Make the ultimate comfort food: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with vegan ground beef. It’s meaty, hearty and a simple cozy meal the whole family will love! No one would guess it’s 100% vegan.
This stunning plant based dinner would absolutely fool a meat eater! While I love beans and whole plant foods, sometimes I want to recreate meaty versions of the classics and make them actually taste like the real thing. Think Vegan Chicken Pot Pie, Vegan Fried Chicken or Vegan Steak.
With all the great vegan meat options out there, this is easier and easier to do. That said, if you are looking for a more whole foods version, go make my Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.
This vegan shepherd’s pie is comfort food to the max! The filling is a simple mixture of vegetables and vegan beef, plenty of fresh herbs and flavorings but it’s also easy to make. Topped with fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes and even and optional parmesan and vegan butter crust!
Make this recipe for holidays, potlucks, meal prep for the week or a Sunday dinner. The whole family will love it!
How to make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
First, make your mashed potatoes. Set aside while you make the filling.
Sauté the onion in oil for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Now add the vegan meat (I used Impossible brand) and break it up, cooking until it browns.
Stir in the herbs, salt, pepper.
Now add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and flour. Stir it in.
Next, add the broth and vegetables. Stir frequently and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.
To assemble, pour the meaty mixture into a casserole dish, and spoon the mashed potatoes on top.
Use a fork, if desired, in all directions to smooth out the potatoes evenly and create texture.
Drizzle on the melted vegan butter and sprinkle parmesan cheese (I used Violife vegan brand). This is optional, but it makes a delicious crust on the potatoes.
Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot.
Make ahead
You can make shepherd’s pie ahead of time. This is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, when you want to prep as much as possible before the big day!
Simply prepare the casserole as directed up to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When the time comes, preheat the oven and bake until hot. You will need to add a few minutes since it’s going into the oven cold.
How to store leftovers
This meaty vegan shepherd’s pie makes great leftovers. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply warm in the microwave.
For meal prep, divide cooked pie into individual containers for easy grab and go lunches.
Can you freeze shepherd’s pie?
Yes, it freezes quite well. The potatoes will have a slightly different texture after freezing. To freeze, cool completely first, then wrap it using foil or transfer to freezer friendly containers and freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking/warming and enjoy.
Want more comfort food classics made vegan?
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie (Meaty and Hearty!)
Ingredients
Potato Topping
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk I used soy
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- few shakes black pepper
Meaty Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces Impossible vegan meat or your favorite vegan meat, see Notes
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- few shakes black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups frozen pea and carrot mix
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
Optional topping
- 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese I used Violife
- chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
Prepare 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.
- Cover and set aside while you make the filling.
Make the filling
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute, then add the impossible beef. Use a wooden spoon to break it up into small chunks. Add the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until brown and no longer pink.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and flour.
- Now add the broth, peas and carrot mix and corn. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Assemble and bake
- Pour the meaty filling into a 9×13 inch casserole dish (or other large dish). Spread it into an even layer, then spoon the mashed potatoes on top. Use a fork to create texture, dragging it in all directions.
- If desired, drizzle the melted vegan butter over the potatoes and sprinkle some vegan parmesan cheese on top. This is optional but so good!
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until hot. Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
-
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen once completely cooled.
- Meaty options – I like using either Impossible or Beyond Meat crumbles, but you can use your favorite vegan meat crumbles. Soaked TVP also works, or even cooked lentils.
- Make ahead – You can prepare the casserole ahead of time, but instead of baking, refrigerate until ready to serve. Then uncover and bake, adding a few extra minutes of bake time since it will be going in cold. It can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time.
I made this last night and it was sooooo good! Thank you Nora for all of your recipes. They’re always so good and uncomplicated. Thank you!
Get out of here, Nora! Husband had three servings and can’t stop talking about how amazing it is. He’s so excited to have some leftover to take to work tomorrow. But he’s right, it is beyond good. I will make this forever. 🤗 Thank you so much
You are welcome, Jules! I’m thrilled the recipe was a hit! Thanks for your stellar review and feedback! Happy cooking!
This dish is FANTASTIC! It took me about 90 minutes to prepare, but this was the main dish & we had leftovers, so the labor was worth it. I made it for Thanksgiving (just my husband, me & two disappointed cats) and served it with a baguette & simple green salad. I used 4 instead of 3 lbs. potatoes and TVP as the meat sub, but otherwise followed your recipe closely, using frozen peas, carrots, and green beans. Earth Balance “butter” & Violife parmesan are two of my favorite vegan items–IMO that topping is not optional, haha. I’m a vegetarian going vegan, but unfortunately my husband still eats meat (only in restaurants or if we get take-out). Both of us thought it was a winner and this became THE holiday dish in 2023. Wish I could post my photo here, it almost matched yours! Thanks for this and many other recipes 🙂!
I’m so glad you two enjoyed it! Thank you for your wonderful review 🙂
I’ve made this recipe probably half a dozen times at this point and made an account just to leave a 5 star review. I usually don’t have access to vegan Worcestershire sauce, so I usually replace the tomato paste and that with 3-4 heaping tablespoons of bbq sauce and it always still tastes amazing. Well deserved 5/5 recipe 🙂
Hi Danny. I appreciate you taking time to create an account and provide your encouraging feedback! I’m so thrilled you love the shepherd’s pie! Thanks you for your terrific review! Happy cooking!
This is so delicious I haven’t baked it yet but I tasted it and it’s so good. Everything I’ve tried from this blog so far is soooo good!
I’m thrilled you are loving the recipes, Alexandra! Thanks for sharing your great feedback and review on the shepherd’s pie! Happy cooking!
This tasted great! The potato to filling ratio seemed a bit off when I made it though. (Perhaps I pressed the potato on too firmly and it absorbed any liquid?) It seemed like it was mostly potato after baking. Is 12 ounces one package of beyond meat?
same question!! ratio seems off! too much potatoes and not enough meat! i wonder if it needed to be 2 packs! still rlly good tho! i will try 2 packs this weekend
Absolutely delicious. Made it one week and loved it so much I made it the next! Not usually one to love cooking but I like to make this because I know how delicious it will be when it comes out! Thank you, Nora! xox
How awesome that you loved this recipe, Tessa! Thank you for sharing your fabulous feedback and review! Happy cooking!
Made this last night and my carnivorous husband thought that it was amazing! I had some mushrooms that I needed to use so I threw those in there. I used the not beef bouillon for the broth. Seasoned the impossible with mushroom seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. Will definitely make this again Nora!
Hi Tish. I’m thrilled to hear the pie was a hit with your husband, and that you loved it as well! Thank you for taking time to share you great seasoning ideas, as well as your fabulous feedback and review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Another winner! I just made 1/3 of the recipe to try it out before Thanksgiving and ate half of it. So good!
I used red potatoes and kept the peels on. I used soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce and I added tarragon. Also I did not have tomato paste, so I chopped and smooshed up some grape tomatoes instead. For the meat substitute I used chorizo crumbles seitan.
Definitely going to make this for my vegetarian relatives, myself, AND everyone else! 🙂
Hi Nina. I’m glad you loved the pie! I loved seeing all your ideas! Thank you for sharing this fabulous feedback and review!
Obsessed!!! This took a while but was so worth it. I made it with oat flour and oat milk and it was phenomenal!!
Hi Ingrid. I’m thrilled to hear you loved the shepherd’s pie! I appreciate you taking time to share your fantastic feedback!
Another fabulous dish! So delicious! Thank you for having so many easy, flavorful and fantastic recipes!
I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes, Cindy! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Made this for St Patrick’s day and it was delicious! Your recipes are so consistently tasty, straightforward, and easy to follow, Nora! Thank you for another excellent dinner!
Thank you for your kind words, Jade! I’m so glad you loved the Shepherd’s pie! Thank you for using my recipes! I love easy and delicious recipes! Happy cooking!
This was absolutely delicious!
My meat eating partner rated it a 10/10!
We clearly will be making this again.
I love your encouraging feedback! Thank you for sharing! Happy cooking!
Amazing, amazing recipe! I added about 8 oz of chopped mushrooms to the mixture while cooking, and it turned out absolutely delicious. I only cook for two, so I split the mixtures up between two 9″ cake pans and froze the second one. Perfect meal for a snowy day and I can’t wait to bake the second one! Thanks for another divine recipe – I’ve already shared it with my whole family!
Your pie sounds so good with the mushrooms! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback, and for sharing my recipe with your family!
Just made this. It was so good! My wife said, “I know this is vegan.” My son yelled, “What?!? That isn’t meat??”
So flavorful! Thank you for another great recipe!
Hi Ted! I am glad the shepherd’s pie was a hit! You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
Loved this! Made it for my family of 2 and had leftovers for days that were delicious. Simple to make. I didn’t have vegan Worcester sauce so I just skipped it – not sure how much difference that made. I didn’t have any parmesan either. Thought it was excellent just the way it was!
Hi Laura. I’m glad you loved the shepherd’s pie! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments! Happy cooking!
Made it for thanksgiving! Such a hit! Great recipe!
I’m thrilled the pie was a hit for your thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Holy Blazes Nora, that was fantastic!! So simple but yet so perfect, and so many awesome flavors. I still need an hour for your 20m of prep ?, but that’s okay, I’m still learning and enjoying the process.
I asked my wife one time, “What’s a Garam Masala and do we have any? (For one of your other recipes). So I don’t really know what I’m doing most days but I love it when it all comes together so beautifully.
We almost ate the whole dish last night, just the two of us. Just awesome! Thanks again, I look forward to the next challenge.
Dean
Thanks Dean, I’m so glad you enjoyed the shepherd’s pie! So happy you are exploring. 🙂
NORA NORA NORA!! You’ve done it again: made me a master chef at a party. This was the BEST Sheppard’s pie I’ve ever had, and one of the tastiest dishes in general. It stole the show. Thank you for yet another recipe that blows my mind. My meat eating friends were truly at a loss for words.
Notes: I added a good amount of extra rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. I also didn’t have the vegan Worcestershire sauce, but it didn’t seem to make a big difference in taste. I doubled the recipe and wasn’t sure how much 6 pounds of potatoes were (my grocery store doesn’t have scales) so I used 9 medium/large russet potatoes and the ratio was perfect. I also used two packages of 16oz beyond meat (for a total of 36oz instead of the instructed 24oz) and the meaty taste was perfect 🙂
just made this for my vegan family members coming over tonight for thanksgiving!!!! tried a little bit of the filling and it’s to DIE FOR!!! wonderful recipe
This is the most flavorful, comforting, and hearty recipe. The spices are perfection – the essence of fall/winter. I made this for my Illinois-native grandparents who are classic “meat and potatoes” midwesterners. My grandma took a bite and said it was better than any meat shepherd’s pie she’s ever had. She requested the recipe and asked me to make it for Christmas dinner. Needless to say this was a huge hit! I followed the recipe exactly, including the Impossible brand ground beef. I used cashew milk for the potatoes and Earth Balance vegan butter. Thank you Nora, for another wonderful recipe!
Hi Kate! I am so thrilled the pie was a hit with your grandparents! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and comments! I think this is a most wonderful Christmas dinner dish! Happy holiday cooking!
Delicious! Super easy to pull together too. Meat eater husband approved too.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments! I love easy, and am glad you found the recipe easy, and delicious, as well! Happy cooking!
What do you do with the 3Tbs of all-purpose flour? When do you add that? Thank you!
Hi! You stir it in with the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce in step 4 of making the filling. It helps thicken the mixture. Hope that helps!
To be fair I haven’t made it ….yet! I just wanted to say thank-you for the great, user friendly recipes you post. I visit a lot of recipes and food blogs online but yours is my favourite! I make many of your recipes repeatedly because the ingredients are basic, hearty and what I usually have in my house. I will be making this soon, we like the impossible meat and use it a lot. I know this will be great! Jan ?
Hi Jan. It’s great to hear that you are finding my recipes user friendly and that you love them! Thank you for sharing this with me, as that is one of my goals! I think you’re going to love the shepherd’s pie! Enjoy every bite!
This looks great, Nora! I think I would want to try it with Boca’s “ground beef,” which I’ve had in the past for chili.
Do you think the taste would suffer terribly without the worcestershire sauce? Not only do I never have it on hand, I don’t think I’ve ever even consumed it before, and I definitely don’t know how to pronounce it! 😀
Hi Emma. It will be fine without the Worcestershire sauce, especially since your are using boca’s ground beef. Happy cooking!