This vegan shepherd’s pie is the perfect comfort food for the whole family! It’s hearty, satisfying, loaded with veggies, and baked to perfection. Plus, it’s easy to make and very filling. This is seriously the best shepherd’s pie I’ve ever had!
Why This Recipe Works
I’ve always loved shepherd’s pie. Even before I became vegetarian and then eventually vegan. It took me quite a while to perfect my vegan version of this classic British and Irish meal.
I think it’s a game-changing twist on this classic comfort dish. Crumbled tofu really does the trick. So now, you might be thinking, “Tofu in shepherd’s pie?” Oh yes, and let me tell you, it works wonders!
When being crumbled and seasoned just right, tofu perfectly mimics the hearty and meaty consistency that you’d expect in a traditional shepherd’s pie. Plus, it soaks up all the savory flavors. Tofu is the perfect base for the sauce and it’s a great and very budget-friendly replacement for ground meat.
For the perfect deep flavor, I added red wine, vegetable broth, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste to the sauce. And of course garlic and onion.
Plus, I’ve loaded this pie with a colorful array of vegetables – carrots, peas, celery, and mushrooms. So it just bursts with freshness!
And let’s not forget about the mashed potatoes: creamy, buttery, and oh-so-delicious, they form a dreamy layer over the savory filling.
I’ve made this recipe over and over again and it’s always a real winner. It’s savory, rich, satisfying, and super healthy. It makes a great family dinner, especially on the weekend as the preparation takes up a bit of time.
And it’s also great for feeding a larger group of people, for example when you have friends or family over. It keeps super well in the fridge, so you can easily enjoy the leftovers over the next few days.
When the sauce is rich and cooked trough, transfer it to a baking dish or use a cast iron pan like I did and top it with light and fluffy vegan mashed potatoes. Then bake it until it’s bubbly on the inside and crispy on top. So yummy! Sprinkle it with freshly chopped parsley just before serving.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tofu – use firm or extra-firm tofu. The recipe doesn’t work with soft tofu as it doesn’t hold its shape and also doesn’t absorb flavors well.
- Red Wine – wine is not always vegan because animal-derived fining agents like gelatin or milk protein are used for the production. Fortunately, there are many vegan wine brands. Just check the labels.
- Vegetable Broth – I use organic, low-sodium vegetable broth.
- Worcestershire Sauce – make sure it’s vegan. If you can’t find vegan Worcestershire sauce you could replace it with soy sauce.
- Spices – I used oregano, basil, thyme, and two bay leaves.
- Peas – I used frozen peas.
- Potatoes – I recommend using russet potatoes.
- Vegan Butter – my favorite vegan butter is Earth Balance buttery sticks. Miyoko’s vegan butter is also great.
- Almond Milk – make sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored. You could also replace it with soy or oat milk.
- Cooking Spray – I used olive oil cooking spray to spray the surface of the mashed potatoes. This makes it super crispy.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes (about 1 inch). Place them in a pot and cover with water. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
2. Step: Crumble the tofu with your fingers (it should roughly have the size of peas) and put aside. Heat some oil (about 1 tablespoon olive oil) in a large pan. Add the crumbled tofu and cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Stir occasionally.
3. Step: Add the onion, stir, and cook for 3 more minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Step: Add the tomato paste and stir well so all tofu crumbles are covered. Cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine and cook for 1 minute.
5. Step: When the potatoes are cooked, mash them with a potato masher and add the almond milk and vegan butter. Add more if needed until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Step: Add the diced carrots, celery, and mushroom. Cook for 5 minutes (still on high heat).
7. Step: Add the diced tomatoes, the vegetable broth, the oregano, the basil, the bay leaves, and the vegan Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
8. Step: Add the frozen peas 5 minutes before the cooking time ends. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
9. Step: Add the veggie tofu mince to a baking dish or use a large cast iron pan like I did.
10. Step: Spread the mashed potatoes over the top.
11. Step: Make ridges in the mashed potatoes with a fork. This will make the top crispier.
12. Step: Spray the surface of the mashed potatoes with cooking oil spray. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Switch your oven to grill for the last 5 minutes, so the mashed potatoes brown nicely. Watch carefully, so the top doesn’t get too brown.
13. Step: Let the shepherd’s pie cool for 5 minutes. Then sprinkle it with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- To make super fluffy, smooth, and buttery mashed potatoes, choose potatoes high in starch like Russets or Yukon Golds.
- If you want, you could replace the tofu with store-bought vegan ground beef crumbles.
- To make things even easier if you’re short on time, you could use a mixture of frozen carrots and peas instead of fresh carrots.
- I like this dish best with a simple side salad.
Storing
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last up to 5 days.
Freezing
This vegan shepherd’s pie freezes really well. Make sure to let it cool down completely before freezing it in a freezer-safe container. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Let it thaw on the countertop for a few hours or in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating
The best way to reheat leftovers from the fridge is in the microwave.
When reheating frozen shepherd’s pie, let it that thaw first, cover it with foil, and reheat it in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes.
If your shepherd’s pie is still frozen completely, extend the baking time to 60 minutes.
Making Ahead
You can easily make this vegan shepherd’s pie ahead of time. Just assemble everything in a baking dish or in cast iron pan. Then cover it with foil and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to serve it, remove the foil, and bake it as directed.
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Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 14 oz firm tofu
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 carrots, diced (medium size)
- 2 stalks of celery, diced (medium size)
- 1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, diced
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 3 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 2.5 lbs potatoes, cut into cubes (about 1 inch) (for example Russet)
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- cooking oil, to spray
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes (about 1 inch). Place them in a pot and cover with water. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Crumble the tofu with your fingers (it should roughly have the size of peas) and put aside. Heat some oil (about 1 tablespoon olive oil) in a large pan. Add the crumbled tofu and cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Stir occasionally.
- Add the onion, stir, and cook for 3 more minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomato paste and stir well so all tofu crumbles are covered. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze with the red wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced carrots, celery, and mushroom. Cook for 5 minutes (still on high heat).
- Add the diced tomatoes, the vegetable broth, the oregano, the basil, the bay leaves, and the vegan Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Add the frozen peas 5 minutes before the cooking time ends. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- When the potatoes are cooked, mash them with a potato masher and add the almond milk and vegan butter. Add more if needed until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the veggie tofu mince to a baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Make ridges in the mashed potatoes with a fork. This will make the top crispier.
- Spray the surface of the mashed potatoes with cooking oil. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Switch your oven to grill for the last 5 minutes, so the mashed potatoes brown nicely. Watch carefully, so the top doesn’t get too brown.
- Let the shepherd’s pie cool for 5 minutes. Then sprinkle it with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- To make super fluffy, smooth, and buttery mashed potatoes, choose potatoes high in starch like Russets or Yukon Golds.
- If you want, you could replace the tofu with store-bought vegan ground beef crumbles.
- To make things even easier if you’re short on time, you could use a mixture of frozen carrots and peas instead of fresh carrots.
- I like this dish best with a simple side salad.
- Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last up to 5 or 6 days.
- This recipe freezes really well. Make sure to let it cool down completely before freezing it in a freezer-safe container. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Dot
Absolutely delicious. I put it in broil for longer for a crunchier crust. Will be making again. :)
Jenny reading
Delish! Will make again next St. Patrick’s Day