Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Gravy & Potatoes!
Traditional shepherd’s pie / cottage pie or shepards pie is made with ground beef which I of course left out because there is zero need for any of that cruelty on our plate. Baby lambs are simply meant to be loved!
Instead I doubled up on nutritious veggies: mushrooms and green peas medley in a thick and creamy gravy topped with golden pillows of fluffy mashed potatoes. Heaven!
the Mashed Potatoes:
I love adding olive oil to my mashed potatoes and a splash of my homemade cashew milk. You don’t know fluffy and creamy until you do this. I also love eating them standing up over the kitchen island in my pajamas straight out of the bowl, so I always make sure I have a little extra to indulge.
Wanna get a little creative ? Cauliflower or sweet potato mash, even butternut squash would be lovely here, whatever your tastebuds fancy. Maybe just mix in some parsnips or parsley root with your olive oil mashed potatoes.
It’s also the best thing to make with all your Thanksgiving leftovers, make use of everything in sight and throw together this vegetarian cottage pie like a boss.
note: I did indulge with some olive oil in this recipe because Christmas, duhhh! However, you can still adapt it and make it oil-free and whole foods plant based compliant. It will still be damn delicious, I promise!
Here’s why we love it! It’s:
Super Tasty
Quick & Easy to Make
Dairy Free – Pure Vegetarian
Veggie Packed
Everybody Loves Potatoes & Gravy.
Watch How to Make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie:
Best Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion - diced
- 4 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
- 2 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
- 1/4 cup micro greens or chives for garnish (optional)
Mashed Potatoes:
- 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes diced
- 4-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (omit for WFPB & Plantricious diets)
- 1/2 cup cashew milk - plain unsweetened
- 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast +more to your liking
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 leaves bay
- sea salt + black pepper to taste
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 4 cloves of the minced 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. If you'd rather just bake this just preheat the oven to 350"F.
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.
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.
Assemble the Shepherd's Pie:
- 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. Alternatively bake it in a preheated oven at 350"F for 25 minutes.Serve hot garnished with micro greens, chives or your favorite fresh herbs.
Notes
- To make the recipe WFPB and Plantricious compliant make sure to omit the olive oil from the mashed potatoes and saute the onion and mushroom is splash of broth or water.
- The olive oil mashed potatoes topping can be replaced with cauliflower or sweet potato mash.
Nutrition
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
Healthy Cabbage Soup
French Potato Salad
