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Vegetable-packed meals are my specialty, and this recipe for hearty, homemade vegetarian shepherd’s pie fits the bill. Tender veggies are topped with fluffy mashed potatoes. Unlike many meatless shepherd’s pies, this recipe doesn’t rely on lentils. Assembly is easy, too—vegetarian comfort food at its finest.
save this recipe!When you’re craving a hearty, comforting dinner, there’s one food that never disappoints…mashed potatoes. Buttery, herby mouthfuls of yum, they’re even better when paired with other hearty ingredients!
Case in point: Shepherd’s Pie.
Traditionally made with ground beef or lamb, we’re skipping the meat in favor of an all-veggie version complete with peas, corn, carrots, celery, and onion. It’s the ultimate vegetarian comfort food.
“This Shepherd’s Pie was another hit at our house, and promises to be a “go to” recipe for healthy (and hearty) comfort food, along with your Chickpea Pot Pie. I will be recommending both of these recipes to friends and family!” –Carolyn
Key ingredients
Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements – this is just an overview!
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: These are key to that buttery, smooth mash. Their natural creaminess means you don’t need much butter or yogurt to get the right texture.
- Greek Yogurt & Butter: Tested multiple versions—Greek yogurt adds light tang and protein without heaviness. For vegan, dairy-free yogurt and margarine work perfectly.
- Mushrooms: The umami powerhouse! When browned properly, they mimic the savory flavor of traditional meat filling.
- Carrots, Celery, and Onion: This trio forms the aromatic backbone. Sautéing them slowly brings out their natural sweetness.
- Tomato Paste + Herbs: Adds rich depth, and that splash of fennel seed is the secret weapon that keeps the gravy tasting hearty and complex.
- Flour & Veggie Broth: Simple, but tested for the perfect thickness. Rich enough to hold its shape, not gluey.
- Corn + Peas: These are added last to keep them bright and juicy.
Make it ahead of time
You can assemble this vegetarian casserole up to two days in advance. When ready to enjoy it, just pop it in the oven!
Sarah’s Switch Ups
- Want more umami? Add a teaspoon of soy sauce or miso paste to the gravy.
- Crispy topping hack: Use a fork to create ridges in the mashed potatoes before baking. Those ridges brown beautifully if you turn on the broiler for a minute at the end of cooking.
- More Veggies: Want to add extra veggies? Green beans and finely chopped broccoli both work well!
- Extra Protein: Add cooked lentils or crumbled tempeh to the veggie mix (reader’s have tried this and also said it was delicious–see comments!)
Mixed Veggie Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (No Lentils!)
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, about 6, 0.9 Kg
- ½ cup full fat plain Greek yogurt, can sub dairy-free, 120 g
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, can sub dairy-free, 56 g
- ¼ tsp salt
Filling
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- 16 oz sliced mushrooms, 450 g
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium carrots, about 1½ cups roughly chopped
- 4 medium ribs celery, about 1½ cups sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped rosemary, thyme, and/or bay leaf
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 20 g
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth, 470 mL
- 1 14-oz can corn, drained, 425 g can
- 1 cup frozen peas, 100 g
Instructions
- Mashed Potatoes: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and roughly chop 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, then add to boiling water. Cover and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. When finished, add to a large bowl and mash, then mix in ½ cup full fat plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup unsalted butter, and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
- Saute Veggies: In a large oven-safe pot, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 16 oz sliced mushrooms and cook until they lose their moisture and begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 medium yellow onion (sliced), 3 cloves garlic (minced), 4 medium carrots (diced), and 4 medium ribs celery (diced), continuing to cook until vegetables are slightly soft, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Gravy: Stir in 2 Tbsp fresh herbs, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp fennel seed, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Sprinkle in 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour and stir to evenly coat everything. Slowly drizzle in 2 cups vegetable broth, stirring as you add it. Heat the mixture until it thickens slightly. Stir in 1 14-oz can corn and 1 cup frozen peas.
- Assemble: Spoon the mashed potatoes over the filling in the pot, spreading it into an even layer (you can crimp the top with a fork to get little crispy edge pieces).
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. If desired, cook under the broiler for a few minutes to help brown the surface of the mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Hi. I have trouble getting celery in Turkey, what do you suggest as a replacement? Thanks
Can you find fennel? That would be a good replacement. Otherwise, just leave it out!
It was delicious. Everyone loved this dish. We served it as a side dish for Christmas dinner since we have a few vegetarians.
I love this recipe, but how do I keep the sauce from boiling up in the oven and covering my potato top?
It’s a bit in the nature of this recipe for the sauce to boil over, but you could try using more potatoes if you really don’t want that to happen! 😀
Bon appétit. I added rehydrated dried tofu kernels that resemble ground beef to the vegetables mix. Use that too for vegan spaghetti and chili sin carne.
Such a great idea! Happy eating!
I love the spices for this recipe, especially the fennel. I used seed since I didn’t have fresh and it turned out to be just fine.
Took me 2 hours and 20 minutes from start to finish. You need to chop all the vegetables and have your dry and wet ingredients ready before you start cooking the mushrooms.
Fantastic! I was just craving meatless Shephard Pie and BAM! here comes your recipe that nails it! The first time I didn’t have mushrooms available so I used Impossible “hamburger” and that worked out okay. But this time I bought the mushrooms and WOWZA! comfort food to the max! Hey, could you provide a guestimate of how much dried seasoning to use? I used roughly half and it came out okay but I think I’ll use just a tad more next time. Fresh herbs are a bit pricey.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes! I’ve made several of them and they have ALL been so good!
I usually halve the amount when going from fresh to dried herbs! I’m so happy you’re liking the recipes – enjoy! 😀
I made this today, and it smells so wonderful! I added some green beans, as I didn’t have any peas. Can hardly wait till supper tonight.
This was really good and I will definitely make it on a regular basis now. Surprisingly, loved the fennel that was in it! However, i will be reducing the amount of paprika the recipe calls for.
Hi: I’m allergic to mushrooms. Do you have a suitable substitute?
Another reader comments that she used Impossible Beef and it worked decently! 😀
Loved the idea of veggie shepherd’s pie. The only changes I made was using sweet paprika, and for the potatoes we prefer either one potato and a head of cauliflower, cooked and mashed together with butter, or turnips mashed.
Great way to have a usually labor intensive favorite in a short time!
This came together faster than I anticipated. Spreading the potatoes on top of the veggies took a bit of finesse. We liked this more than I thought we would.
Ok, the fennel works. Now I must find more fennel recipes 😊
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it, Laura! 😀