Filled with mushrooms, lentils, carrots, and green peas and covered with fluffy mashed potatoes, this vegetarian lentil shepherd’s pie is a hearty plant-based meal. Not only does it feed a crowd, but it keeps incredibly well in the fridge or freezer, so you’ll have healthy leftovers for days to come.

I think we can all agree that shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food. On a cold fall or winter’s day, there is nothing quite like a stick-to-your-ribs meal like shepherd’s pie. While I love a traditional shepherd’s pie made with ground beef or ground lamb and, to be clear, there is nothing unhealthy about it, using lentils in shepherd’s pie is simply a good way to create a vegetarian shepherd’s pie and a fun way to mix up a traditional dish!

What is the difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie?

Shepherd’s pie and cottage pie are savory British casserole dishes made from ground meat and mashed potato topping but the difference between the two is found in the meat. While the names are often used interchangeably, a shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, while traditional cottage pie is made from ground beef.

Can you add lentils to shepherd’s pie?

Yes! While a traditional shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, if you want to make a vegetarian version, you can use lentils. Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein and a great alternative for ground meat in a shepherd’s pie recipe as their texture resembles that of ground meat once cooked. You can replace 1 pound of ground beef or ground lamb with 1 cup of dry lentils or 2.5 cups of cooked lentils in a shepherd’s pie recipe.

What lentils are best for shepherd’s pie?

Green or brown lentils are best for shepherd’s pie. Green and brown lentils have the best texture and flavor for shepherd’s pie; their mild flavor allows them to absorb the flavors they are cooked in, and their texture more closely resembles ground meat once cooked. Yellow or red lentils have a stronger flavor and are too soft once cooked and will not work well as a replacement for ground meat in a shepherd’s pie recipe.

Ingredients for Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Here’s what you’ll need to make a shepherd’s pie recipe with lentils.

• Lentils: Be sure to use brown lentils or green lentils as they provide the best meat-like texture and flavor.
• Potatoes: While you can use any white potato, I recommend using Russet potatoes are their flavor pairs nicely, they have a great fluffy texture once mashed, and they are the more traditional potatoes used in shepherd’s pie. You could also use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for the topping. Although they’re not necessarily healthier in any way, sweet potatoes add a touch of sweetness to the dish, which would contrast nicely with the earthy lentil and mushroom flavors.
• Mushrooms: Some chopped mushrooms help to enhance the meaty texture and flavor of the dish, feel free to use any type of mushroom or combination of mushrooms you like.
• Carrots and Peas: You can use fresh or frozen peas and carrots.
• Thyme, Onion, and Garlic: Some aromatics to enhance the flavor of the dish. Although I used dried thyme you could use fresh thyme and a little rosemary would work nicely too.
• Vegetable Broth: Cooking the lentils in broth instead of water helps to add an extra depth of flavor. Depending on dietary preferences, beef broth, chicken broth, and mushroom broth would all also work well.
• Worcestershire Sauce: A traditional ingredient to enhance the savory and umami flavor. Note, if you follow a vegan diet Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so you can replace it with vegan Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or tamari.
• Tomato Paste and Flour: Some essentials to help thicken the gravy and lentil mixture.

How to Make Shepherd’s Pie with Lentils

Making shepherd’s pie with lentils is very similar to making shepherd’s pie with meat, you simply need to ensure the lentils are well seasoned and cooked before layering them into the casserole. Here’s an overview of the steps:

• Cook the potatoes. Peel and cook the potatoes until they are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.
• Cook the veggies. While the potatoes are cooking you can start on the vegetable filling of onion, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme.
• Make the lentil filling. Once the veggies are ready, add the flour, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and lentils and cook them with the broth until the lentil are just tender and the broth is thickened.
• Mash the potato topping. Once the potatoes are cooked and fork tender, mash them with butter, broth, and milk until fluffy and creamy.
• Layer the shepherd’s pie. In a large casserole dish, layer the bottom with the lentil and mushroom filling and evenly spread the mashed potato mixture over the top.
• Bake until golden and bubbling. Once prepared, transfer the shepherd’s pie to the oven to bake until the mashed potato top is golden brown, and the lentil filling is just bubbling out the sides. If you want it extra crispy andgolden on top, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes before removing it from the oven.

Once baked, the lentil shepherd’s pie can be served immediately on its own or with a side of vegetables or a light green salad.