Easy Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s pie is a classic British winter dish. This vegan version has all the best qualities - it’s warming, hearty, comfort food at it’s finest. Made with chunky tender vegetables and chickpeas in a thick, rich gravy, and topped with fluffy potatoes which turn golden and crispy on the top.

I’ve tried loads of vegan shepherd’s pie recipes in my time, and this version takes the best bits from each one to form the ultimate recipe. It’s packed with protein, is low-fat, and of course has a huge array of vitamins and minerals. But, most importantly, this vegan shepherd’s pie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Easy Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 1kg potatoes (floury varieties like Russet or King Edwards work best

• 3 Tbsp rapeseed oil

• 30g dried porcini mushrooms

• 2 leeks, chopped

• 2 onions, diced

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 4 sticks celery, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 5 Tbsp tomato puree

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 small butternut squash

• 2 tsp dried oregano

• A dozen sprigs of thyme, leaves picked

• 250g cooked puy lentils

• 1 x 400g can chickpeas

• Vegan stock cube or 2 tsp vegan stock powder

• 300g frozen peas

• 300g frozen spinach

• Lots of freshly ground black pepper

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 cup plant-based milk

• Handful fresh parsley

Method:

Start by preparing your potatoes. Peel them and roughly chop into large chunks, then boil for 30-40 minutes or until they are tender. Drain and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, soak the porcini mushrooms in 200ml hot water for 10-15 minutes, then lift out the mushrooms, reserve the liquid, and chop the soaked mushrooms into small chunks.

Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan, then add the onions, leeks, carrots and celery, and saute for 5-10 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the porcini mushrooms, garlic, tomato puree, soy sauce, paprika, squash, oregano and thyme, then continue to saute for another 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Now add the chickpeas (along with the liquid from the can), the lentils, the reserved water from the porcini mushrooms, and add a vegan stock cube or powder. Add the frozen peas and spinach, season with lots of black pepper (there’s enough salt already in the stock and soy sauce) and simmer for another 10 minutes. Take 200g of the boiled potatoes, mash roughly with a fork, and stir through the vegetables (this helps to thicken and enrich the sauce).

Now prepare the mash topping by mashing the remaining boiled potatoes with the olive oil, plant-based milk and fresh parsley until smooth. Divide the filling between your pie dish (or dishes). Dollop the mashed potato on top and spread out evenly over the pie using the back of a fork.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180C (360F) and bake the pies for around 40 minutes, until the filling is piping hot and the potatoes have turned golden and crispy on the top. Serve with a fresh salad or mixed green veg.

Nutrition (per serving):

• Protein: 13.7g (Women: 27.4% / Men: 24.9%)

• Iron: 4.4mg (Women: 29.7% / Men: 50.6%)

• Calories: 378 (Women: 18.9% / Men: 15.1%)

• Sugar: 9.9g (Women: 11.0% / Men: 8.3%)

• Total Fats: 11.6g (Women: 16.6% / Men: 12.2%)

• Saturated Fat: 1.2g (Women: 6.0% / Men: 4.0%)

• Salt: 0.9g (Women: 15.0% / Men: 15.0%)

• Fibre: 11.1g (Women: 37.0% / Men: 37.0%)

  See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Curried sweet potato, chickpea and spinach filo pie

This is wholesome comfort food in its highest form. This pie has a flaky, crispy topping but a warming and hearty filling that's fragranced with a delicious blend of spices. Served with a really quick and easy sautéed okra side dish, it's the perfect winter warmer and is seriously nutritious. 

Ingredients (for a pie with 4 large servings):

• 3 medium sweet potatoes

• 260g bag of fresh spinach

• 1 can chickpeas

• 1 large white onion, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, minced

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Handful fresh coriander

• 6 x 45g filo pastry sheets

• 2 Tbsp rapeseed oil

For the sautéed okra (serves 4):

• 350g fresh okra, trimmed and cut into 1-2cm pieces

• 2 Tbsp rapeseed oil

• 1 large white onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 2 fresh tomatoes, diced

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped

• 2 tsp ground coriander seeds

• Handful fresh coriander to serve

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C. Meanwhile, peel and chop the sweet potato into 2cm cubes, drop into a pan of boiling water, and boil for 8 minutes or until tender but slightly under-done. Then drain them and set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Then add the crushed garlic, fresh ginger, mustard seeds, ground coriander, cumin, garam masala, and turmeric, and cook gently to release the aromas for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the spinach and continue to sauté until wilted. Roughly mash the sweet potato with a fork until just some chunks remain, then stir this in to the spinach mixture along with the drained chickpeas, lemon juice and fresh coriander. This is now your pie filling. 

Lightly brush a 9-inch pie dish with some of the remaining rapeseed oil, then layer one filo sheet in the dish. Lightly brush this sheet with some oil, then layer another sheet at a right angle to the first. Repeat with two more sheets, both at 45 degree angles to the first. Then tip in your pie filling and press down so it fills the dish evenly. Fold the overhanging filo sheets over the pie filling and scrunch up on the top. Also scrunch up the two remaining filo sheets and add to the top of the pie so the top is entirely covered with scrunched filo, and brush this with oil too. Cook the pie for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden and crispy. 

Meanwhile, to make the sautéed okra, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Then add the garlic, okra, tomatoes, and chilli, and continue to fry, stirring gently. The okra will release a sticky substance initially but keep cooking and this will disappear and the tomatoes will begin to break down. After about 10 minutes, add the ground coriander and a splash of water and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, until the okra is tender and the flavours have infused. 

Nutrition (per quarter pie with quarter of the okra):

• Protein: 14.6g (Women: 29.2% / Men: 26.5%)

• Iron: 4.4mg (Women: 29.7% / Men: 38.9%)

• Calories: 542 (Women: 27.1% / Men: 21.7%)

• Sugar: 12.2g (Women: 13.6% / Men: 10.2%)

• Total Fat: 17.0g (Women: 24.3% / Men: 17.9%)

• Saturated Fat: 1.3g (Women: 6.5% / Men: 4.3%)

• Salt: 1.1g (Women: 18.3% / Men: 18.3%)

• Fibre: 13.0g (Women: 43.3% / Men: 43.3%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.