Comforting Vegan Shepherd's Pie

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 06/9/21
Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Diana Miller / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 1 casserole

Made with green peas, gravy, and corn, this vegan shepherd's pie is a satisfying, comforting and hearty main meal that's great for vegetarian, vegan and omnivore diets alike. 

Experts believe that shepherd's pie originated in northern England and Scotland in the late 1700s after potatoes were first introduced into the United Kingdom. The name wasn't given its official name until 1870 and has been considered a staple in British food and around the world ever since. Shepherd's pie is usually made with lamb or mutton and is referred to as "cottage pie" when it's made with different meat, or in this case, a meat substitute. Before the introduction of shepherd's pie as the comfort food we know it to be today, a similar pie was commonly made in Scotland, using a pastry crust in place of potatoes.

Ready to make your own comfort food? Try this simple vegan shepherd's pie recipe that uses texturized vegetable protein (TVP) for a meaty and filling texture.

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Ingredients

  • 4 medium potatoes, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons margarine

  • 1/4 cup soy milk

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 1/2 cups vegetarian ground beef substitute, such as tvp

  • 1 1/4 cups vegan gravy

  • 1/2 cup green peas

  • 1/2 cup corn

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • Dash cayenne pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  2. Boil or microwave the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash with the margarine and soy milk. Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.

  3. Sauté the onion for a few minutes, until tender, in the vegetable oil.

  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onions, beef substitute or rehydrated TVP, vegan gravy, peas, corn, garlic powder, and cayenne. Pour into a pie pan or baking dish.

  5. Spread the mashed potatoes over the veggie mixture.

  6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until heated through.

Tips

  • Textured vegetable protein is made from soybeans and can be used as a vegetarian meat substitute in any recipe that calls for turkey or ground beef.
  • To rehydrate TVP, combine the dry TVP with an equal measurement of boiling water and stir until reconstituted. The one to one method usually works well, but you may need to add more water as you go along. 

Sources:

Curtis, M. (2015). How to prepare textured vegetable protein. Retrieved November 27, 2016, from http://thepracticalvegetarian.com/PrepareT_V_P.html#sthash.Wevor0ek.dpbs

TVP® (Textured Vegetable Protein). (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2016, from http://www.bobsredmill.com/tvp-textured-veg-protein.html

Where was shepherd’s pie originally created? Retrieved November 27, 2016, from food, https://www.reference.com/food/shepherd-s-pie-originally-created-6990876eaa9d2a7e#

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
486 Calories
12g Fat
72g Carbs
27g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 486
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 606mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 13g 47%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 26mg 130%
Calcium 157mg 12%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 2198mg 47%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)