Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (2024)

Absolutely delicious. I hate when people change recipes, but I had no mushrooms, so doubled the carrots to four and would use six next time; used shallot instead of leek. Okay, sorry, also used up a nice bit of goat cheese instead of sour cream in the potatoes. The puy lentils make all the difference and so does a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Oh man I changed so many things, I'm one of those irritating people. But let's take it as homage—this was so good I got text messages from people

This was a very tasty dinner on a chilly evening. The filling turned out surprisingly savory and meaty even with just cremini mushrooms instead of a mix. I admit that I used cauliflower in place of potatoes for the topping and cut the butter back to two tablespoons. No complaints from anyone. No leftovers either.

1. Add potatoes to a pan of cold well salted water, bring to a boil and cook 10 - 15 mins. Check after 10 minutes.2. Can use half sweet potatoes, half regular potatoes.3. Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream.4. Can substitute onions for leeks.5. Can use 1/2 tsp dried thyme instead of fresh sprigs6. Add a Tbsp or two of Panko to the grated Parmesan topping

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is not vegetarian. Sadly, it contains rennet (scrapings from animal intestines.) There are somewhat similar types of cheese which are vegetarian/vegan which may be available at your local cheese shop.

As others have mentioned, this makes more potato topping than you'll need. Rather than reducing the potatoes, though, I'd add more carrots, lentils and mushrooms to the base. I'd also up the base's complexity with carmelized onions, and deglaze with white wine. It just needs more oomph. Also, instead of all the effort of mixing parmesan into the potatoes, I'd up the butter and cream until you have a really good standard mashed potato flavor for the topping.

Kosher parmesan will not have rennet.

Can you make the day before? Traveling to a vacation home for Christmas dinner. Please advise!

This was AMAZING. No leftovers whatsoever! Pretty easy to make but it takes time and may take more pots and pans than anticipated. Plan ahead!

This was DELICIOUS. I made it a day ahead, for a St. Patrick's Day party (I'm the vegetarian) and everyone loved it. I kept the filling separate from the potato topping until it was time to bake. Savory and comforting - this is a delightful winter dish, and a nice choice for vegetarian and/or gluten-free guests (use cornstarch instead of the flour). I found green lentils at Trader Joe's.

Cook it all separately. Worth it. Add rosemary. Use potato water bullion with the veggies. Caramelize onions first. Use potato water and yogurt in mashed potatoes. Smoked paprika on top. Add celery and corn.

A delightful meal and I dare say better than meat based shepherd’s pies I have eaten. I did not find the prep work too much. I did boil potatoes the day before and warmed them up in the microwave before mashing. This did cut down on the prep time. While the potatoes boiled I peeled and cut the vegetables and stored in frig until the next day.

Try cooking the lentils with two cups red wine for two cups of the broth. I also use a mash of potatoes, one mashed parsnip, and one mashed white sweet potato. As many comments indicate, this is a recipe which can take many variations and almost all enjoy it, especially on a cold night

I have made this several times and its been a hit every single time! There is a lot of work and a lot of pots and pans to clean after, but the recipe is totally worth it... so I've often made 1.5 times or even double the batch and frozen for another meal a few days/weeks later. I freeze the filling and topping separately in air-tight containers and thaw in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours before assembling and baking. The frozen version comes out just as good and leftovers are also delish!

Really good dish--even though (as a non-vegan), I (and my family) also love traditional Shepherd's Pie with lamb. Added Worcester sauce. Surprised at the comments about the number of dishes. By pre-cooking the lentils in the same pan that is later used for the mushrooms, leeks, tomato paste, etc., the only cooking pans are two (the above-mentioned, and one for cooking the potatoes pre-mashing). Yes, it takes some time (and measuring cups/bowls), but this is hardly unusual to any recipe.

This was very tasty. My son, who is not vegetarian, said it was good as he was eating it. I usually have to ask if he likes something, and then I get a critique as though he were a critic on Chopped. I used shallots, instead of leeks, because I prefer their flavor. I used a Parmesan (without rennet) which adds a lot of flavor to the potatoes. I will definitely make this again.

Question - how soupy/brothy should the lentil filling be? Does it need to be soupy and then it dries out in the final cooking with the topping? Or if it’s not soupy enough, will it dry out completely?

Made this using the Trader Joe’s steamed lentils to save some time. Left out the mushrooms because my husband can’t stand them. Added in Worcestershire and a little HP brown sauce to the lentil mixture. We both really enjoyed it!

This was delicious! Increased all of the veg by about 1/2 but I could have just eaten all of the potatoes straight out of the pot so it wasn't too much at all. Will definitely make again.

So yummy. I don't like mushrooms, so I used 4 large carrots, a pile of Brussels sprouts, a pile of green beans, and shallots. Instead of plain mashed potato topping, I used half potato, half cauliflower mash. I did use the Parmesan, no other dairy. Lots of fresh black pepper, lots of Worcestershire. It made a lot, so the time spent seemed worthwhile.

This is a delicious recipe, but the prolonged sautéing of the mushrooms and then the other vegetables ends up burning the fond. Next time I shall deglaze the mushrooms—perhaps with wine—then remove them, and then go on to sauté the other vegetables.

Less potatoes

I cheated a little and used beef broth. (Baby steps for someone attempting the vegetarian path). Also precooked the lentils in an instant pot with thyme and bay leaf. And added more of virtually everything - except I completely omitted flour. (As others have said, it's a very flexible recipe.) I have a feeling leftovers will taste even better as flavors harmonize with time.

Made this many times now. Always a hit! I’ve substituted green peas for French lentils, combo of leeks and shallots, added celery and used olive oil instead of butter. Used Hen of the woods and sh*take mushroom combo just because! DELICIOUS!

Made as written except that I forgot to buy a leek lol so had to use the shallots I happened to have. Otherwise followed to a tee and have to say, it’s delicious! I am not a lentil aficionado so could’ve used info on soaking, and despite the wonderful recipe writing there was no estimate or description of “cook until thicker” lol. But it’s a winner for sure - thank you!!

Make ahead suggestions?

This scrumptious dish is great for dinner parties with two little upgrades. First, use shiitake mushrooms for best texture and flavour. Second, bake this in individual portions (little ramekins or cast iron pots) for better presentation.

My Irish husband made the mashed potatoes and declined to use the full 6 tablespoons of butter. He said an Irish mammy would never waste that amount of butter- you need to leave some for toast the next day. He used 2 tablespoons and it tasted great.

My family loves when I make crispy pan-fried cakes out of these leftovers. Just run it all through the food processor with an egg, stir in about a 1/3 cup of flour and more cheese of your choice, and fry in a hot oiled pan for about 3 minutes per side. Delicious!

Do you drain the lentils after cooking in broth? The recipe doesn’t specify

A family favorite. It gets easier every time, too! Last night I made stuffed peppers using the filling from this recipe, as I didn't have potatoes. The filling for this pie cracked the code as a vegetarian main that pleases EVERYONE.