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This ridiculously easy vegan lentil shepherd’s is full of saucy mushrooms, carrots, peas, and garlicky creamy mashed potatoes- and it’s all ready in under 1 hour and naturally gluten free as well! Winter dinners just got SO much more comforting!

scooped vegan lentil shepherds pie

The most comforting dish of winter: lentil shepherd’s pie:

To be honest, the idea of shepherd’s pie used to give me the ick. But make it entirely veggie based, add some lentils in, and finish with the most luxuriously creamy mashed potatoes?

Dude, I’m in.

This vegan lentil shepherd’s pie is everything that makes shepherd’s pie great- but all without the animal products (so in my mind, even better than vegetarian shepherd’s pie!). We start with loads of veg: mushrooms, carrots, celery, peas, and lentils, cooked and baked to a beautifully saucy (NOT soupy) perfection.

Then it’s topped with creamy mashed potatoes that you’d swear were made with real butter (or at least vegan butter- you don’t need either!)!

scooped lentil shepherd's pie

It’s prepped and baked in one large Dutch oven (or casserole dish) for a hearty, rich, and ridiculously satisfying comfort meal all ready in under an hour, start to finish. And honestly you don’t have to be vegan or plant-based to love it.

Serve this with my favorite 15-minute homestyle garlic bread, and you’re set!

Simple key ingredients:

Because this is basically vegetarian shepherd’s pie to the next level, there’s a whole lot of veggies in here. But everything is actually very basic and simple- nothing too fancy. You don’t even need vegan butter for anything!

  • Olive oil: This will be the fat that we cook the veggies in.
  • Carrots, celery, mushrooms, and peas: The main veg of the dish, along with onion and garlic. Celery isn’t too common in traditional shepherd’s pie, but I figured since we’re not using meat (never do lol), we could use a bit of extra flavor!
  • Brown lentils: This is the sturdiest lentil variety for this dish, and I think it really works. I’ve found that some other lentil types are too soft upon cooking.
  • Spices: Cumin is my favorite spice to make a plant-based dish feel a bit heartier and more satisfying, but we’re also using nutmeg, which I know sounds very odd. But trust me, it really works here!!
  • Vegan sour cream: This may sound odd, but it’s for the mashed potatoes! My mom used sour cream in her potatoes for years, and so when I made my vegan mashed potatoes, obviously the main ingredients had to be potatoes and vegan sour cream! These potatoes on the lentil shepherd’s pie here are a version of our favorite mashed potatoes.
  • Tomato paste: Just two tablespoons goes a long way!
  • Potatoes: I really like using Yukon gold potatoes- I know most traditional shepherd’s pies will call for russet, and that will work too. But Yukon gold, I find, just produces the fluffiest mashed potatoes on top, and that’s key if we’re not using any vegan butter!
served vegan lentil shepherd's pie

Overview: How to make best vegan lentil shepherd’s pie with mushrooms:

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

boiling potatoes
We’ll first start by boiling the lentils and the potatoes (separately!).
cooking the veggies
While those are cooking, we’ll work on our filling. It’s really just about allowing everything to cook to its proper temperature and texture! We’ll add in the onion and garlic, followed by the carrots and celery, and finish with the mushrooms and peas.
cooked veggies
Next, we finish with our gluten-free roux-inspired flavoring mixture of tomato paste, soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free!), and arrowroot starch. And of course spices- including nutmeg!
mashed potatoes
Once the potatoes are boiled, we’ll also finish our quick mashed potatoes, either mashing them in the pot or mixing them together with a hand mixer.
assembled lentil shepherd's pie
Top the mashed potatoes on top of the veggie mixture.
finished lentil shepherd's pie
Then bake until golden brown on top!

Britt’s Best Tips:

To fix dry potatoes. Add intervals of 1/4 cup more dairy free milk, mixing in between each interval until you achieve the desired consistency.

Cover the veggie mixture while it simmers. This will speed up the cooking process and allow for more juices to be released so that as it cooks, the liquid becomes saucy rather than soupy.

Use brown lentils. I find those to be the heartiest of the lentil varieties for this dish. However, you can also use mixed lentils if you can’t find just brown for this lentil shepherd’s pie.

close up of vegan lentil shepherd's pie

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Hearty & THICK Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Mushrooms pinterest

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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scooped vegan lentil shepherds pie

Hearty & THICK Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Mushrooms

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 25
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: British
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This ridiculously easy vegan lentil shepherd’s is full of saucy mushrooms, carrots, peas, and garlicky creamy mashed potatoes- and it’s all ready in under 1 hour and naturally gluten free as well! Winter dinners just got SO much more comforting!

Ingredients

Scale

Mashed Potatoes:

  • 1 1/2–2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, rinsed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup dairy free sour cream
  • 1/2 cup– 3/4 cup dairy free milk
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Lentil Veggie Filling:

  • 3/4 cup dried brown lentils
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6–8 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 16 ounces button or shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce, use tamari for gluten free
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prep: We’ll first start by cooking the lentils then the potatoes. We’ll simultaneously be making the veggie filling, then assemble. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Cook the lentils: In a large pot, add in the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the dried lentils and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until soft and tender. 
  3. While the lentils are cooking: Keep an eye on the timer for them, but while those are cooking, we’ll start making the veggie filling.
  4. Saute the onions & garlic: Make sure all veggies are chopped and prepped. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven on the stovetop on medium heat. Add in the onions, and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Then add in the garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  5. Cook the veggies: Next, add in the chopped carrots and celery, stir and cover. At this point you’ll want to check on the lentils- once the lentils are done, drain them and set them aside in a separate bowl. Fill the pot again with water and add in the chopped potatoes. Add in 1/2 tsp of sea salt, cover, and bring the pot to a boil.
  6. Finish the veggie filling: The carrots should be soft by now. Remove the Dutch oven lid, and add in the mushrooms and frozen peas. Stir and cover again to cook for 5 minutes. While the mushrooms and peas are cooking, mix together the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, arrowroot starch, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Once the mushrooms are soft, pour in the tomato paste mixture, and stir to combine. Add in the ground cumin, nutmeg, and sea salt, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the liquid begins to thicken. Then add the bay leaf on top, submerge the bayleaf, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Finish the potatoes: While the veggie filling is finishing cooking, drain the cooked potatoes, which should be fork tender now, and mash them with a potato masher or hand mixer, either in the pot or in a separate large bowl. Add in the dairy free sour cream, 1/2 cup dairy free milk to start, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1/2 tsp sea salt and ground pepper. Mash or use a hand mixer on low speed to combine until fluffy. If your potatoes need a bit more of a creamy texture, add an additional 1/4 cup of dairy free milk and mix.
  8. Stir in the lentils: Back to the veggie mixture, uncover the Dutch oven lid, and remove the bay leaf. Add in the lentils, and stir to combine. Remove the Dutch oven from heat. 
  9. Assemble: Top the lentil veggie filling with an even layer of mashed potatoes. 
  10. Bake: Place the lentil shepherd’s pie into the oven UNCOVERED to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes have started to brown.
  11. Serve and enjoy: Remove from the oven and serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Gluten free: This recipe is naturally gluten free if using Tamari soy-sauce instead of conventional soy sauce.