Vegan Lentil Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie for One

This was a practice run. My vegetarian friends have started bringing their vegan friend along when they come for dinner, so I wanted a vegan shepherd's pie I was happy with before the next visit.

In Britain a shepherd's pie is made with lamb, and a cottage pie with beef, so the lentils and mushrooms here do the job of the mince. If you'd like the traditional version, here is my leftover lamb shepherd's pie. This one is a vegan shepherd's pie for one, with a savoury gravy under a golden mash.

Why Lentils and Mushrooms in a Vegan Shepherd's Pie?

The mushrooms are the savoury part. I use fresh chestnut mushrooms for the colour and a few rehydrated mixed mushrooms for depth, and their soaking liquor goes into the gravy as well. The lentils give the filling body, so this vegan lentil shepherd's pie eats like a proper pie and not a thin stew.

Vegan Lentil Mushroom Shepherd's Pie for One – Lentils, Mushrooms and Creamy Mash

Serves 1 | 20cm oval gratin dish | Boil 10–15 minutes | Bake 15 minutes, then grill 2–3 minutes

Ingredients for the lentil mushroom filling

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• ½ stalk celery, finely diced
• 40g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 40g rehydrated mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped, plus their soaking liquor
• 100g cooked brown lentils (from a jar), drained
• ½ tbsp tomato purée
• 80ml vegetable stock
• A pinch of dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp frozen peas

Ingredients for the mashed potato topping

• 1 medium floury potato (Maris Piper or King Edward), about 175g, peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp vegan spread or vegan butter
• 1–2 tbsp almond milk (or another plant milk)
• A pinch each of garlic powder, salt and pepper

Method

1. Boil the cubed potato in a small pan of salted water for 10–15 minutes until fork-tender. Drain well.
2. Mash the potato with the vegan spread, almond milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
4. Add both lots of mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until they have released their moisture and browned.
5. Stir in the tomato purée, thyme, lentils, vegetable stock and mushroom soaking liquor. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until the filling thickens into a rich gravy. Season to taste and stir in the peas right at the end.
6. Spoon the filling into a greased 20cm oval gratin dish. Spread the mash evenly over the top and rough it up with a fork to make ridges.
7. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 15 minutes to heat through, then put it under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes until the peaks turn golden and crisp. Let it cool a little before serving.

Recipe Notes

• I usually cook with red lentils, but mine were old and tough, so I used a jar of cooked brown lentils instead. Any cooked lentils will do in a vegan lentil shepherd's pie.
• I made the mash with Flora 100% Vegana and almond milk. Any vegan spread and plant milk will work.
• If you are cooking for a vegan, check that your vegetable stock and spread are labelled vegan.
• Rough up the mash with a fork before baking. The ridges are what catch and crisp under the grill.

If this pie found its way onto your table, you can buy me a coffee ☕ — it helps keep the site going.

Footnote

This vegan shepherd's pie for one is part of my Veggie & Vegan Recipes collection — vegetarian and vegan dishes that don't feel like a compromise.

It also features in my Mushroom Recipes collection and my Potato Recipes collection — everything I cook with potatoes, from stovies to pies.

You will find it, with the cottage, shepherd's and fish pies, in my Pie Recipes collection.