A rich, thick vegetable filling bubbling away beneath a creamy mashed potato topping, this meat-free dinner is hearty, cozy, and satisfying, just like the original. When the cold wind whips, classic comfort meals like Shepherd’s Pie (made with ground lamb) or cottage pie (the same as shepherd’s pie but with ground beef) are a necessity. While belly-warming comfort is in demand most winter evenings, night after night of Braised Short Ribs or Beef Bourguignon can be a bit much. Plus, whether or not you are a vegetarian, it’s nice to go meat free for some of your meals. Skipping the meat should never mean skipping that satisfaction, which is why all of the vegetarian recipes you’ll find here don’t just fill you up—they hit the spot. When you are creating vegetarian versions of traditional meat-and-potato dishes like shepherd’s pie, one of the best ingredient swaps is mushrooms (just like you’ll see in this mushroom Vegetarian Pot Pie). Mushrooms hearty and boast an intense savoriness called umami that provides complexity. Put another way, umami means this mushroom shepherd’s pie tastes like much more than a big pile of vegetables. It’s a worthy main event.
How to Make Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is traditional comfort food I love down to my Irish roots. P.S. I do hope you’ll come around one day; in the meantime, save all the Mushroom Stroganoff for me! With this easy recipe, you can enjoy it meat free too!
The Ingredients
Mashed Potato Topping. Creamy mashed potatoes with butter and Parmesan become an exceptionally delicious topping. A mixture of egg yolk and milk adds richness and helps hold the potatoes together.
Carrots + Parsnips. These root veggies are naturally sweet and packed with vitamins.Mushrooms. Thanks to their unique umami flavor, mushrooms give the recipe depth of flavor.Tomato Paste. A simple way to create rich flavor for the filling. All-Purpose Flour. Makes the filling thick and gravy-like. Vegetable Stock. A blend of vegetables, herbs, and spices that adds flavor and liquid to the shepherd’s pie filling.Soy Sauce. For an extra hit of umami. Fresh Rosemary + Bay Leaf. Adds a touch of woodsy, herby flavor that cuts through the richness. Frozen Peas. Easily sneak in extra veggies by incorporating a bag of frozen peas.
The Directions
Storage Tips
To Store. Refrigerate shepherd’s pie in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave. To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Bread. Rosemary Olive Oil Bread, Irish Soda Bread, or Drop Biscuits would be delicious with this recipe.Vegetables. Add even more vegetables to your meal by serving this pie with Roasted Green Beans, Grilled Broccoli, or Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts.Salad. Arugula Salad and Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad are tasty sides for this dish.Meat. If you’d like to serve some meat options with your shepherd’s pie, try Sausage and Peppers, Air Fryer Steak, or Baked Fried Chicken.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Casserole Dish. Perfect for this vegetarian shepherd’s pie. Saucepan. From preparing mashed potatoes to boiling pasta, this tool can do it all. Extra-Large Cutting Board. With this cutting board, you’ll never run out of room while you’re chopping.
Carb lovers, vegetable lovers, comfort food lovers, good food lovers: this easy vegetarian shepherd’s pie is for you! Or, grab those leftover Crockpot Mashed Potatoes in your refrigerator and use them for the topping. Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.
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