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Extra Veg Vegan Shepherd's Pie

This vegan shepherds pie is a comforting winter pie made with extra veg. An easy recipe the whole family will love made with simple ingredients. Scroll down for a free printable recipe.

Extra Veg Vegan Shepherd's Pie


Shepherd's Pie


My family love shepherd's pie, well veggie shepherds pie of course. It's the ultimate winter comfort dish.

Savoury mince full of soft onion, carrot and mushrooms in a rich gravy topped with creamy mash that's baked until the mash is golden with crispy bits. We all love the crispy bits don't we?


I recently shared my original recipe for veggie shepherd's pie from 11 years ago on the Tinned Tomatoes Facebook page and everyone was talking about how good shepherd's pie is. 

It got me right in the mood for some, so I headed to the kitchen and made a pie much to my husband's delight.

I decided to use up some of the veg in my salad drawer to make it even more delicious and healthy. Shepherd's pie or cottage pie as it is sometimes known usually contains onions, carrots and mushrooms, but I included celery and red pepper, which worked really well and was very tasty.



Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Family recipes


As you can see from this old photo, my photography has improved since I started my blog.

I took this photo in bad artificial light which is a big no-no in food photography unless you have a proper studio set up with reflectors, light diffusers and all the rest of the gubbins you need.

Of course I don't have all that. Best to stick to daylight!

The recipe has been tweaked over the years too.

It's still delicious and still a family favourite. In fact it's my husband's favourite meal. He grins like a loon if I say I'm going to make it.


For more Scottish recipes have a look at my recipe index of Scottish Recipes for Vegans and Vegetarians


Vegan Shepherd's Pie with extra vegetables

Vegan versions of meat recipes


When I shared my original recipe on my Facebook page, a reader (well I say a reader but I'm inclined to believe he just stumbled upon the post) messaged me to say that this was not shepherd's pie as shepherd's pie is made with lamb and he didn't understand why vegetarians and vegans name their dishes the name of a meat dish, as they aren't the same dish at all.

 He was quite indignant about it.

It was a fair question and I think I can answer it by saying that many vegetarians and vegans were meat-eaters as children but went on to change their lifestyle and diet as they got older and became vegetarian or vegan.

They may have changed their lifestyle and diet choices, but it's understandable they still have good memories of comforting childhood dishes and an urge to replicate them for a vegetarian or vegan diet.

I see no problem remaking a dish with substitute ingredients and adding the term vegetarian or vegan in front of the original recipe name.


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Vegan Shepherd's Pie with extra vegetables. A traditional British comfort dish, perfect for cold winter meals  and a real family favourite recipe #veganshepherdspie #vegancottagepie #veganpie #vegansavourymince #vegansavorymince #veganmince #vegancomfortfood


A talking point


Let me know what you think? It's an interesting discussion to have. 

Remember you can always leave me a comment in the comment box below by signing in (if you have a google account or blog) or using the anonymous option if you don't like to sign in to leave comments. 

Adding your name is always nice so I know who I'm talking to, even if it's just a first name. 

I always replay to comments. I hope some of you who read this blog and never comment might add their thoughts or stories this time.


reader's vegan cottage pie in a pie dish then served with vegetables on a plate


Readers recipes


Funnily enough a lot of my readers never chat here on my blog but they do on Facebook. 

One of the readers I've gotten friendly with on Facebook is called Julia. She was so tempted by my shepherd's pie she made made it after reading my post. 

Well actually she discovered she was making my cottage pie which is similar with a sliced potato topping and doesn't it look fabulous? Oh and she did give me permission to share her photos. GDPR and all that! 

Another of the readers/Facebook friend Donna said "I made a version of this years ago, and hubby didn’t know the difference. 

To this day, he’s in the dark. He’s completely ok with eating vegetarian dishes, as long as they are tasty. I’ve yet to find a cheese recipe he likes, and I have to agree... I really don’t like vegan cheeses. I’d rather do without."


Vegan savoury mince

Vegan savoury mince


The base of the shepherd's pie is basically a savoury mince in gravy. I like to use frozen meat-free mince, but you can also use dried soya mince, which is available from most health food shops. 


TVP


If you use the dried soya mince, which is made from TVP (textured soya protein) and often used to bulk out meat dishes cheaply (fun fact), then make sure you have some extra stock, as it will probably need it. It definitely soaks up more liquid as it cooks than the frozen mince.

This savoury mince would be good served plain with steamed potatoes, vegetables and some buttered crusty bread to soak up the gravy. 

Or just serve it with the crusty bread for a simple meal.  

You could also use it use it as the filling for a veggie lasagne.

Extra Veg Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Nutrition and calories for vegan shepherd's pie. 480 calories for 4 portions, 320 calories for 6 portions

vegan shepherd's pie, vegetarian shepherd's pie, vegan cottage pie, vegetarian cottage pie, vegan pie, vegetarian pie, vegan comfort food, vegan savoury mince, vegan savory mince
dinner
British, vegan
Yield: 4-6
Extra Veg Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Extra Veg Vegan Shepherd's Pie

A comforting vegan version of shepherd's pie with extra vegetables. This is a traditional British dish of savoury mince and vegetables in rich gravy, topped with creamy mashed potatoes, then baked until crisp and golden.
prep time: 15 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 60 mins

ingredients


  • I tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 3 large carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 250g mushrooms, peeled or cleaned and chopped
  • 454g frozen meat-free mince
  • 800ml/3 cups vegetable stock (3 stock cubes)
  •  5 tbsp red wine (optional)
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 3-4 tbsp HP Brown Sauce (or BBQ sauce)
  • 850g potatoes, steamed or boiled until soft
  • 2 tbsp dairy-free spread
  • A good grinding of salt and pepper

instructions


  1. In a large pot saute the onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until soft.
  2. Add the carrots and pepper and cook gently for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for another couple of minutes.
  3. Add the meat-free mince, then pour in the wine and stock, black pepper and stir well.
  4. Add the tomato puree and brown sauce to add flavour and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, adding a little more stock if you think it needs it.
  5. While the savoury mince is cooking you can boil or steam and then mash the potatoes with some dairy-free spread, salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking pre-heat the oven to 220c/200c fan/425f/gas mark 7.
  6. Pour the savoury mince into a large ovenproof dish and bake for 20 minutes until the potato topping is golden and crispy at the edges.
  7. Serve with steamed vegetables.
  8. Enjoy!

NOTES:

Calories and nutrition is for 4 portions, which are BIG portions. If you divide it into 6 portions there are 320 calories.

This dish can be frozen once it is cool.
calories
480
fat (grams)
11
sat. fat (grams)
1.3
carbs (grams)
56
protein (grams)
35.2
sugar (grams)
10.6
Created using The Recipes Generator




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26 comments

  1. I call it Shepherds' Pie without the Shepherd. LOL

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    Replies
    1. Just pie, haha, I suppose it is just that. Although the shepherd's were never mixed into the pie lol!

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  2. I call it vegetarian shepherds pie and I do not see what the problem is. Some people need to get a life. I was meaning to tell you I like the little videos although they sometimes take a while to load. Jill

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    Replies
    1. Yes I know what you mean, it does seem like a fuss over nothing.

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  3. I like Shepherds pie and as long as it taste delicious I don't really mind whether there is meat or not. This one looks delicious :)

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    Replies
    1. This one is utterly delicious so I am sure you would enjoy it!

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  4. I'm such a fan of shepherd's pie in the fall - it's so hearty! And love this extra veg heavy version.

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    Replies
    1. It is very hearty and yes perfect for this time of year.

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  5. Wow and wow, this is so delicious and it makes my mouth watering.
    This recipe looks super easy and full of ingredients my family loves. Looking forward to trying soon.

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  6. Such a great vegetarian option at a dinner party! Looks so delicious.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks and yes this is a really good sharing dish. It always goes down a treat.

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  7. I adore veggie Shepherd's Pie and this looks like a really tasty one. I'll definitely be trying it this Autumn/Winter. And for the name...I don't really understand why people feel the need to judge others and be pedantic about it. Ok, it's not strictly Shepherd's or Cottage Pie - does it really matter? It just describes the style of dish...something rich & savoury topped with mashed or sliced potato...so the diner knows what to expect. Savoury Vegan Bake with Potato Topping does it too...but just doesn't evoke the same feeling! Besides, I didn't give up meat because I didn't like it - I gave it up for animals. I used to miss meat a lot (no more!) and substituting helped such a lot. If one person finds the transition easier because of yummy recipes like these that don't make them feel so 'different' then that can only be a good thing? Thanks for the recipe and beautiful blog x

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for all your kind and wise words, I do hope people will try and enjoy this dish be they vegan, vegetarian or a meat-eater. It really is a great dish and so very comforting and tasty.

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  8. I love shepherd's pie esp with crispy bits of mash on top - it is ages since I had it - and now that winter is disappearing could be a while again. I think that comment about naming is that sort of comment you sometimes hear about vegan "why do they eat fake meat if they don't want to eat meat". It is one of those really divisive comments - you are either for us or against us but there is no middle ground. I think it doesn't hurt to extend a little understanding to vegans/vegetarians that we live in a world where meat has a great nostalgic or emotional pull even if you don't eat it, just as meat eaters expect that vegetarians/vegans don't give them a hard time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So very true Johanna and yes the crispy bits are the best. Enjoy your summer! We are suffering lots of rain at the moment and it's definitely cooler although we had on freak hot day this week, which was strange as I packed jerseys, hat, scarf and gloves for Cooper and we were strolling around Glasgow in t-shirts feeling rather hot.

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  9. I totally nailed this shepherd's pie. The thing I like most about the filling is that it could be versatile so that we can cook under many styles ;)
    - Natalie

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  10. I made this for dinner last night and it was a great success. I used frozen quorn mince (so it was vegetarian rather than vegan) because that was all I could get in my small town. It was an ideal dinner on a cold, autumn evening and I'll definitely make it again.

    As for the comments about naming things the same as meat based dishes, I concur with Rachel above. I don’t have that much time for people who complain about things for which they are quite plainly not the demographic. Don't like the name? Then don't use it, but stop trying to vehemently evangelise until other people come around to your way of thinking. People seem to get all steamed up about these things when really, does it actually hurt anyone?

    That said, on cooking forums I've seen people practically come to blows because they posted a recipe for pesto that someone thought was not pesto at all. And don't get me started on the Aussie expat forum where I posted an easy chocolate cake recipe for someone who asked for one to make a cake for her daughter's birthday. According to the keyboard warriors, I am single handedly responsible for all childhood obesity and diabetes in the world. I think some people need to step back from their computers and get a little perspective :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it Marie and totally agree with your point of view. Live and let live I say!

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  11. Looks delicious. HP sauce really does add that bit extra. I put it in veggie chilli too. So does chef Bruno Loubert, apparently! I’ll give this a go very soon.

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  12. Your Shepherd's pie looks delicious. Another idea would be to make the mince with extra gravy then pop it into the oven with some homemade dumplings.

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  13. What a fabulous recipe. I am always looking for a simple recipe to add to my repertoire as my husband cannot tolerate dairy or, oddly, potatoes. I will make this next week with either a parsnip or sweet potato topping (possibly both as I love parsnip).
    The fact you called it "shepherds pie" draw my eye to it. So thank you. I have shared on to my sister and my daughter who have vegetarian teens who are always hungry and this recipe will fit their needs perfectly.

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    Replies
    1. Oh nice idea and thank you for sharing. I hope you all enjoy it I have to admit this is my husband's favourite but I probably don't make it as often as he would like

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    2. oh good idea and thanks for sharing. I hope you all enjoy it. It us my husband's favourite although I probably don't make it as much as hehd like.

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x