8-10 minutes). Taste and adjust salt if needed.
  7. Spread lentil mixture evenly in a baking dish, then pipe or spread mashed potatoes over the top. Dust the potatoes lightly with paprika and bake for 25 minutes, or until mashed potatoes are lightly browned on top.

Notes

Lentils: we used french green lentils in this recipe. They tend to be firmer and hold up much better than brown lentils and prevent the dish from becoming too mushy. You can also sub with regular green lentils in a pinch. We don't suggest using red or yellow lentils in the recipe.

Kick up the flavor of your mashed potatoes by adding roasted garlic: To make roasted garlic, slice off the top of an entire head of garlic so the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and salt, wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 400˚F for 45 minutes, until golden brown and fork tender. We use about 4 cloves of roasted garlic in these mashed potatoes. 

Use a hand mixer: we find that using a hand mixer to whip up the mashed potatoes just makes life easier. No more using an impossible-to-clean masher!

Use a piping bag: we really think that using a piping bag to add the mashed potatoes on top takes this recipe to another level. It looks amazing, but also provides lots of nooks and crannies with additional surface area that become golden brown and delicious, thus adding more flavor.

All purpose flour: this helps thicken up the filling so it's not too runny. If you're gluten free, feel free to sub with your favorite gluten free AP flour. In a pinch, cornstarch will work too. 

Storage: store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. 

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: English

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 336
  • Sugar: 4.7 g
  • Sodium: 840.2 mg
  • Fat: 11.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 49.8 g
  • Fiber: 7.8 g
  • Protein: 12.2 g

Keywords: vegan shepherd's pie, lentil shepherd's pie

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Judi

    September 18, 2022 at 3:02 pm

    Love this recipe so much. I've made it over and over.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      September 19, 2022 at 11:10 am

      Thank you so much! Glad you love it.

      Reply
  2. Harlee Ostash

    February 06, 2022 at 2:50 pm

    This dish is fantastic! The whole family loved it. If you want to make it after work I’d recommend making the quinoa, lentils, and even mash potatoes beforehand. I pealed and cut the potatoes, covered them in water stored them in the fridge until I was ready to make the Shepherds pie. I made the quinoa with vegetable stock and served it with mushroom gravy. *chefs kiss*

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      February 07, 2022 at 9:39 pm

      Always a great idea to prep the quinoa and lentils ahead of time – it really speeds things up! Thank you so much for your comment and I'm so glad you enjoyed. Also, fantastic idea to serve with the gravy!!

      Reply

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Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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