This vegan Irish Shepherd's Pie has a savory, aromatic base of lentils, tempeh and vegetables topped with creamy mashed potatoes that bake up crusty on the edges.
This flavorful, meatless version of a classic Irish shepherd's pie is hearty, healthy and full of veggie goodness.
The pie has a hearty, protein-packed filling of crumbled tempeh, brown lentils, and veggies, including celery, bell peppers, onions and green peas, seasoned perfectly with mustard, tomato paste, paprika, mint, thyme and, oh, yes, a spot of Irish whiskey.
Over all of this goodness goes a thick layer of mashed potatoes that turns golden and crusty in the oven.
If you're going to a potluck for St. Patrick's Day, this is the perfect recipe to bring along. It travels easily, and it will vanish in seconds! Or serve it at home, with a hunk of vegan Irish soda bread. You'll feel lucky as the Irish.
For more Irish inspiration, check out all of our vegan Irish recipes, including a classic vegan Irish stew, vegan Irish hand pies, vegan Irish chili and vegan colcannon.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy and protein-packed. The lentils and tempeh add heart-healthy protein and the veggies add flavor and deliciousness. (If you like meatless meat in the filling, try out this vegan breakfast shepherd's pie, which is also so, so good.)
- One-dish meal. All the nutrients you need are in this single dish: healthy protein, healthy carbs and lots of yum.
- Simple recipe with pantry ingredients. Most of the ingredients you need in this dish are likely already in your home, including the lentils and the dried herbs.
- Gluten-free, nut-free recipe. See section on special diets below to tweak the recipe to soy-free and oil-free diets.
Ingredients
- Brown lentils. Use canned or cooked lentils. Green lentils or puy lentils will work as a substitute.
- Smoked tempeh. This will give the best flavor but you can substitute with regular tempeh.
- Vegetables: onions, celery, carrots, green peas, cremini mushrooms and potatoes.
- Herbs: garlic, dried thyme, dried or fresh mint and dried rosemary.
- Seasonings: Irish whiskey (optional), tamari (or soy sauce), cayenne and/or paprika, tomato paste and Dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard.
- Extra virgin olive oil
How to make vegan Irish shepherd's pie
Heat oil in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add garlic, sauté for a few seconds, then stir in the onions along with some salt and ground black pepper. Stir and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add the carrots, celery and bell peppers and mix in.
Stir in the mushrooms. Add the Irish whiskey, if using and cook until most of the moisture in the pan has evaporated.
Add the tempeh and mix in.
Stir in the seasonings: tomato paste, mustard, tamari, cayenne and/or paprika, dried mint and dried thyme. Mix well.
Add the lentils and frozen green peas to the pot. Mix.
Cook until warmed through. Set aside.
Place the riced or mashed potatoes in a bowl and add salt, ground black pepper, dried rosemary, olive oil and non-dairy milk. Mix well until light and fluffy.
Spray a baking dish with oil. Layer the filling into the baking dish. Layer the mashed potatoes evenly over the lentil filling.
Use the tines of a fork to create decorative patterns in the mashed potatoes. Bake the shepherd's pie in a preheated , 400-degree Fahrenheit/205-degree Celsius oven for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned and crusty at the edges. Let the shepherd's pie stand 10 minutes before serving.
Tweaks for special diets
- Soy-free: Skip the tamari and use soy-free coconut aminos.
- Oil-free: Saute the vegetables in ¼ cup water. Skip the olive oil in the mashed potato layer and add more non-dairy milk as needed.
- Low-carb: Use mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes for the top layer.
Pro Tip
For more texture, cook the lentils until tender but slightly al dente. For a softer filling, cook the lentils until very tender.
Storage instructions
- Make-ahead: The filling and mashed potatoes can be made up to two days ahead and assembled before baking the day you plan to serve the shepherd's pie. The entire pie can be assembled and refrigerated up to two days in advance, then bake the day you will serve it.
- Refrigerate: Store the baked shepherd's pie in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freeze: The pie can be frozen, baked or unbaked, for up to three months. Bake or reheat before serving.
More vegan Irish recipes
Vegan Irish Shepherd's Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 1 small carrot (finely chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (any color, finely chopped)
- 6 oz cremini mushrooms (minced)
- 8 oz smoked tempeh (crumbled)
- ¼ cup Irish whiskey (optional)
- 1 tablespoon thyme (chopped. If using dry thyme use 1 tsp)
- 2 tablespoon mint (chopped. If using dry mint use 1 to 2 tsp)
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon tamari
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or wholegrain mustard)
- 28 oz brown lentils (canned or cooked, drained)
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
For mashed potato layer
- 2 pounds potatoes (preferably yellow potatoes or red potatoes. Boil the potatoes in their jackets until tender, then peel and mash or pass them through a potato ricer)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup nondairy milk (I use oat milk. Use any unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice)
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium, heat. Add garlic, sauté for a few seconds, then stir in the onions along with some salt and ground black pepper. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery and bell peppers and mix in.
- Stir in the mushrooms. Add the Irish whiskey, if using and cook until most of the moisture in the pan has evaporated. Add the tempeh and mix in.
- Stir in the seasonings: tomato paste, mustard, tamari, cayenne and/or paprika, dried mint and dried thyme. Mix well.
- Add the lentils and frozen green peas to the pot. Mix. Cook until warmed through. Check for salt, add if needed, then set aside.
Make mashed potatoes
- Place the riced or mashed potatoes in a bowl and add salt, ground black pepper, dried rosemary, olive oil and non-dairy milk. Mix well until light and fluffy.
Assemble and bake the shepherd's pie
- Spray a baking dish with oil. Layer the filling into the baking dish. Layer the mashed potatoes over the lentil filling in an even layer.
- Use the tines of a fork to create decorative patterns in the mashed potatoes. Bake the shepherd's pie in a preheated , 400-degree Fahrenheit/205-degree Celsius oven for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned and crusty at the edges. Let the shepherd's pie stand 10 minutes before serving.
Donna
Good recipe! For those other comments that said they don’t like tempeh, I could hardly taste it but I bet you could use tofu instead or faux ground “meat”. Mine was a little dry so I’d recommend some pats of “Butter” on top when served. I also put mine on a bed of fresh uncooked spinach for green color on St. Patrick’s Day. I also used chopped up whole snap peas instead of shell peas. Thanks for the recipe!
Vaishali
Hi Donna, thanks for the feedback. So happy you liked the shepherd's pie. I love the spinach idea! The filling can be made more moist by cooking the lentils very soft and then mashing them up a bit in the skillet. You can also leave some moisture in the filling if you want it softer.