Vegan lentil & mushroom shepherd’s pie
Hearty, savoury lentil and mushroom filling topped with creamy mashed potato — a cosy vegan dinner everyone will love.
Think of this as the cosy, plant-based cousin of the classic. Earthy chestnut mushrooms and hearty lentils give the filling that meaty bite while a creamy, buttery (vegan) mash does the comfort-food job brilliantly.
Make this when you want warming midweek fodder, a crowd-pleasing bake for guests, or a freezer-friendly dinner to reach for on tired evenings. It’s proper homely and surprisingly simple.
Ingredients
- 900 g floury potatoes — peeled and cut into even chunks
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — finely chopped
- 2 carrots — peeled and diced
- 2 celery sticks — trimmed and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms — coarsely chopped
- 400 g tinned brown lentils — drained and rinsed
- 30 ml tomato purée
- 15 ml plain flour
- 100 ml red wine — optional, adds depth
- 500 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 15 ml soy sauce — use tamari if gluten-free
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 25 g vegan margarine
- 75 ml unsweetened oat milk — warm
- 30 ml nutritional yeast — optional, for savoury 'cheesy' flavour
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 15 g fresh flatleaf parsley — chopped, to garnish
Equipment
- large ovenproof baking dish (approx 20 x 30cm)
- potato masher
- large saucepan
- large frying pan
- colander
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Place a medium saucepan of water on to boil for the potatoes.
Put the potatoes into the boiling water, add a big pinch of sea salt and simmer until tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
While the potatoes cook, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion, carrots and celery and fry, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Push the veg to one side of the pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the chestnut mushrooms. Fry until the mushrooms have released their moisture and are beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.
Stir the garlic and tomato purée into the vegetables and fry for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw edge.
Sprinkle over the plain flour, stir well and cook for 1 minute to take the raw flour taste out.
If using, pour in the red wine and let it bubble for 1 minute to reduce slightly. Add the hot vegetable stock, soy sauce, dried thyme and the tinned brown lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened and flavours have melded, about 8 minutes. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Return the drained potatoes to the empty saucepan over low heat for 1 minute to dry off any residual moisture. Remove from the heat, add the vegan margarine, warm oat milk and nutritional yeast, then mash until just smooth. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Spoon the lentil and mushroom filling into an ovenproof baking dish (approx 20 x 30cm) and level. Dollop the mash on top and spread to cover; roughen the surface with a fork to create peaks that will crisp.
Bake in the preheated oven until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Scatter over the chopped fresh flatleaf parsley and serve.
Tips
- Use floury potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward) for a light, fluffy mash — waxy varieties stay gummy.
- If the filling looks dry while simmering, add hot stock a tablespoon at a time; if it’s too loose, simmer uncovered to reduce.
- Make ahead: assemble, cool, then chill for up to 24 hours before baking (add 5–10 minutes to bake time if chilled).
- Freeze: cooled, unbaked pies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake from chilled.
- For crisper peaks, use a fork to roughen the mash and brush very lightly with olive oil before baking.
Substitutions
tinned brown lentils → 200 g dried brown lentils, soaked and cooked until tender (use approx 600 ml water), then drained
Stays closeunsweetened oat milk → unsweetened soy milk, same quantity
Stays closeplain flour → 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water, added at the end of simmering
Noticeably differentnutritional yeast → a splash of extra vegan margarine and a pinch of smoked paprika for savoury depth
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 440
- Calories
- 15 g
- Protein
- 66 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — replace plain flour with 1 tsp cornflour mixed into a little cold water and stir into the simmering filling, and use tamari instead of soy sauce if needed.
How long will leftovers keep?
Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven until piping hot, about 20–25 minutes.
Can I swap the lentils for minced soya or other plant 'mince'?
Yes — textured vegetable protein or vegan mince works well. Rehydrate and brown, then follow the same steps; you may need a little less cooking time.
My mash turned gluey — what went wrong?
Most likely the potatoes were overworked or too wet. Mash while hot, use minimal liquid, and stop as soon as smooth.
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