This recipe for vegetarian shepherd’s pie is one of my favorite main meals with lentils. The filling combines savory green lentils with classic shepherd's pie vegetables like carrots, celery, and peas, then topped with creamy, homemade mashed potatoes. It’s a simple enough dinner for weeknights, and special enough for Sunday dinner!
No shepherd's were harmed in the making of this pie
That's the benefit of vegetarian cooking, y'all. Nary a shepherd in sight. In all seriousness, we're here to make an easy and delicious Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with lentils, and I'm going to show you just how simple it is.
We're keeping things vegetarian and are using lentils to replace the traditional meat, then loading it up with classic shepherd's pie veggies like carrots, celery, and peas. There are no mushrooms in this version, because gross. You can add them if you wish, but please don't tell me.
In any case, it's packed with lovely savory flavor, and your house will smell amazing while the dish bakes. As usual, the filling is topped with mashed potatoes (I love these healthier Greek yogurt mashed potatoes for this) and baked to bubbly, delicious comfort-food perfection.
👩🏻🍳 Looking for more nutritionist-designed recipes with lentils? Be sure to try my super cozy Vegetarian Skillet Lasagna with lentils, HNL community-fave Vegan Sloppy Joes with Lentils, and, of course, my favorite super easy Lentil Soup.
Let's make vegetarian shepherd's pie together
Ok my friend, you'll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. By all means, use the jump-to-recipe button to skip right down there. But if you're a visual learner like I am, please join me for a bit of a scroll and we'll walk through it step-by-step.
Sauté the onions
First things first, we're going to heat a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, and sauté our onions until translucent.
Then we'll add the garlic and seasonings, and sauté for a minute more.
Add the carrots and celery
We'll keep moving these guys around in the pan so they get nice and tender without getting too brown. It's maybe 5 minutes of sautéing for this step.
Now let's add the lentils
Lentils, vegetable broth, and diced tomatoes are going in the mix now. This is going to smell fantastic as it simmers!
We're going to simmer this mixture until the lentils are tender — about 20 minutes. And once the lentils are tender, we'll stir in the frozen peas.
Casserole time!
Spoon that lentil shepherd's pie filling into a casserole dish. Ohhhh yeah, does that look good or what?!
Now top the lentil mixture with mashed potatoes. Try to spread them out in an even layer, but it doesn't need to be perfect. Rustic is the name of the game.
Now bake it on up!
We're going to bake this bad boy for 20-30 minutes.
Oh wow wow wow, would you look at that? The golden lid! The bubbly sauce coming up the sides?! This is cozy comfort food perfection.
And serve!
That's it! You're done! Now time to dig into the coziest and most nourishing casserole of comfort food you ever did taste.
Easiest Vegetarian Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 medium stalks celery diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ cups lentils green or brown lentils
- 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 4 cups mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C
- Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat on the stove top.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the onions and sauté until they've softened slightly.1 large yellow onion
- Add the garlic and spices and cook for a few minutes more.2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Then add the carrots and celery and sauté 5 minutes more, until the vegetables are slightly tender.4 medium stalks celery, 2 large carrots
- Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender — about 20 minutes.1 ½ cups lentils, 14 oz can crushed tomatoes, 3 cups vegetable broth
- When the lentils are tender, stir in the frozen peas.1 cup frozen peas
- Spoon the lentil filling into a casserole dish, then top with mashed potatoes.4 cups mashed potatoes
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C / 400°F for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
- Both the lentil filling and the mashed potatoes can be made up to a day in advance and kept, covered, in the fridge.
- You can chop the onion, carrots, and celery ahead of time and keep them in the fridge or freezer.
- You can assemble the shepherd's pie and keep it, covered, in the fridge, for up to 24 hours, or until you're ready to bake it. If you're cooking it directly from the fridge be sure to add another 10 minutes to the cooking time.
- You can also freeze unbaked shepherd's pie, wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap. I don't recommend baking from frozen, so plan to mostly thaw it before baking.
Anne Bailey says
Delightful! Made exactly as directed and then added a little sharp cheddar on top. Fantastic and comforting, thank you
Katie Trant says
Yum, love the addition of sharp cheddar! Thanks, Anne 🙂
Patrick says
I cooked this today, added some cauliflower florets And a veggie stock cube.
Wife and I absolutely loved it, beautiful flavours, will definitely be making it again.
Katie Trant says
Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed this recipe as much as we do, Patrick 🙂
Brittany says
I cut back my brown lentils to only 1 cup and used 1 1/2 cup of broth. Then I added about 3/4 cup ground Quorn so it would look like ground beef for the hubby. Also, used corn starch instead of flour to keep it GF. Amazing recipe with the perfect amount of spices. I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much. I’m easing my man into more vegetarian meals and this was a win for us!
Doug Baker says
I made the stove-top version with beluga lentils and I thought, after the prescribed cooking time and rendering down a bit, that it was still a bit soupy and thought the lentil mix probably wouldn't hold together on serving. So I mixed a little of the mashed potatoes and a bit of flour into the mix and it firmed up nicely. A hit at our house and now on the "repeat" list. Thanks.
Claire says
This was my first attempt at Shepherd's Pie, though I've been eyeing this recipe for a while. I used the slow cooker method and added rosemary, parsley, and sage in addition to the thyme because that's how the song goes (and also I love rosemary especially). I also subbed 1 cup of red wine for 1 cup of the veggie broth and I thought I was GENIUS, but honestly I don't think it made that much difference so I'd probably just use veggie broth for a remake.
Like another comment said, my filling came out pretty soupy in the slow cooker. I left the lid off and cooked it on high for a few minutes to try to reduce the liquid, then just said to heck with it and threw it in the dish. My pans were quite stuffed, so I put a pan down to catch inevitable drips.
When it was done cooking I took it out and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. I think this helped it firm up because it was a decent texture when I served it after the rest. I doubled the recipe and froze an 8x8 pan of it. I think the freezing will dry it out a bit too; I expect the second one to be just as good if not better. I think if I were to make it again I'd use the instant pot method and freshly made potatoes. My potatoes were cold from the fridge, which made them hard to spread (totally my fault). All in all very tasty and fun to try!
Kim says
Can you please post an update when you wind up eating the frozen batch you made? I'm very interested in making this as a freezer meal, but want to make sure it works beforehand. Also, can you let us know how you heat it from frozen? Thanks!
Katie Trant says
Hey Kim, I made and freeze this all the time. Usually I make a full portion, then chill the leftovers in the fridge overnight. Then, I slice it up, wrap individual slices in foil, and toss those into the freezer. To re-heat I unwrap and usually microwave it, though you can also re-heat in the oven.
Kim says
Oh that's great! Thanks
Claire says
Kim, I haven't reheated this from frozen yet, but what I plan to do is thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours then bake in the oven at 400 for about 45 minutes. Since it will be cold into the oven I think it will need some more time. I'm thinking I may need to cover it with foil to ensure the potatoes don't burn before the pie is heated through, but I'm going to play that by ear. It is currently in an 8x8 pan, so it will take longer than individual pieces. I will report back when I actually cook it, but that's my plan. I've done this method with frozen lasagna and enchiladas and it always seems to work well. Plus it seems to be more delicious and more solid (less watery) out of the freezer; I think the freezer dries it out in a good way.
kim says
Thanks for getting back so quickly! I'm definitely gonna try it.
Linda Zell says
It was very easy to make. I followed the recipe to a T. It was very good. Next time I'll add more thyme potatoes and
onions and I'll broil thè potatoe till they become brown top.
Kaitlyn Marie Czajkowski says
Im not sure why this came out so loose. Like soup. I made in my slow cooker :/
Katie Trant says
I wish I'd been there in your kitchen to trouble shoot it with you!
Catherine says
I know this is an old recipe, but just wanted to comment and say I made this and it was delicious. I used green lentils though and wanted to mention that I needed to double the cooking time - so 20 minutes in the Instant Pot instead of 10. Everything else exactly the same timing wise - I did add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce for extra umami flavour. Great dish for a meal with guests when you're not sure when they're going to arrive - you can make the filling early and leave it at room temp until they arrive, then 20-30 minutes in the oven while you're having drinks, nibbles, etc. Thanks for the recipe!
Rita says
What a great idea! Cooking is always exciting with your recipes. it is such a wonderful dish!
Pauline says
I make this all the time and my 3 and half year old loves it and so do I! I'm thinking of making a double batch. Would the time in the instant pot double or be the same?
Katie Trant says
It would be the same!
Will says
Can I put all the ingredients (except the mashed potatoes) into the slow cooker raw, and keep it overnight in the fridge, and then take it out in the morning and begin the slow cooking process from there?
Katie Trant says
You could, but I'd avoid adding the water the night before as the lentils would soak and that would impact the cooking time. So if you added everything except the water the night before, then add the water in the morning and slow cook, and later add the mashed potatoes I think that would work out. Let me know how it goes!
Emily says
This recipe is making me seriously consider investing in an Instant Pot. I love a veggie cottage pie but I'm so tired of all the stirring and waiting.
P.FaUcks says
This is a winter fave for us. Looking forward to trying it with your new Greek yogurt mashed potatoes!
Mrsfox says
I guess I’ll be joining the instant pot movement now! I love a good Sheppard’s pie! Can’t wait to try this one out!
pamela says
This is so good! Did not miss the meat at all!
Lindsay Madge says
GIRL, I made this for my husband and I. He has predominately been a meat-eater his whole life but loves shep's pie. I dabbled and added a few other ingredients like corn, subbed green lentils, a little veggie bouillon, pickled jalepenos & a DASH of cholula (sounds strange, i know, but so good for spice) and it was amazing!! We also made of gravy of rice milk, veggie stock, the bouillon and some spices which was also amazing!! So stoked, this will be a keeper!
Katie Trant says
This comment totally made my day! And the modifications you made sound so great - love the idea of the gravy!
Andi says
Sooooo good!! cheap too. I put this in the crock pot before I went to class (I used green instead of puy lentils) and when I came back I added a little more veggie broth and let it warm for a couple more hours. Put it on a sweet potato and ate that sh** up!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Katie Trant says
Good to know that green lentils work as well! Love the sweet potato combo. Yum!
liz says
Has anyone tried this in the slow cooker with the mashed potatos already on top?
Katie Trant says
Not I, but if you try it out please let us know!
liz says
I tried cooking the mashed potatoes on top for the duration of the 6 hours. Granted, i didn't have enough mp to cover the entire top, so i used half of what i had as potatos and added salt and flour to the other half to make dumplings. Both kind of absorbed into it. Didn't work, but tasted fine!
Katie Trant says
Well I'm glad it still tasted fine after that experiment! Thanks for the update 🙂
Kelly says
This is my recipe of the week for my latest blog post! I made it and it was so simple and delicious! Thank you!
Katie Trant says
Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
Melissa says
sorry I'm not much of a cook so my question may seem stupid, but do you already cook the lentils or do you just rinse and pick through them and put them in "raw?" Thanks!
Katie Trant says
Just rinse, pick through them to make sure there aren't any stones, and toss 'em in! They cook up in the liquid (veggie broth, canned tomatoes, etc) in this recipe. Enjoy!
Evi @ greenevi says
This looks super delicious! I especially love the stuffed sweet potato version, though I would never say no to a shepherd's pie either 🙂
Katie Trant says
The sweet potato version is so healthy and hearty, I love it!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
Oh I don't have a slow cooker but this shepards pie looks amazing. Love that it's lentils and therefore I can enjoy it!! I can totally see me enjoying this over a baked sweet potato as you have pictured. Oh I'm drooling!
Katie Trant says
I'm sure you could also cook the filling in a dutch oven, or in a regular pot on the stovetop at a higher temperature for a shorter time. Let me know if you give it a try!
Brenda says
You don't need a slow cooker to make this. Just taste the lintels until done, on the stove top. Takes about 90 minutes.
Katie Trant says
It can definitely be made on the stovetop, but the beauty of the slowcooker is that it's all ready for you when you get home at the end of a long day!
Linda @ Veganosity says
I haven't had sheperd's pie is a long time. Since I have every ingredient in my kitchen, I might have to whip this up for dinner tonight. Winter is not letting go of its grasp in Chicago!
Katie Trant says
Yes, that part of the world seems to be getting hit hard! Friends of ours in eastern Canada are also getting slammed. I hope it warms up soon, but in the meantime, enjoy a warm bowl of vegan shepherd's pie. I hope you did make it after all!