Call it Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie – this casserole dish is delicious for BIG FAMILY WEEKEND MEALS. Your favorite Veggie Cottage Pie packed with vegetables and topped with mash. You can also make this in the Instant Pot or on the Stove Top.
THE VEGGIE SHEPHERD’S PIE RECIPE
I love to cook quick and easy recipes just like this delicious Veggie Shepherd’s pie. This pie is made with a base of vegetables and lentils and then topped with mashed potatoes and cheese.
This recipe is a great way to sneak in all the extra veggies into our diet.
HELLO FRESH RECIPES ONLINE
HelloFresh has a repertoire of recipes online. They have detailed ingredients and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions on the website. Even if I don’t manage to order one of the delivery meal kit boxes, I like to browse through for quick and easy dinner time recipe inspirations. I came across this wonderful British Classic Vegetarian recipe for Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie from Hello Fresh and instantly fell in love with them. Ingredients were all available in my pantry and I knew that this is what I was going to treat my family over the weekend. Moreover, when a recipe is topped with lots of mashed potatoes & bubbling cheese, you will see happy children around.
The recipe called for Mushrooms and I did not have them in my refrigerator. So I used frozen mixed vegetables and a can of brown lentils.
I have also tried Vegan Creamy Aubergine Curry and this is simply a delicious midweek meal.
THE VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD’S PIE
This British classic dish Shepherds Pie was invented in late 1700 where the leftover lamb meat was cooked and then topped with mashed potatoes & cheese in a casserole dish. Over the years, people who cannot savor Shepherd’s pie started substituting the meat component for an alternative vegetarian/ vegan filling. That’s how this classic British dish has now been reinvented to suit Vegetarians and Vegans too.
I call this Meat Free version – Shepherd’s Pie, Shepherdess Pie,Cottage Garden Pie and even Cottage Pie.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHEPHERD’S PIE & COTTAGE PIE?
Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie are made in a similar fashion. The only difference in the casserole dish comes down to what kind of ground meat to use. Shepherd’s Pie uses Lamb meat where as Cottage Pie uses Beef Filling.
Since we are using a Vegan filling, you can call it with either of the names.
HOW TO MAKE OUR BEST INSTANT POT SHEPHERDS PIE ( VEGETARIAN ) -VIDEO (1 MIN):
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN AN EASY SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH LENTILS?
For Tasty Shepherd’s Pie Filling, you will need
Olive Oil or Butter
Onions
Fresh garlic, minced
Chopped tomatoes
Vegetable Stock / Vegetable Broth
Ground coriander powder, mixed herbs
Fresh rosemary, parsley
Worcester sauce
Cooked Green Lentils or Brown Lentils ( from a Can )
For Mashed Potatoes –
Potatoes, cut into even chunks.
Unsalted Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
HOW TO MAKE VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD’S PIE?
You can cook this recipe for NO FUSS Shepherd’s Pie on your stove using a large lidded casserole dish (such as a Dutch Oven or shallow cast iron casserole), in a pressure cooker/ instant pot or a in a slow cooker.
The stovetop method particularly allows for the most control over the amount of liquid in the curry. However, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid in Instant Pot and Crockpot methods. Do check the recipe card below for detailed instructions on how to make Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie in Instant Pot & Stove Top.
Stove Top Method
Prep the Potatoes – Bring a large sauce pan of water to boil and add the potatoes. Allow them to boil over medium heat until tender or about 20 minutes. TIP: The potato is cooked when you can easily slip a knife through.
Mash the Topping –When the potato is ready, drain in a colander and return to the pan off the heat. Mash with a potato masher or fork, add the butter, mix well, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the prepared mashed potatoes to one side.
Shepherd’s Pie Filling -Heat olive oil in a lidded casserole dish. Add Onion & Garlic and saute until translucent about 3 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables, chopped tomatoes with juice from the can, vegetable stock, coriander powder, mixed herbs, rosemary sprigs , Worcester sauce and stir until just combined. Season salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook until the vegetables still have a little bite.Lower the heat until the mixture is simmering and cook with the lid off until the mixture has reduced by half, say 10- 15 mins.
Add the lentil’s mixture , season with more salt & pepper if needed and stir. Remove the Rosemary sprigs and set it aside.
Finish the dish & Serve – Preheat the grill to the highest setting. Pile the lentil mixture into an ovenproof pie dish and top it with potato mash. Smooth the mash with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle the grated cheese and some Worcester sauce. Place the dish under the grill for 3 mins. You want the cheese to be golden and bubbling. Serve!
INSTANT POT METHOD
I find IP method one of the easiest and fuss free method for cooking, as we are talking about dump and start for the pie filling.
Mashed Potatoes can be prepared in advance in your IP or alternatively use the stove pot method as mentioned above. I have a recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes to guide you through.
To prepare Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie, dump the ingredients for the pie filling into the pot. Set to high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow the IP to naturally release the pressure. Open the Instant Pot and cook the pie filling on ‘Sauté’ High setting, stirring, until the lentil mixture has the right consistency. Saute only if there is any extra cooking liquid left. Taste for seasoning, squeeze some lemon juice and adjust if needed. Discard the rosemary before dishing out.
To finish the dish and serve the veggie shepherd’s pie, pile the lentil mixture into a pie dish for sharing and smaller dishes for freezing. Top them with a layer of potato mash, grated cheese and worcester sauce. Grill them on the highest setting for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling away. Serve Hot!
What to serve with vegetarian cottage pie?
Serve your vegetable cottage pie with sweet potato wedges and green salad. However, as it already has got lots of vegetables, lentils, potatoes, and cheese, it makes a delicious stand-alone meal too.
Can I prepare veggie shepherd’s pie in advance?
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie can be made in advance and stored up to 3 days in advance in the refrigerator. Prep the cottage pie all the way until assembling and wrap them in foil and place it in the refrigerator. Bake at 180C/ 350º F to heat throughout, about 20-30 minutes.
How long can I keep it in the fridge?
Leftover Veggie Cottage Pie can stay in the refrigerator for about 4 days. You might need to sprinkle some water to fresh it up while reheating in a microwave.
Is this Vegetarian Pie Freezer Friendly?
Yes, This Shepherd’s pie is freezer safe and can be stored for up to three months. Dish out the pie filling topped with mash and cheese in individual portions of casserole dishes. Allow the dish to come to room temperature and &; then cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to eat, reheat (still covered with the foil) for 30-45 minutes in a 180 C / 350ºF oven. Thaw them in the refrigerator the night before and you can cut the cooking time by half!
How Can I make a Vegan version of Shepherd’s Pie?
To make Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, use Vegan cheddar cheese in the topping and vegan butter for the potato mash. You may use 1 Tbsp of nutritional yeast in your mash for added flavor.
YOU WILL ALSO LOVE THESE RECIPES
Dump & Start Red Lentil Tortilla Soup
Glazed Carrots
Simplest Spaghetti Aglio Olio
Butternut Squash Red Lentil Dal
VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD’S PIE RECIPE BELOW
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Recipe ( Instant Pot + Stove Top Instructions)
Print Pin RateIngredients
Veggie Shepherd’s Pie Filling
- 2 Tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion diced
- 2-3 Garlic cloves minced
- 41/2 Cup of Mixed Vegetables
- 2 Sprigs Rosemary
- 400 g Cooked Green Lentils or 1 Can
- 1 Tbsp Coriander
- 2 tbsp Worcester Sauce
- 1 Can of Chopped tomatoes
- 250 ml Vegetable Stock ( 150ml only required for IP cooking )
- 2 Tsp Mixed Herbs Optional
- 2 Tsp Lemon Juice
Mashed Potatoes
- 900 g of Potatoes cut into even chunks
- 60 g of Unsalted Butter
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Toppings
- 125 g Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tbsp Finely chopped Parsley
Instructions
Stove Top Method
- Prep the Potatoes – Bring a large sauce pan of water to boil and add the potatoes. Allow them to boil over medium heat until tender or about 20 minutes. TIP: The potato is cooked when you can easily slip a knife through.
- Mash the Topping –When the potato is ready, drain in a colander and return to the pan off the heat. Mash with a potato masher or fork, add the butter, mix well, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the prepared mashed potatoes to one side.
- Shepherd’s Pie Filling – Heat olive oil in a lidded casserole dish. Add Onion & Garlic and saute until translucent about 3 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables, chopped tomatoes with juice from the can, vegetable stock, coriander powder, mixed herbs, rosemary sprigs , Worcester sauce and stir until just combined. Season salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook until the vegetables still have a little bite.Lower the heat until the mixture is simmering and cook with the lid off until the mixture has reduced by half, say 10- 15 mins.
- Add the lentil’s mixture, lemon juice, season with more salt & pepper if needed and stir. Remove the Rosemary sprigs and set it aside.
- Finish the dish & Serve – Preheat the grill to the highest setting. Pile the lentil mixture into an ovenproof pie dish and top it with potato mash. Smooth the mash with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle the grated cheese and some Worcester sauce. Place the dish under the grill for 3 mins. You want the cheese to be golden and bubbling. Serve!
Instant Pot Method
- IP Mashed Potatoes recipe can be adapted from here or make them with stove top instructions above.
- Dump the ingredients 2 -9 in the Instant pot. Stir to combine. We only need 150ml of Stock for IP Cooking.
- Cover, set vent to sealing and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow the IP to naturally release the pressure.
- Open the Instant Pot and cook the pie filling on ‘Sauté’ High setting, stirring, until the lentil mixture has the right consistency. Saute only if any cooking liquid is left in the pot. Squeeze some lemon juice and stir.
- Check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Discard the rosemary before dishing out.
- To finish the dish and serve the veggie shepherds pie, pile the lentil mixture into a pie dish for sharing and smaller dishes for freezing. Top them with a layer of potato mash, grated cheese and worcester sauce. Grill them on the highest setting for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling away. Serve Hot!
Video
Disclosure – This post is in collaboration with Hello Fresh.
Leave a Reply