Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie is a decadent meal that is guilt free eating.
I don’t know why I am fascinated with Shepherd’s Pie…It could be because I like anything British? It may be because technically it’s ‘mashed potatoes and gravy’? I don’t know but I do know I like Shepherd’s Pie. (Except for the peas….I am not fond of peas).
What is Shepherd’s Pie?
In Great Britain, you actually have two dishes that are very similar. One is Shepherd’s Pie which most of us are probably familiar with and then there is Cottage Pie and the only real difference is the meat they use. Shepherd’s Pie uses lamb and Cottage Pie contains beef. Both have vegetables and are covered with potatoes. Most Shepherd’s/Cottage Pies have peas in their recipe. As I said before, not a fan of peas. That’s why this recipe has green beans. Feel free to substitute peas for beans if you wish.
Why Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie?
I wanted to create a Shepherd’s Pie that had that umami flavor without using any type of meat that normal traditional pies have. So I used two types of mushrooms to give it that “meaty” texture and flavor. Use whatever types of mushroom blend that you like. By using mushrooms instead of meat, I was able to make this recipe totally vegan.
I used margarine (plant-based) instead of butter and vegan cream cheese (made with almond milk) instead of cream or milk. In this recipe, I used Kitehill brand, and I was very satisfied. It gave the potatoes a very rich and tangy taste.
I also used vegetable broth and soy sauce instead of the typical Worcestershire sauce, which isn’t vegan. If you are not concerned about it being vegan, then you can replace the soy sauce and use regular cream cheese.
You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy this hearty meal. I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised. Serve this with a loaf of bread and your meal is complete.
Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie
Course: Dinner, MainCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium30
minutes30
minutesIngredients
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
¼ cup margarine
¼ cup vegan cream cheese
½ tsp. salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
½ cup chopped carrots
1 ½ lb. portobello mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
½ lb. white mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp pepper
½ cup frozen green beans
½ cup frozen corn
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp soy sauce
1 cup vegetable broth
½ tsp paprika
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Add diced potatoes to a large saucepan and add cold water until the potatoes are covered. Add some salt and bring to a boil at high heat. Once the water is boiling, cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Drain potatoes well and add to a mixing bowl. Add ½ tsp salt, margarine and cream cheese and with a potato masher, mix until thoroughly combined and creamy. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add chopped onions and 1 tsp salt and pepper. Cook until soft for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, mushrooms, garlic, thyme and parsley and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add corn and green beans and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and mix well. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and mix until completely combined. Add the soy sauce and vegetable broth and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the vegetable mixture has thickened.
- Add the vegetable mixture to a baking dish and spread out evenly. Add the potatoes on top of the vegetables and spread out. Sprinkle paprika over the potatoes.
- Bake for 30 minutes until potatoes are golden brown. Enjoy!
