Author: There was a moment where I wasn't going to post this recipe for The Best Lentil Shepherd's Pie. After all, there are a TON of lentil shepherd's pie recipes floating around. It's not exactly ground-breaking material.
But then something happened… I pulled some of my leftover lentil shepherd's pie from the freezer, warmed it up, and devoured the whole thing. And guess what? It really is The Best Lentil Shepherd's Pie.
So maybe there are a lot of lentil shepherd's pies out there, but none of them are THIS recipe, and THIS recipe is Seriously The Best Lentil Shepherd's Pie. I needed to publish this recipe, if for no other reason, but so that I can make it again, and again.
What makes this Lentil Shepherd's Pie the best?
Why thank you for asking. There are 3 simple and scrumptious reasons.
- These lentils are jam-packed full of veggie deliciousness: carrots, mushrooms, peas, and are seasoned perfectly with thyme, onions, garlic, and an extra zing of BBQ sauce. Boom! Simple and totally drool-worthy.
- Garlic mashed potatoes. Those aren't any plain old regular mashed potatoes, they're packed full of garlic and creamy coconut milk making them light years above any other mash.
- This hearty meal is perfect for a holiday, weekend, or just something to last you throughout the week. It can be made in advance and then just warmed in the oven. You can serve it in a fancy casserole dish or go rustic like I like to do, and serve it in a skillet. This pie will satisfy anyone and everyone making it a perfect dish for any occasion!
I hope you love it as much as I do.
To Make the Lentil Shepherd's Pie:
Chop up your veggies, and prep for the mash potatoes.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and bits are browned. Remove from pan, and set aside.
Return the pan to heat, add in the lentils, and vegetable broth. Cover, and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes until the broth is absorbed and the lentils are tender.
While the lentils cook, prepare the mashed potatoes and try not to eat them all.
When the lentils are cooked through, add the vegetables back to the pan, and add the peas, BBQ sauce, and soy sauce. Heat through. Scoop the mixture into a casserole dish or large skillet and then spread the mashed potatoes on top.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until the lentil shepherd's pie is hot and bubbling around the edges.
(click stars to vote)
Seriously The Best Lentil Shepherd's Pie
Servings:
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil, (olive, canola, vegetable)
- 1 onion, , chopped
- 2 carrots, , peeled and chopped
- 16 oz mushrooms, , sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, , minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 ½ cups brown or green lentils, (or 38oz canned lentils, see notes)
- 3 cups vegetable broth, (or 1 vegetable bouillon cube, see notes)
- 1 cup peas, , fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce, (check to make sure it's vegan)
- 1 recipe Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and bits are browned. Remove from pan, and set aside.
- Return the pan to heat, add in the lentils, and vegetable broth. Cover, and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes until the broth is absorbed and the lentils are tender. While the lentils cook, prepare the mashed potatoes according to the directions.
- Add the vegetables back to the pan with the lentils, and add the peas, BBQ sauce, and soy sauce. Heat through. Scoop the mixture into a casserole dish or large skillet and then spread the mashed potatoes on top.
- Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until the pie is hot and bubbling around the edges.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Miri says
Hi can i use red lentils too? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Red lentils are a lot more tender, so I would be a bit worried that they may turn out mushy in this recipe. You can try to replace them but they take only about 10 mintues to cook with the broth, so make sure you take the cooking time way down. Enjoy!
Jenn says
Hi!
Wanted to know what kind of barbecue sauce that you use in you recipe? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I usually use my BBQ sauce recipe from my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan on page 209, but any store-bought one would work just fine. Just check the ingredients to make sure it's vegan as some contain fish or honey. 🙂
Camille says
Made this lentil pie this evening & was absolutely delicious! I am vegetarian but my partner eats meat. He was very impressed & we will definitely be making it again. I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! SO happy you both enjoyed it so much. I hope you enjoy many more recipes 🙂
Pat says
My first lentil pie and it was deliciuos! Thank you for sharing, I will be making this often.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy to hear that, Pat 🙂
Kristi says
Hi Sam! Can you tell me if the coconut flavor comes through in the garlic mashed potatoes? One of my kids HATES the flavor of coconut. Sometimes the taste isn't there, so if he doesn't know I used it, he can't tell. But other times, he notices and then it's all over. LOL
Sam Turnbull says
I don't notice it, it's just creamy bliss. But I am not sure how subtle your kid can taste 🙂
Carol Moss says
You can use cashew milk instead of coconut milk. I did that and it was fine.
Tina says
I’m new to your website and I’m loving it what I see. Great content! Currently waiting for this to come out of the oven. I can already tell it’s going to taste delicious based on what I’m smelling. I’m trying to reduce our household’s protein intake via meats, your recipes are making me question why I didn’t make the change sooner!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha love it! So happy you are enjoying my site. I hope you love the shepherd's pie! The most common thing I hear from vegans is that they wish they went vegan sooner, so I am not surprised you are feeling the same way about reducing animal products. Welcome to my blog, Tina!
Karen Lee Edwards says
So very, very good! This is definitely one of our winter go to recipes! Thanks Sam! You genius, you! ❤️
Sam Turnbull says
Aww shucks, you're welcome 🙂
Caroline says
Seriously ... I can't believe how good this is. On reading the ingredients, I thought it would be "ho-hum" -- but I flipped, and so did my carnivore husband.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Perfect! Delighted you and your husband enjoyed it so much, Caroline 😉
Sarah says
My husband's new year's resolution was to eat vegan at least 4 days per week, and more if possible. We tried your lasagna and LOVED it. The "ricotta" is amazing! Unfortunately, he hates mushrooms (and it's not a matter of him getting used to them, he tries them frequently and just doesn't enjoy them). Is there anything we can sub for mushrooms in this recipe? I was thinking I could do cauliflower, because we have some extra in the fridge. Maybe a splash of red wine to make the taste richer? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sarah! What a great goal. No problem at all, some people just don't love mushrooms and that's a-ok. You can choose to leave the mushrooms out of this recipe or replace them with another veggie of choice. I think cauliflower would be fine. Enjoy!
Julie says
I'm making this for guests and the wife is allergic to soy. What could I sub for the soy sauce? Should I just a bit of salt to taste? I thought about vegan Worcestershire Sauce but it also has soy. The recipe looks delicious and I can't wait to try it!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, salt will work. Enjoy!
Stefani says
Absolutely loved this! Your blog has kept us happily vegan fed for months now. No one believes how easy it is for us to be vegan. If they only knew! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! Thrilled you love it so much, Stefani! And even more thrilled you are finding it so easy to be vegan. 😀
lina says
Hi
I made this today and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing it! It was very easy to make and flavourful. Hubby and I really enjoyed it.
Lina
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Thrilled you loved it so much, Lina 🙂
Justine says
I just made this tonight for my first ever fully vegan meal. It is super delicious and I will be adding this to my staple recipes. I felt like the time to cook it may have took a little longer than I had expected but I also like to cook my carrots to the point they're soft. The vegan mashed potatoes were awesome as well. I look forward to making more recipes.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Justine 🙂
Meredith Hooke says
Absolutely yummy! Thank you so much! I'm going to check out your other recipes now. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Meredith! 🙂
Tanya says
I made this for dinner last night and it's delicious! I plan to make this many more times. Thank you <3
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Tanya! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Lynndel Flack says
Hi
Do you think substituting cauliflower or sweet potatoes for the white potatoes would be good? I'm allergic to white potatoes and I've been craving a vegan shepherds pie!! This one looks great!!
Thank you
Lynndel
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Lynndel, Thanks so much! Yes, I would try a garlic cauliflower mash. Sweet potato would work well too, but might add too many flavours as the lentil mix is already flavour packed. I hope you enjoy it!
Chloe says
Second time making this dish within the month! I found this recipe while searching for some red meat alternative meals for my carnivorous family and honestly it's so lovely I think I prefer it to the original. Love your page, thank youuuu!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thanks so much, Chloe. Thrilled you and your husband love it 🙂
Dominique Salas says
I'm not sure what is meant by "adding the vegetables back to the pan." I'm confused; when was there an additional pan added to the instructions?
Dominique Salas says
Oh! Nevermind. This is all getting done in one pan and I hadn't caught on
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! No problem, glad you got it 🙂
Lauren says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit with the whole family! I'm always looking for recipes that aren't too complicated for easy weekday meals. This was fantastic!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! So happy you and your family enjoyed it so much, Lauren! Thanks for the lovely comment 🙂
Amy says
Today is day one of my 30 day vegan challenge, and this recipe stood up to my unadjusted palate! I made it last night and had it today for lunch; it reheats perfectly. I really think it's the mashed potatoes (I followed the recipe for those as well) that make it so good! I'm so glad I tried this recipe first, it's given me hope that I will not only survive the 30 days but will enjoy it!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Can't get a much better review than that! Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe so much, and even more thrilled that you are doing a 30 day vegan challenge! Let me know if you ever have any questions or need any support 😀