You guys! Gravy & Potatoes!
You could also mix some parsnips or cauliflower with your mashed potatoes if you wanted to get a little creative. Note to self!
I did use a little olive oil in this recipe because duhhh: Christmas! However, you can make it Oil-Free and I promise you it will still be damn delicious.
Why We Love this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie :
Super Tasty
Filling
Quick & Easy to Make
Dairy Free
Make Ahead
Reheats Well
Wintery
Everybody Loves Potatoes & Gravy.
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Watch How to Make it:
Best Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
A traditional style Vegan Shepherd’s Pie recipe with lots of mushrooms in a silky red wine gravy and olive oil mashed potatoes topping. Simply the Best!
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion - diced
- 8 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 lb brown mushrooms - sliced
- 1 cup frozen green peas - rinsed under warm water
- 1 large carrot - diced or sliced into rounds
- 2-3 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour - organic
- 2 cups vegetable stock - low sodium
- 1/2 cup red wine - vegan
- 3 whole cloves
- 4 leaves bay
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 red chili pepper - diced & Optional
- 5 sprigs thyme - leaves only
- 1 pinch sea salt + more to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil or a splash of water
- 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup plant milk (cashew, amond or hemp) - plain unsweetened
- 1/4 cup basil micro greens for garnish (optional)
- 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast +more to your liking
Instructions
Make the Mashed Potatoes
Scrub and rinse the potatoes well and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Transfer them to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 2 bay leaves and half of the garlic and bring to a simmer. Season well with sea salt and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow them to dry well in their own steam. Discard the bay leaves.
Transfer back into the pot, drizzle with the olive oil, plant milk and nutritional yeast and mash to your liking. Taste and adjust seasonings with more sea salt. Add more plant milk and olive oil if a creamier consistency is desired. Set aside until needed.
Preheat your broiler.
Make the Shepherd's Pie:
Preheat a cast iron medium pot over medium flame. Add half of the diced onion and a drizzle of olive oil or a splash of water and sauté with a pinch of sea salt for about 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the carrots and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until they begin to soften.
Add 2 bay leaves, thyme leaves, whole cloves, chili pepper and garlic. Give everything a good stir then add the paprika, onion powder and flour. Stir again then whisk in the red wine and vegetable stock. Keep whisking until everything is smooth.
Bring the gravy to a simmer and cook on low flame until slightly reduced and thickened. Stir in the green peas and warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste with sea salt.
Meanwhile cook the mushrooms.
Heat up a large skillet over medium low flame and add the remaining onion. Cook 5 minutes then stir in the mushrooms and a pinch of sea salt. Sauté until wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Transfer the cooked mushrooms to the pot with the gravy, stir and taste again.
Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the mushroom gravy and level them with the back of a spoon. Take a fork and create little tracks over the surface.
Transfer the Shepherd’s pie to the preheated broiler and broil for a few minutes until golden brown on top.
Serve hot garnished with the basil micro greens or your favorite herbs.
Go Vegan:
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
Healthy Cabbage Soup
French Potato Salad
This was amazing, the sauce and everything was simply perfect. I doubled the recipe and had some leftover mashed potatoes that I assure you did not go to waste. Bookmarked and will definitely make Shepherd’s Pie a weekly affair from now on. Thank you very much for sharing the recipe.
Agree – best shepherds pie. Much prefer this over the lentil varieties. Perfect coolish day as we roll into fall. It is saved in our fav recipes file. FYI – made it exactly as recipe indicates and would not change a thing. Thanks Florentina!!
So happy you loved it Ed. Enjoy!
Recipe was fantastic!! Only thing is that the prep time you list is WAY off. Took me over an hour to prepare this recipe. I also doubled the thyme and used 2 tablespoons of jarred vegetable bouillon to give it extra flavor. I used mostly white mushrooms and only about a fourth of the more expensive brown mushrooms. I used a good red cab for the wine and the entire recipe came out fantastic. Oh. I also had to add more flour to thicken the gravy in the end so the mashed potatoes wouldnt sink down. I made a side dish of extra mashed potatoes too. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hey Lynn, using a food processor to help with the slicing and dicing definitely cuts back the prep time. I’ll make sure to update that info. Xo’s ~ Florentina
Why cook the mushrooms separate from the onions?
You don’t actually have to cook them separately, if you watch the video I actually cooked them together in that one but It is a little faster If I have two pans going. Anyway you prefer 🙂
I’m out of red wine but really want to make this today….any suggestions?
Just use veggie stock or even white wine if you have it!
I noticed the video shows adding nutritional yeast to the potatoes but the ingredient list has none listed. How much do you normally add to your potatoes? I like the yeast and want to add it too. I am anxious to try this pie! Thanks
peace
Sorry Luanne, I updated the recipe to include the nutritional yeast. Usually I add about 2-3 tablespoons but you can add more if you prefer. Taste as you, hope you love the recipe 🙂
Excellent! Didn’t have mushrooms but added corn and a yellow pepper. Also did not put under broiler but in 350 oven for 30 minutes – need hot foods to be really hot 😀
Whoops – also added oregano, rosemary and 1T siracha ketchup to offset a bitter taste.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. When you say “whole cloves,” do you mean actual cloves or cloves of garlic?
Actual clove spice 🙂
Do you have to remove them at some point? Wouldn’t they hurt to bite down on? I’ve never eaten cloves….I’ve had them floating in cider for flavor and I’ve baked with ground cloves but I’ve never had whole cloves in a recipe before.
Yes you can discard them at the end of cooking, however I wouldn’t worry as they soften up during cooking. If you prefer you can use a tiny pinch of ground cloves instead.