Vegan Shepherd's Pie

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!

Course Entrée

Cuisine American, British, Irish

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 343kcal

Author Sina

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.

Nutrition