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This Vegan Shepherd's Pie has pure comfort in every bite! The filling combines mushrooms, ground walnuts, grated carrots, and onions for a meaty mince that is savory and satisfying!

It's still cold and rainy here, so the comfort food continues! This week has been filled with Vegan Lasagna, hearty Soup recipes, Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese, and this Vegan Shepherd's Pie.
I've always loved Shepherd's Pie but I never made my own version before, so I thought it would be fun to veganize Gordon Ramsay's Version. I'm not sure how happy Gordon would be about this, so thankfully we are at a safe distance.
I replaced the meat with finely chopped mushrooms and ground walnuts and used the rest of his recipe as a guide. His version also calls for grated onions and carrots which broke down and added to the texture of the vegan mince. I was pleasantly surprised!
The only thing I left out was the Worcestershire sauce and I replaced it with low sodium tamari sauce. I usually love it, but I felt the recipe had too much zing along with the wine and tomato paste.
Gordon uses chicken broth and that was easily replaced with vegetable broth. You can also use a No-Chicken Broth if preferred.
Oh, I cheated and used dried herbs, but you can totally use fresh if you prefer. I also added a hint of cornstarch to thicken it up slightly.
How to Make Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Before you head to the full recipe below, here are step-by-step process photos to show you how to make the mince and mashed potatoes. It's easy!
- Sauté mushrooms over medium-high heat until softened and slightly browned.
- Reduce heat and sauté onions, carrots, and garlic for a few minutes.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Then add tamari and herbs and cook until fragrant.
- Turn up the heat and pour in the red wine and cook until reduced. Turn the heat back to down.
- Add walnuts, broth, and cornstarch mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Stir in peas, add salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Now on to the potatoes!
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until fork-tender then drain. Over low heat, mash potatoes to let the steam escape.
- Now add vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and seasoning. Mash until smooth & creamy.
- Place shepherd's pie filling evenly in a casserole dish.
- Top with mashed potatoes and spread evenly. Rake a fork across the top for texture. Bake until hot and bubbly. Broil for 1-2 minutes for a crispier top.
Vegan Shepherd's Pie Success Tips
Here are a few expert tips to ensure your dish comes out perfectly:
- The carrots need to be finely grated to add to the texture of the ground "meat" texture, so don't use matchstick carrots or they won't soften enough.
- You can omit the wine if preferred and replace it with ¼ cup of vegetable broth.
- For a lower-carb option, you can use cauliflower mash instead of potatoes.
Reheating + Storing Tips
- Storing - leftovers will last in the fridge for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container or frozen for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating - place in the oven at 375 F. for 15-20 minutes or until heated throughout. You can also heat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Shepherd's pie is hearty enough to serve on its own, but side dishes are always a nice addition. You can serve it with a small garden salad or roasted veggies such as asparagus, brussels sprouts, green beans, or carrots. A fresh loaf of crusty bread is delicious, too.
More comfort meals to try
If you love comfort food, you may want to try a few of the following reader favorites.
I Love to Hear From You
If you make this Vegan Shepherd's Pie, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Recipe
Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes , peeled and quartered (about 6 medium potatoes)
- ½ cup non-dairy milk , unsweetened (more if needed)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- Salt to taste
Filling
- 1 ½ tablespoons grapeseed oil (or preferred oil)
- 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms , finely chopped
- 1 medium onion , grated
- 1 large carrot , finely grated (*see note)
- 3-4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium (sub soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 cup walnuts , ground into a course meal or chopped finely (measured whole)
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth , low sodium
- 1 tablespoon corn starch , whisked with 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup frozen peas , thawed
- Salt and fresh-cracked pepper , to taste
Instructions
Mashed Potatoes
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt to the water. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a low boil. Cook until potatoes are very tender and easily pierced with a fork with no resistance when falling off. About 15-20 minutes.
- Drain potatoes well and place back in pot, then return pot to stove. Over low heat, mash potatoes to let the steam escape. Now add butter, ¼ cup milk, salt & pepper. Mash until smooth & creamy. Add an additional ¼ cup of milk at a time as needed (*too much milk can make the potatoes soupy). Loosely cover and set aside.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). You will need a 9-inch baking dish (or something similar).
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and wait until it's hot and shimmering. Now add mushrooms and sauté until they have released their moisture, reduced in size and are slightly browned. The pan should be mostly dry (about 7-8 minutes).
- Reduce heat to medium and add onions, carrots, and garlic. Sauté until cooked down about 3-4 minutes.
- Make a small open space in the pan to add the tomato paste (make sure it's touching the surface of the pan). Cook for 30 seconds and then stir into the veggies.
- Add tamari and herbs. Cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and pour in the red wine. Cook until almost completely reduced, about 2-3 minutes. Turn heat back to medium.
- Add the walnuts, broth, and cornstarch/water mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in thawed peas and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Using a spatula, place mixture evenly in a casserole dish. Now gently top with mashed potatoes and spread evenly. For texture, you can rake a fork across the top, going both ways. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until heated throughout. For an extra browned top, broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully to prevent burning.
Notes
- Carrots: The carrots need to be finely grated to soften and add to the texture of the ground "meat" texture, so don't use matchstick carrots.
- Wine: Not all wine is vegan, but there are many varieties out there. Here is a helpful Guide to help you find the right one for you. You can also omit the wine if preferred and replace with ¼ cup of vegetable broth.
Carol
I will add this to my list for dishes to enjoy after my juice cleanse, ending 4/6/22!
Recently, I discovered corn starch is not a wise health choice - it disrupts good heart health.
Arrowroot is the better, healthier choice as a thickener.
Have a great weekend!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Carol, I'm glad you'll give it a try after your juice cleanse. You must feel great right now!
Thanks for sharing your tips regarding cornstarch. Arrowroot is a great alternative.
Have a great weekend too! 🙂
Kate
Just delicious.
Melissa Huggins
Thanks, Kate! We appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Franny
Melissa, this is an excellent recipe! I love vegan shepherd’s pie and usually make it with lentils or meatless crumbles. I was intrigued by your mix of mushrooms, walnuts and veggies. I added half a cup of leftover French lentils too. I soaked the walnut pieces in warm water for a few hours, and then pulsed them in the food processor until finely chopped. They added a lovely texture to the filling and the gravy is delicious! It did take me much longer than 20 minutes to prep the pie, but worth the effort. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow! I will definitely make this again. Thanks for a very yummy dish! 😋
Melissa Huggins
Hi Franny. I am very pleased that you liked this recipe and also made it your own! That is amazing and I am sure those extra minutes makes everyone who tries it very happy too. Enjoy. 🙂
Peter
Delicious! Great alternative for people not that keen on versions with lentils.
I added a full sachet of tomato paste as you cant have enough.
Also added some nutritional yeast to the mashed potatoes for a cheesy flavour.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Peter! That sounds delicious! We are so happy to hear that you love the recipe 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by!
Jacqueline Smith
I just tried this recipe tonight and We loved it! I substituted veggie crumbles for the walnuts and omitted the wine.Did I mention this was my 1st shepherd's pie attempt EVER?! It's definitely on my winners list!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Jacqueline! Thank you so much! We are so happy to hear that you loved the recipe and congrats on your first attempt at Sheperd's pie! 🙂
Hilde Broeckx
Had this on Christmas Eve, I think shepherds are very appropriate for Christmas 🙂 and it was lovely.
Best wishes for the next year xxx
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Hilde! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 Best wishes in the new year to you as well!
Steph
We made this last night for dinner. I increased the amount of carrots to 3 (based on another recipe) and used butter to sauté the vegetables and for the potato- as we are not vegan. It was fantastic and we can’t wait for leftovers tonight. Thank you for the recipe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Steph! We are so happy to hear that you loved the recipe even though you aren't vegan, that's such a great compliment! Thank you so much for giving it a try!
Morgan Bingham
EVERYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS BOOKMARKED IN MY VEGAN RECIPES- I love all of your recipes, Melissa. I will be making this tonight and will post a picture on my Instagram and will tag you! So excited.
Melissa Huggins
This comment made my day! Thank you! I'm so happy you like the recipes. I hope you love the Shepherd's Pie too. I can't wait to see your pics! 🙂
Tammy Packard
I made this tonight. Wow! This is so delicious! It's moved from my recipes bookmarks into my tried and true V recipes bookmarks. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Tammy! We are so happy to hear that you loved it and that it made the cut to the Tried and True Recipe Bookmarks 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
Christne
I have loved every recipe I have tried from your blog, and this is definitely a favourite in our home. THANK YOU for such awesome recipes, I haven't had one fail yet. This blog is my "go to"for every meal.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Christine, this comment made my day! I'm so glad you are liking the recipes. Thank you for giving them a try 🙂
Rachael
This was SOO good! I was honestly scared, I don't really care for mushrooms but it looked so good so I chanced it - IT'S DELICIOUS!!
It can be hard to find a food blogger/chef with a palette I like, I feel like especially with veganism you get a lot of people who care more about the nutrition and they make recipes that taste just....not good. I'm SO GLAD this wasn't the case here - and it's still LOADED with veggies.
I like that it strikes a balance between "something my non-vegan family members would actually eat and not whine about" and actually wholesome, nutritious food.
Thanks so much for this one, I'll definitely be returning to Vegan Huggs for more recipes. (:
Melissa Huggins
Hi Rachael, This is such a nice compliment and I'm so glad you gave it a try even though you aren't a mushroom fan. Thank you! More recipes on the way! 🙂
Kelly
This was the BEST Vegan Shepherds Pie I’ve ever made!!! Even my extremely picky 7 year old daughter enjoyed it! It can be quite a challenge to find things that she’ll eat that isn’t the typical processed Vegan kid friendly stuff. Thanks SO much for sharing this.
Melissa Huggins
This is the nicest compliment! I'm so glad your kiddo loved it! Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback 🙂
Karla
Excellent!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Karla 🙂
Catherine
Thank you Melissa for this amazing recipe! It’s also rainy and chilly in Hong Kong at the moment, so made it for dinner this evening as we were in need of some warming comfort food. Big thumbs up from all the family, including my non-vegan 17 year old. Full on satisfying savoury flavours and great textures. Love your recipes and clear method instructions.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Catherine, You're most welcome - so glad you guys liked it! Stay warm 🙂
Julie
Hi could i use something else insread of walnuts? X
Melissa Huggins
Someone in the comment section had success with cooked lentils. 🙂
Lisa
I love your recipes but it may be worth mentioning on your ingredients list that not all wines are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Some people that are new to vegetarianism and veganism may not realise this. Looking forward to the next recipe 👍
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lisa, thanks for the reminder. I will add it to the notes 🙂
Jani Revas
Oh boy! I have been waiting for this recipe! I cant wait to try it this week!
Cathy
Melissa, I am staying with my Omni daughter and grandson. She likes me to cook.....so EVERYONE eats veggie! This recipe just hit it out of the park! I water sautéed veggies, subbed lentils for walnuts since my daughter does not like walnuts. The flavors we’re BIGBIGBIG! Just what we all love! Thank you so much for such a delicious meal!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Cathy, this is the greatest compliment! Thank you for trying it out. I'm so glad the lentils worked well in place of the walnuts. I will have to remember this. 🙂