Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie is the best comfort food! A herby lentil and veggie-packed filling is topped with creamy mashed potatoes, then baked until golden. Easy to make ahead of time and perfect for the holidays!
Try my Vegan Shepherd’s Pie next! It’s a simple, family-friendly comfort food made with a vegan ground beef filling.
I have endless vegan comfort foods to choose from on my blog, but I usually stick with the classics on especially cold days and around the holidays. You know, like a cheesy Vegan Lasagna, an ooey gooey Vegan Pot Pie, and a cozy “Chicken” Broccoli Rice Casserole
But if I had to pick the queen of the comfort foods? Well, it’d be this Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Potatoes, no contest.
It’s the kind of dish that just makes you feel good from the inside out. The filling is made from budget-friendly lentils, frozen vegetables, and dried winter herbs, all tucked under a blanket of creamy mashed potatoes with slightly crispy edges. Whether I’m serving it for a holiday feast or just a quiet, freezing Tuesday night, it never disappoints.
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“I’ve made this recipe multiple times now and it is flawless! Would be great for holidays too. Highly recommended along with all of Nora’s wonderful recipes!” – Kayla
Why you’ll love this vegan shepherd’s pie
- The best comfort food – Hearty lentils, savory seasonings, and aromatic herbs, all topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked to perfection. There’s nothing better on a cold day!
- Make-ahead-friendly – Save time on busy weeknights or during the holidays by assembling your vegetarian shepherd’s pie up to 3 days before baking. Just pop it in the oven when you’re ready.
- A holiday hit – This is a hit with everyone at family dinners and holidays—vegans, picky eaters, and meat eaters alike! As my reader, Zulema, put it: “You know it’s good when the kids ask for thirds!!!”
How to make a lentil shepherd’s pie
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Mash the potatoes:
Mash the boiled potatoes with the vegan butter, milk, salt, and pepper in a large pot. Stir in most of the vegan cheese (optional). Set aside.
Got leftover mashed potatoes?
Go ahead and use them as the topping instead of making a fresh batch!
Make the lentil filling:
Saute the aromatics in a large skillet until fragrant. Stir in the lentils, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste.
Next, add the flour. Stir until it’s incorporated.
Add the broth and frozen vegetables to the skillet. Heat it to a simmer.
Assemble and bake:
Transfer the lentil filling to a baking dish.
Spoon the mashed potatoes on top. I like to drag a fork through the potato layer to create small edges that will crisp up as they bake.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, then bake until it’s hot.
Serve the lentil shepherd’s pie right away with buttered vegan dinner rolls and a fresh green salad. Enjoy!
The cheese is optional
Remember: you can always omit the vegan cheese from the mashed potatoes. One of my readers even swapped the vegan cheese shreds for my Nut-Free Vegan Cheese Sauce as a “healthier” option. The choice is up to you!
Frequently asked questions
I prefer black lentils because their tender and chewy texture makes the filling meaty in the best way. Green or brown lentils work just as well, though! I used canned lentils to speed up the cooking process, but you’re more than welcome to use dried (cooked in advance).
To cook the dried lentils, combine 1 ½ cups of dry lentils with 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan, then bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until they’re tender but not mushy (about 20 minutes). Drain and set aside until you’re ready to make the filling.
This usually means the lentils were initially overcooked or simmered in the filling too long.
This shouldn’t happen with black lentils since they hold their shape well. If you’re using a softer variety (like green/brown lentils), stir the cooked lentils into the filling right before you transfer the filling to the baking dish.
Sure! A 50-50 mix of vegan ground beef and lentils in the filling would be great. Or, if lentils aren’t really your thing, swap them for ground Impossible or Beyond Meat instead.
Yes, you can assemble the vegan shepherd’s pie up to 3 days before baking. Keep it covered in the fridge, and then bake when you’re ready.
Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. I like to store the servings in individual airtight containers in the fridge for easy, reheatable meals.
Yes, the leftovers freeze really well for months! To reheat, thaw as much shepherd’s pie as you plan on eating in the fridge overnight, then warm it (covered) in a 400ºF oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Potato topping
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored cashew milk or other non-dairy milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- few shakes black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups vegan cheese shreds, cheddar preferred optional
Lentil filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cooked black or green/brown lentils, drained and rinsed I used 2-15oz cans lentils, see Notes for dried
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- few shakes black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups frozen pea and carrot mix
- 1 cup frozen corn
Instructions
For the potatoes
- Peel your potatoes and chop them into large chunks. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander, then return to the pot. Add the vegan butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste and mash until smooth and creamy. Stir in ¾ cup of the vegan cheese, saving the rest for sprinkling on top (optional).
- Cover and set aside while you make the lentil filling.
For the lentil filling
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- To the skillet, add the lentils, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
- Now add the flour and stir well until incorporated and no clumps of flour or tomato paste remain.
- Stir in the broth, peas and carrot mix and corn. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the lentil mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish (or use your cast iron pan.) Spread it into an even layer, then spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the lentils. Spread them carefully and evenly.
- Sprinkle the rest of the vegan cheddar on top, then bake for 25-30 minutes until hot. Serve immediately and enjoy!
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen once completely cooled.
Notes
- How to cook lentils from dry if you don’t have canned: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups dry lentils and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain excess water.
- May leave out the vegan cheese if desired. Or make my shreddable vegan mozzarella.
- May substitute ground vegan beef, such as Impossible or Beyond brand instead of lentils, if desired. I would use about 3 cups of beef substitute, and cook it in the pan with the onions and garlic, then continue adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Gluten free? Use cornstarch or gluten free flour instead of all purpose to thicken the lentil mixture.
Can I make this ahead then refrigerate and warm the next day?
Yes, you could do that.
I Loved the richness in the base layer. I used impossible meat in lieu of lentils (timing snafu) and it was great. The tomato paste and (v) Worst sauce added a nice deep flavor to the base. It came together easily. We will make again. Tks for the recipe.
Hi Karla. I’m really glad that you enjoyed the shepherds pie recipe. I love using impossible meat sometimes! Thank you for taking time to share your recipe experience, as well as your fantastic review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
How could I make this for only 2 servings? It’s just me eating vegan and if I cook a whole recipe it just goes to waste.
Hi Deb. You could cut the recipe in half, or you could freeze it for another meal later! The leftovers freeze really well for months!
I really, really enjoy your recipes and this one looks especially delicious 😋. I have a request: I’m trying to make more low sodium recipes due to my Mom living with us; she has hypertension and is diabetic. Do you happen to have any low sodium, low carb recipes or consider coming up with some? Could I just leave out the added sodium? Would that be too bland?
Thank you,
Jacqy
This is comfort food at its very best! Since we’re snowed in, I started searching for new recipes and Nora, you’re always my go to! I was pleasantly surprised I had everything I needed. I can’t wait to make it again for our Sunday dinners with family. Thank you Nora!
You are welcome, Erica! This a great recipe choice for a snowy day! I’m so glad you tried the recipe and that you loved it, and will be enjoying it often! Thanks for taking your time to share your wonderful review and comments! Happy cooking!
Amazing! Thank you Nora for always supplying tasty recipes. It’s St. Patricks day and I had a craving for shepherds pie. I went straight to your website and found this easy recipe. My husband said it has to go in the normal rotation. The only changes I made was I added a little vegan sour cream to the potatoes and used three different cheeses and for the lentils I added some liquid smoke. It makes enough to feed a crowd for sure. I will be making this one again and maybe freeze for future meals.
You are welcome, Mallory! I love reading how much you guys loved the shepherd’s pie! Yours sounds delicious! Thanks for your encouraging feedback and fantastic review! Happy cooking!
I am definitely going to try this recipe, but need a substitute for the Worcestershire sauce. It is my understanding that Worcestershire sauce is not vegan as it is made with anchovies.
You can leave it out if needed, but it’s easy for me to find vegan friendly Worcestershire sauce. Even my local store brand is accidentally vegan, but Annie’s brand has a good one. If you can’t find one, leave it out.
This was really delicious! My family loved it. It was my first time making lentils from scratch and they definitely ended up too mushy, so I need to do some playing. I wonder if I omitted the actual lentils from the “lentil mixture” until I put it in the 9×13 pan, then mixed the lentils in, before then adding the mashed potatoes and cheese on top, would they cook while it baked in the oven? Would I need to add some additional liquid? Curious if that would help. Either way, I highly recommend this recipe, thank you for sharing.
Amazing recipe and easy! I used leeks and frozen green beans in mine too and put nutritional yeast in the mashed potatoes and just vegan cheese on top! Was delicious!!
Perfect! Made this for dinner tonight, and prepped everything in advance. It was so easy and, once again, like Nora’s pad thai recipe, my picky teens loved it. Now off to browse the site for tonight’s meal!