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Vegan Shephard's Pie

Course Dinner, Holiday, Lunch, Main Course, Special Occasion
Cuisine Holiday
Keyword Holiday Recipes, potatoes, Special Occasion, Vegan Casserole, Vegan Pie
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 5 people
Author The Earth Kitchen

Equipment

  • oven safe casserole dish (9" x 13" or 7" x 11")
  • potato masher / ricer / food processor
  • blender / immersion blender
  • sauté skillet
  • Boiling pot
  • sauce pan
  • measuring cups
  • collander
  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients

FOR THE GRAVY

  • 6 pcs dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1½ cup hot boiling water
  • 1½ cup vegetable broth see notes (I used the Better Than Bouillon vegetable base)
  • ⅓ medium (½ cup) white onion roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves (1 tbsp) garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 3 tbsp red wine (any red wine of choice)
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened plain plant milk (I used almond milk)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted vegan butter
  • fresh thyme to taste
  • fresh rosemary to taste
  • 1½ tbsp corn starch dissolved in 1½ tbsp water for a slurry
  • salt & pepper to taste

FOR THE "MEAT" FILLING

  • 340 g (0.75 lbs) Impossible Burger Ground "Beef" or substitute with any meatless grounds (defrosted)
  • 1 medium (½ cup) carrot diced
  • 3 stalks (½ cup) celery thinly sliced
  • 3 pieces rehydrated shiitake mushrooms chopped
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • ⅓ medium (¾ cup) white onion diced
  • 3 cloves (1 tbsp) garlic minced
  • 1½ tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • ½ tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • fresh thyme to taste
  • fresh rosemary to taste
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for sautéing

FOR THE MASHED POTATOES

  • 4 pcs Yukon gold potatoes peeled and roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened plain plant milk
  • ½ tbsp garlic powder
  • ½ tbsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • water for boiling

Instructions

STEP ONE: FOR THE GRAVY

  • Rinse dried mushrooms clean before using.
    Bring dried mushrooms to a boil or soak in hot water for 20-30 minutes to rehydrate. Remove soaked mushrooms and squeeze out excess liquids. Chop (3) pieces for the gravy sauce. The remaining mushrooms will be used for the filling and set aside.
    Reserve the mushroom liquids for the broth.
  • Preheat a sauce pan to medium. Coat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once heated, toss the diced onions in to sauté until it is fragrant. Add thyme and rosemary and stir. Drop in the mushrooms and sauté with the onion mixture. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt & pepper. Finally, toss in the garlic and allow to sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the liquids such as the mushroom & vegetable broth, soy sauce, and plant milk. Stir. Using a blender (or immersion blender) pour mixture and blend until all solid ingredients have turned into liquid form.
    Transfer back into the sauce pan and set pan to medium low heat.
  • Pour red wine and add the butter. Mix until well combined. Then add the corn starch slurry and whisk.
  • Allow the gravy to simmer until it thickens. Turn off heat.
    NOTE: I like my gravy a bit runny than very thick. If you prefer to have a thicker gravy, add another tablespoon of corn starch and stir in the gravy as it simmers (be sure it is dissolved in a little bit of water before adding it in).

STEP 2: FOR THE "MEAT" FILLING

  • Using a sauté pan, preheat stove top to medium high heat. Coat with olive oil. Once heated, toss the diced onions in to sauté until it is fragrant. Add thyme and rosemary and stir. Drop in the mushrooms and sauté with the onion mixture. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt & pepper. Add the carrots and finally, toss in the garlic and allow to sauté for another 2-4 minutes.
  • Add the plant-based "meat" into the pan and stir with the aromatics until well combined and it is fully crumbled into grounds. Toss in the celery, green peas, and add tomato paste. Mix and let it set for 1-2 minutes.
    Reduce heat to medium.
  • Using a measuring cup, gradually pour a cup of the gravy sauce into the meaty filling. I would do half a cup at a time. Season with soy sauce, paprika, and brown sugar. Stir. Allow the mixture braise until liquid reduces. You don't need to overcook the filling as it will be baked to finish.
    Reserve remaining gravy to serve.
  • Season with salt & pepper to taste. Turn off heat.
  • Prepare your casserole dish. Gently pour filling on the dish and spread on the entire dish. Set aside.

STEP 3: FOR THE MASH POTATOES

  • Bring roughly chopped potatoes to a boil until it is tender and breaks apart when a fork is pierced through.
  • Strain out the potatoes from the water. While it is still hot, transfer in a food processor (or on a mixing bowl if you are using an immersion blender / masher / ricer). Pulse on high speed until potatoes are smooth and creamy. Bring in a mixing bowl.
  • Season the potatoes and add the butter, milk, garlic and onion powder, paprika, salt & pepper. Fold all ingredients on the potatoes until well combined & smooth.
  • Grab the casserole dish with meat filling. Pour mash potatoes on top of the meat filling and spread out into an even layer and smooth out the surface with a back of a spoon or spatula.
  • This part is optional (and mainly for aesthetics), using a back of a spoon (or spatula), create patterns or textures on the top layer of the mash potato. You can also run a fork to create streaks. This can also help baking the dish evenly.

STEP 4: TO BAKE

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Bake the pie for 18-25 minutes or until potatoes have turned golden brown on the edges.

TO SERVE

  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  • Pour with gravy sauce to serve.

Notes

Vegetable Broth - I used The Better Than Bouillon paste (1 tablespoon) dissolved in water. I prefer using this over regular vegetable broth as it is richer in flavor. You may also use a vegan "no beef / no chicken" Bouillon cube. If you don't have either, vegetable broth will do, just be sure to season to taste as you go.
Plant-Based "Meat" Substitute - If you are not comfortable using any "meat" substitutes, you can use cooked lentils and add more mushrooms to keep it purely plant-based. 
Preparing your mash potatoes - Be sure to prepare to potatoes last before baking to keep it warm. Cold or room temperature potatoes will get harder and gritty in texture.
Short on time? Prepare the meat filling and gravy up to two days in advance! Just be sure to store it properly in an air tight container in the coldest part of your fridge to keep it fresh.