Vegan Shepherd's Pie
The Best Vegan Shepherd's Pie is savory, hearty and delicious. This easy recipe has some serious umami from wine braised mushrooms and is topped with tasty sweet potato mash for a rustic comfort food that everyone will love.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 359kcal
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mash
- 2 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Filling
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced (2 cups diced onion)
- 16 oz. baby bella mushrooms diced
- 3 carrots sliced thin (1 ½ cups sliced carrots)
- 2 stalks celery diced (1 cup diced)
- 2 large parsnips diced (1 cup diced)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves*
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment.
- Wash sweet potatoes well and pat dry. Prick each one several times with the tines of a fork. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes to one hour, depending on size. Potatoes are done when tender when pierced with a fork.
- Raise temperature to 375
- When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half and scoop out the soft filling into a bowl. Add salt and pepper and mash with olive oil until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In a heavy, oven-proof skillet*, heat olive oil. Saute onions and mushrooms for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mushrooms will first release liquid and then shrink as they cook.
- Mix in carrots, parsnips, celery, garlic, spices and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pan becomes too dry, add in veggie stock, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- Stir in wine and deglaze the pan. Allow to reduce by half, simmering for about 5 minutes.
- Mix the veggie stock with the tomato paste and pour into pan. Cook for about 3 minutes as the sauce thickens.
- Turn off heat and spoon sweet potato mash on top of filling. If using a different baking pan, transfer filling to pan and then spoon on topping. Use an offset spatula to smooth mashed sweet potatoes.
- Sprinkle with fresh thyme and bake for 30 minutes in 375 oven until bubbly and golden on top.
Video
Notes
OPTIONAL: add 1 cup cooked lentils when stirring in the stock/tomato mixture.
SWEET POTATOES: 3 large or 6 medium sized potatoes will equal 2 ½ lbs. The smaller potatoes will finish baking more quickly. Use an immersion blender for super smooth mashed potatoes, or use a potato masher for a more rustic mash.
THYME: Substitute ½ teaspoon dried thyme if no fresh thyme is available. Any fresh herb (parsley, oregano, cilantro) would also work, and fresh is preferred to sprinkle on top.
SKILLET: If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, make the filling in a regular skillet and then transfer the filling into a baking dish. Top with mash and follow baking directions.
How to Store, Freeze and Reheat
- Store: Vegan shepherd's pie will last in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freeze: Cool baked shepherd's pie completely, wrap tightly with foil and then freeze for up to 3 months. You can also place veggie filling in a baking dish, top with sweet potato mash and freeze uncooked. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed in the recipe card.
- Reheat: Reheat, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. If placing vegan shepherd's pie directly from freezer to oven, increase baking time to 1 hour. Check to be sure it's heated through, adding an additional 15 minutes if needed.
- MAKE AHEAD: Prepare filling and sweet potato mash. Pour filling into baking dish, spread on the mash, then cover tightly. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, defrost in the fridge, remove cover and bake as directed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 516mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 20g