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Fluffy mashed potatoes covering a savory, veggie filled pie that is enjoyed everywhere during colder months! Comfort food to the maximum, you are going to want this for dinner!
Wondering what to do with leftover veggies and mashed potatoes from the day before? I have the perfect comfort dish to use all those goodies up! This vegan shepherd's pie is perfect for using up leftovers!
I had a ton of stuff that needed to be used and I instantly knew what I wanted to do because I had mashed potatoes left over from making my mashed potatoes recipe!
🥘Ingredients
I look at a shepherd's pie as a perfect way to use up leftovers, and a way to use just about anything you want to use to make it happen. This looks like a lot of ingredients, right? And it kind of is, but most of that is leftover stuff that needed used. So a lot of this stuff is optional. Let's go through it:
Rice is optional, but it really is a great way to use it up.
Veggies can be anything you have on hand. If you want to use all frozen vegetables, go for it. If you want to add something else that isn't listed here, by my guest! Other veggies that would go great in this
- Squash - While I am using some shredded zucchini in this recipe, you can use other types of squash if you'd like.
- Leek/Onion - I can't have onions, but maybe you can. Onions would be an amazing addition to this!
- Fresh garlic - can't be beat!
- Spinach - a great addition if you've got some to use up!
- Cabbage
- Parsnips
- Bell peppers - a great replacement for onions!
Seasonings I try to keep pretty basic for this recipe. Typical ones everyone would have on hand, you can play around and add or take away what you don't like.
Lentils can be replaced with a variety of different rice, bulgar, quinoa, etc.
TVP can be replaced with store-bought plant-based meats, soy curls, or eliminated entirely. Anything meant to replace meat would work, honestly.
Don't like mushrooms? No worries, just omit them!
Please see recipe card below for exact measurements.
🔪Instructions
Preheat Oven to 350 F / 180 C.
Step One - If using any fresh vegetables, dice them up and add them to a dutch oven with a little bit of oil and saute until starting to soften.
Step Two - Throw in the washed lentils. If you're using all frozen vegetables, lentils will be the first to go in, instead.
Step Three - Add 1.5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Step Four - Add in a bouillon cube and paprika and mix in.
Step Five - Add in lemon juice.
Step Six - Add in the TVP. Any liquid that is left at this point should be soaked up by the TVP entirely.
Step Seven - Push everything aside like so and add in the mushrooms, let them cook just a bit then mix everything together.
Step Eight - Add in all frozen veggies and rice and mix everything together well.
Step Nine - Add in nutritional yeast and sugar, mix well.
Step Ten - Add in potato starch to help bind everything together like a casserole.
Step Eleven - I like to add in just a bit of plant-based milk to give it a more creamy texture, this step is optional.
Step Twelve - Layer potatoes on top, cover and place in oven on middle rack for 25 minutes.
📖Cook's Top Tip
You could skip the potato starch and milk if you've got some leftover mushroom soup! You could even add a can of vegan mushroom soup to this recipe for something easier and quicker.
Why this Shepherd's Pie?
Not only can you enjoy this pie during the cooler months, through winter and the beginning of spring -or anytime you want because you can do what you want- but this dish would also make an awesome Thanksgiving main dish! Holiday cooking already takes so much time, why not cut that time to hardly anything and have your whole meal in a pie? It's
- Savory
- Filling
- Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free
- The perfect holiday meal
🍱Storage
Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer - Airtight container up to 3 months
Reheat - Thaw naturally from the freezer before heating. Heat in the microwave in 1 minute intervals, or in the oven at 350 F/ 180 C until warm (about 10 minutes).
❓Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of ways to thicken the filling so that it stays together, for this recipe, I use potato starch and a bit of plant-based milk. You could also use a cornstarch slurry, thicker mashed potatoes, a roux or gravy would also work.
Check out some other comforting winter recipes!
If you try the recipe, don't forget to rate it and leave a comment! Thank you so much!
📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
- 1 spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 recipe instant pot mashed potatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 can corn can sub for frozen or fresh.
- 1 can green beans can sub for frozen or fresh.
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup diced carrots can sub for frozen/canned
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- ½ cup lentils rinsed
- 1 cup TVP
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms can omit
- 2 Tablespoons paprika
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice can sub for vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sugar can omit
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon
- ½ cup shredded zucchini can omit
- 1 Tablespoon potato starch for thickening
- ½ cup plant-milk can sub for veggie stock or water
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast can omit
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F or 180 °C
- Dice any fresh veggies you will be using. For this recipe, dice celery, carrots, mushrooms.1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- In a dutch oven (or deep enough, stove-top, oven-safe pot), heat some oil on medium-high heat and add in the celery and carrots. If you are using all frozen veggies and will be starting with the lentils, skip this step.1 cup diced carrots, 1 Tablespoon oil, 1 cup diced celery
- Once your carrots and celery are softened, about 2-3 minutes, add in the zucchini shreds, if using.½ cup shredded zucchini
- Add in the rinsed lentils, and water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes the soften the lentils.½ cup lentils, 1 cup water
- Add paprika, garlic powder, and veggie bouillon, then mix well.2 Tablespoons paprika, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder, 1 cube vegetable bouillon
- Next, add the TVP. This should soak up any leftover liquid in the pot. Mix everything together well.1 cup TVP
- Once the water is mostly gone, move everything aside in the pot and add the mushrooms and let them cook for a moment, then mix in with everything else.1 cup sliced mushrooms
- Then add in rice and any frozen or canned veggies and the rest of any seasonings you're using and mix everything together.1 can corn, 1 can green beans, 1 cup cooked rice, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Add in potato starch and a little bit of plant milk to thicken the mixture and make it keep its shape after cooking.1 Tablespoon potato starch, ½ cup plant-milk
- Finally, cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes, then put the lid on and bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes.1 recipe instant pot mashed potatoes
Notes
- If you do not have potato starch you can use a cornstarch slurry.
- For soy-free use a soy free mince or jackfruit in place of TVP
- Storage - In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. In the freezer up to 3 months. Reheat after thawing naturally in refrigerator in the microwave at 1 minute intervals, or in the oven at 350F/ 180C for 10 minutes.
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