A Hearty, Plant-Based Shepherd’s Pie Filling
A classic recipe for Irish Shepherd’s pie starts with a simple mirepoix. Onion, celery, and carrots create the base. Then, ground lamb or beef is usually added. However, for this plant-based version, I ditched the meat for a healthy, vegan recipe. While you can add lentils or ground tempeh, I chose to add extra plant-based protein with frozen green peas.
Portion this into individual pie tins for single-portion servings. Make a big batch on the weekend to re-heat during the week 
Gluten-Free Vegan Shepherds Pie with Garlic Chive Potato Crust (12)
A Dairy-Free Vegan Potato Topping
For the topping, a traditional Shepherd’s Pie will often have cheddar cheese and dairy cream. However, for this plant-based version, I used nutritional yeast to add cheesy flavor. Adding garlic and chives helps create satisfying umami flavor, in lieu of fattening cream.
Boil potatoes until knife-glide tender. A piece should easily glide on and off the tip of a knife 
The Garlic Chive Potato Crust also works as a delicious vegan side dish. Simply add 1 more cup of almond milk and mash away!
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
Easy to Batch this Recipe: You can easily scale this recipe down or up. Using individual pie tins allows for single-portion sizes, perfect for prepping your meals on the weekend and simply reheating during the week.
Extra Garlic Chive Potatoes: The Garlic Chive Crust also makes for a great side dish of mashed potatoes. You’ll want to add more almond milk (about 1 cup more) for a smoother consistency. Sometimes I even use the potatoes as a base and then just ladle the “pie” filling over, like a chunky gravy.
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional Yeast adds cheesy, umami flavor to many vegan recipes. Use it sauces, soups, stews, dressing, mashed potatoes, and stuffed sweet potatoes. Besides great flavor, it has healthy protein and essential vitamins like B-12.
Onion, celery, and carrot are the basic three components of classic mirepoix 
Chef’s Gluten-Free Tip: A little bit of brown rice flour helps thicken the filling for this healthy, vegan recipe
Shepherd-Free Vegan Shepherds Pie with Garlic Chive Potato Crust
- Medium
- Servings: 4
- Ready In: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 big (or 4 small) Shepherds Pies
If you like this recipe, you’ll also love: Irish Vegetable Barley Soup, Irish Potato Kale Colcannon, and “Tartas Pastores”: Mexican Shepherd’s Pies with Smoky Sweet Potato Crust
Shepherd-Free Vegan Shepherds Pie with Garlic Chive Potato Crust
Ingredients
- For the Garlic Chive Mashed Potato Crust:
- 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup almond milk or any non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- For the Vegan Shepherds Pie Filling:
- 2 medium carrot diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler on your oven to “Hi”
- To make the Garlic Chive Mashed Potato Crust: Place potatoes and garlic cloves into a large pot and cover with water. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. While potatoes cook, start working on the vegan shepherds pie filling.
- To make the Vegan Shepherds Pie filling: Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced carrot, celery, and onion to the pan. Cover and let brown over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes
- When the onions are starting to brown around the edges, add the tomato paste, rosemary, and sage. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook 1-2 minutes, until tomato paste darkens.
- Add the brown rice flour and stir well to coat all of the veggies. Cook until flour is no longer white, another minute or two.
- Add 2 cups of water (or vegetable stock). Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Partially cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. The filling is ready when the carrots are tender, but not mushy.
- Remove the lid to cook off excess liquid. Simmer until thick and stew-like. Turn off heat when you reach this point. Stir in the frozen peas.
- To finish Mashed Potato Crust and Make Pies: When potatoes are done, check that they can easily slide off a paring knife. Drain the potatoes. Return back to your hot pot. Immediately add the almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and chives. Use a potato masher to mash well. Your Garlic Chive Potato Crust is ready.
- To finish the Shepherd’s Pies: Pour filling mixture into 4 individual pie tins (or use one larger tin for sharing). Spread the Garlic Chive Mashed Potatoes over the stew mix.
- Place under the “Hi” broiler for just 4-5 minutes, until golden on top.
- Serve with a big hug.
- Yield: 1 big pie or 4 little pies
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (about 1 little pie)
Calories 173.38
Calories From Fat (5%) 9.21
% Daily Value
- Total Fat 1.08g 2%
- Saturated Fat 0.12g <1%
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids g
- Omega-6 Fatty Acids g
- Cholesterol 0mg 0%
- Sodium 402.18mg 17%
- Potassium 876.22mg 25%
- Total Carbohydrates 34.47g 11%
- Fiber 7.86g 31%
- Sugar 6.74g
- Protein 9.06g 18%
- Calcium 19.01mg 2%
- Iron 97.66mg 543%
- Vitamin A 5914.06IU 118%
- Vitamin C 2301.45mg 3836%
Shopping and Gear List
- The Spice Hunter Sage, Rubbed, Dalmatian, Leaves, 0.4-Ounce Jar
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour 24 Ounce
- Bragg Premium Nutritional Yeast Seasoning 4.5 Ounce
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