This vegan shepherd’s pie is a delicious, hearty stew of mushrooms and lentils covered by mashed potatoes. Perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime!
When Nava Atlas asked me at the beginning of last year to take the photos for Vegan Holiday Kitchen, I thought about it for about a day and then gave her an emphatic “Yes!” She warned me that she would need more photos than I’d taken for her previous book, Vegan Express–about five times as many–but I’d learned so much from that experience that I was happy to get the chance to work with Nava again.
In the spring of 2010, just as it was starting to heat up here in the Deep South, we got to work on Thanksgiving recipes while ingredients like butternut squash were still available. I may have been blogging about spring vegetables like asparagus, but it still seemed like autumn in my house as I prepared and photographed fall favorites from Coconut Butternut Squash Soup to Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Hint of Chocolate:
Nava spent much of 2010 writing the over 200 recipes in her book, pausing when she created a particularly photogenic one to send me the recipe so that I could cook it in my kitchen and take its photo on my dining room table. It was something of an art project for me, as I tried to recreate the feeling of the holiday associated with each recipe. It may have been a steamy Mississippi June outside, but, inside, my dining room table was set with silver candlesticks for Rosh Hashanah as Sweet Potato Tzimmes got its photo-op. It felt like a year-long celebration for my family, who were happy to feast on the food after each photo shoot.
Over the course of that year, I learned a lot about Nava’s style of cooking. She favors ingredients that can be found in almost any supermarket in the U.S.–beans, grains, tofu, and vegetables–and when she gets “fancy,” its through the use of readily-available ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and pine nuts. Though there are recipes that call for packaged vegan products like seitan and non-dairy cheese, the emphasis is on seasonal produce.
In the Thanksgiving chapter, for instance, you won’t find recipes for faux turkey but will discover main dishes featuring the “Three Sisters” of Native American mythology–squash, corn, and beans–as well as grain-stuffed winter squash and a pot pie filled with veggies. Many of the recipes are very easy, and even the more complicated ones use time-savers like canned beans and packaged baked tofu, which you can choose to use or opt to make from scratch. Like most vegan cookbooks, Vegan Holiday Kitchen does use oil, though in most cases it can be eliminated, as in the shepherd’s pie below.
Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas; Photos by Susan Voisin
The book is divided into five chapters revolving around the most food-centric holidays–Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Holiday Season, Jewish Holidays (Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Hanukkah), Easter, Independence Day and Summer Entertaining–as well as a sixth chapter on Brunches, Appetizers, and Potluck Dishes. Each chapter includes appetizers, salads, side dishes, and desserts as well as main dishes, and the recipes are beautifully laid-out, one to a page, and are labeled so that people looking for gluten-free, soy-free, or nut-free options can tell at a glance whether a recipe fits their needs.
While the recipes are great, at least as important to me are the chapter introductions, which Nava fills with tips for creating stress-free holiday feasts and a wealth of information about holiday traditions, as well as extras such as an extensive guide to vegan grilling. (In addition to taking the photos, I contributed five recipes that have previously appeared on this blog, including my favorite fat-free cake.)
I’m definitely biased, but I think Vegan Holiday Kitchen is a beautiful book. When it comes to my own photography, I’m my harshest critic, but I’m happy with most of the photos as well as the fabulous job the designer did with the layout and cover. (The photos you see in this post are “rejects,” not the ones actually used in the book.) It would make a wonderful gift for anyone–vegan or not–who is interested in expanding their holiday menu options.
This vegan shepherd’s pie was a big hit with my family, and though it appears in the Christmas chapter of the book, it would be a delicious main dish for Thanksgiving, too. Like all of the recipes in the book, this hearty pie will appeal to omnivores as well as vegans. And it’s safe for those of you on gluten-free diets as long as you use gluten-free breadcrumbs. Happy Holidays!
Be sure to check out all of my Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes!
Nava's Hearty Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 8 large or 10 medium potatoes
- 2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated margarine* optional, see notes
- 1/2 cup rice milk
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil* optional, see notes
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 ounces cremini or baby bella mushrooms
- 2 15-ounce cans Lentils or about 3 1/2 cups cooked lentils with a little of their cooking liquid, lightly drained but not rinsed
- 2 tablespoons dry red wine optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos*
- 2 teaspoons seasoning blend such as Spike or Mrs. Dash
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
- 8-10 Ounces baby spinach or arugula leaves
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs gluten-free if needed
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a small mixing bowl.
- Stir the margarine into the potatoes until melted, then add the rice milk and mash until fluffy. Cover and set aside until needed. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
- Add the lentils and their liquid and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the optional wine, soy sauce, seasoning blend, thyme, and pepper. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Combine the cornstarch with just enough water to dissolve in a small container. Stir into the lentil mixture.
- Add the spinach, a little at a time, cooking just until it’s all wilted down. Remove from the heat; taste to adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Lightly oil a 2-quart (preferably round) casserole dish, or two deep-dish pie plates. Scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the bottom. Pour in the lentil mixture, then spread the potatoes evenly over the top. If using two pie plates, divide each mixture evenly between them.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to turn golden and slightly crusty. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Wendy (Healthy Girl)
Thanks for sharing this recipe Susan. It looks delicious and I can’t wait to riff off of it in my kitchen soon. Do you think there will ever come a time when vegan cookbooks lose the oil? What’s up with that unnecessary ingredient already?
Veronica
I’m working on a vegan recipe book without oil! I too am sick of it, and having to modify recipes found online and in books for my family who are new to making vegan food themselves. There will be more and more oil free cook books to come.
Cadry
The cover of the book and the pictures that I’ve seen are just beautiful! You should be proud! The shepherd’s pie looks mouthwatering, and I like the idea of using lentils and mushrooms as the bulk of the stew portion.
janet @ the taste space
Gorgeous photos, Susan! I don’t feel compelled to photograph everything to perfection for my blog, but your photos have always impressed me. The ones for this cookbook look great!
michele
Susan the photo’s look scrumptious, you have done a beautiful job photographing her recipes. Off to the grocery store to buy ingredients to try the shepherds pie recipe today.Perfect day today to cook, rainy. It will be a trail run for my picky family for the holidays. @veganfork
Tea Beyond
looks delicious!! might try it shortly!!! Will let you know!
Thanks for sharing!
Liliana Holtzman
Too delicious for words! Perfect for a cold November day. Thank you, Susan.
Suzie
This is exactly what I need. I tried to make a veggie shepherd’s pie on Friday and it just wasn’t right. Now it seems obvious – wine and thyme and thickening the sauce. Thank you!
Mahealani @ Beauty, Brains, and Balance
What an amazing idea!!! This looks so wonderful, I can’t even imagine how good it makes the house smell!
Yadsia @ShopCookMake
Ohhhhhhhhhh, so good! Since turning Vegetarian I’ve missing shepherd’s pie so much. I will be making this tonight!
Sharon Burkhard
Question:
In the list of ingredients it says to drain the lentils but not rinse them.
In the instructions it says to add the lentil with their liquid.
Not sure which to do.
This looks soooooo good, I’d like to do it right the first time!!
Thanks,
Sharon
Susan Voisin
Sharon, I will have to check with Nava to see what she meant, but I think I probably didn’t drain the lentils. When I use canned lentils, I tend to use them undrained, and I probably skipped that step when making the recipe.
Lucy
Please do try to clarify this. I would love to try this recipe but we have to eat low sodium due to heart disease. So, I will likely drain, rinse and soak the lentils. Could I replace the liquid with sodium and fat free vege stock?
Thanks!
Susan Voisin
Yes, using vegetable stock would be fine. I’m not sure how firm the lecture of your lentils will be after all of that, though. You could always use your own cooked lentils and use no salt at all.
Lucy
That’s a much better idea. Thanks
rose
This looks like a great recipe but I’m confused about one thing. In the list of ingredients it calls for “Two 15-ounce cans lentils, drained but not rinsed” but in step 4 it instructs to “Add the lentils and their liquid “. Am I missing something?
Paula
I really want to get this new cookbook soon. Love Nava!
Caroline
I got the cookbook las week and your photos were outstanding. In fact, I was a little disappointed that there weren’t more photos. I have been a fan of yours and Nava’s for a number of years and have always enjoyed both of your recipes. In fact, I think I will ask my 16 year old daughter to make your chocolate orange cake for my birthday next month. The picture of it in the book was incredible!
moonwatcher
Hi Susan,
This looks marvelous, and I hope to make it sometime over the Thanksgiving festivities. I will use Food for Life Millet bread for my breadcrumbs. And I have lots of organic lentils that I got on sale. i will cook some of them up for this. Nava’s book looks great, too, and I bet the photos in it are wonderful. Congratulations again! I just might have to splurge on that one, too. 🙂
Thank you,
moonwatcher
moonwatcher
ps: I will await the word about the cooking liquid, since I will want to save some of mine from cooking my own lentils if needed. 🙂
Thanks,
moonwatcher
Susan Voisin
I asked Nava, and she said the lentils should be “very lightly drained” since she adds corn starch to thicken the liquid. Personally, I would just add a little cooking liquid until it looked right to me. 🙂
Lauren (Diary of a Vegan Girl)
Oh my gosh, this looks like amazing comfort food!
Louise Placek
Susan, I know you have been thanked uncounted times for your work, but I want you to know that your recipes have saved me from despair. I recently had a severe health scare which restricted my already gluten-free, vegan diet even more by restricting salt and fat. My life literally depends on these restrictions, despite the fact that I am only 125 lbs! It is difficult to be creative when it seems there are too many NO’s and not enough YESses to make food palatable. I am learning and with your wonderful blog and help to find my way out of a hole that threatened to swallow me. God bless you (and the internet!). Know that what you do makes a difference to some of us who’s life depends on that creative energy to put a little sunshine in our food. 🙂
Susan Voisin
Oh Louise, your kind words just put a little sunshine in my day! Thank you! I’m so happy to be able to help, and if there’s ever anything specific you need a recipe for, please just ask.
Barbara
Thanks for mentioning the ibook option. I have been looking for this book to come out in Kindle format, but it is not available. Bingo, now I have it on my iPad.
Melissa
This sounds really good. I think I’ll be making this for dinner this week. I was debating getting this book and this recipe ended the debate. I just ordered “Vegan Holiday Kitchen” and I can’t wait to get it!
I’ll be making this without the fat and oil. Do you think sweet potatoes would work as a replacement for the potatoes? We’re working on cutting out all fats and high GI foods in order to reverse my husband’s diabetes and improve my overall health. I became a bit of a “junk food vegan.” I’m not sure if the flavors would blend as well with sweet potatoes since they have more flavor than a regular potato.
Kathy
I can’t wait to try this! I fell off my vegan diet while pregnant, but now that baby’s here I’m getting back in the vegan saddle!
Just as a reminder, most brands of soy sauce are NOT safe for people who need to eat gluten free. Tamari is gluten free, and so are certain brands of soy sauce (I think La Choy is, but definitely check!)
Lindsay@almostveganblog
1. I AM MAKING THIS ON THANKSGIVING YUM YUM YUM
2. I am buying that book. I can’t remember….has it been released yet?
Susan Voisin
Yes! It’s available at Amazon and in bookstores. Hope you enjoy both the recipe and the book!
Arielle (Your Vegan Girlfriend)
Woweeee thanks so much for this recipe Susan! Such a perfect comfort food dish for the holidays!
Valorie
Hi Susan,
Wow… Thanks again for another recipe that turned out to be a big hit at our house! I always turn to your website first when making dinner. Just wanted to check with you on the baking temp… I couldn’t find it listed anywhere, so I winged it!
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad you liked it! The oven temp is at the end of step 2–400 degrees F.
Chad Abruzzo
hey there Susan thanks for this Recipe.. i cant weight to try this is look and sounds amazing!!!! but i have one question,… is it possible that can u scale down the recipe for me to make either 2 or 4 serving ???
all of your recipes are absolutely amazing!!!!
thanks again!!
Susan Voisin
I believe when I made it, I cut it in half to suit my small family.
amey
yay! I LOVE this book so much. It really is one of the most beautiful books I have. The pictures, the layout, the cover, the font even! Ha ha. Also, the recipes are amazing. I can’t wait to plan my thanksgiving feast!
Heather
oh my goodness!!! I tweeked it a little here and there…. but it came out soooo yummy!!! One tweek was the lentils. I used dry lentils cooked with some vegetable bullion. My kids don’t like lentils… so I pureed them, adding a little vegetable broth…. even my 20 year old Anti Vegan Diet daughter loved it, and facebooked about it! I also flavored the potatoes with garlic and onion powder.
Thanks for posting!!!
Cherie
Looks delicious and perfect for feeding my bottomless pit of a child who loves lentils. The eight servings should last us exactly one dinner (and there are only 3 of us), which tells you how much he eats.
Bill K.
Susan,
I love your website and the great photos. I can see that you are trying to at least give the average person a healthier food choice by limiting most of the excess fat. But, (And I hate to add the “But”) I sometimes worry that in an effort to become “animal free” some vegans tend to think that if it is not from an animal it must be healthy. Unfortunetly, this is often not the case. My concern falls mainly with things like “Tofu” and “Vegan Cheese” as an example. These items are proving to be more health depleting than the foods they are meant to replace. I know that you are honestly trying to offer recipes that are healthier and this is why I like your website. I just hope, for your benefit, you will work toward using less processed foods and include mostly natural unprocessed ingredients. A simple rule of thumb is “If it comes in a Can, Box or Bottle, then don’t put it into your body!” In other words, if the food is dead it will not make you live.
Sorry for the crticism. I am just trying to keep you blogging longer!
Bill
Susan Voisin
Thanks for your input, Bill, but I’m not concerned with tofu–it’s a perfectly healthy food, despite the nonsense that some anti-veg advocates have written–and I never use vegan cheese. As for cans, boxes, and bottles, natural food has to be put in something or else it gets all over the pantry shelves! 😉 Most of my ingredients are natural and unprocessed. I think you mistook me for some other blogger!
Bill K.
Susan,
Thank you for your kind reply. Your humor is greatly appreciated!!
While you have been honing your skills in the kitchen and through your camera lens, I have been deeply studying human physiology and its relationship to our health. And so, while I agree with you that Tofu is not the worst thing that you could consume it is still a highly processed food. I don’t think you can really classify it as “perfectly healthy” as its long term consumption will cause some health issues. With that being said there is kind of a divide in the road between optimal health and good health. For those wishing to be completely disease free (at least as much as is possible in the industrialized world) and able to be involved in vigorous exercise well into their senior years a cooked vegan diet is not going to get them there. But for those who enjoy preparing and eating cooked vegan meals you will still live a long life but you may encounter some health issues along the way. One clue is whether you are still suffering from allergies and yearly colds. These issues go away with a low fat raw vegan diet which is not to be confused with the gourmet raw or Hollywood raw diets. I am going on my 8th year without any allergies or a single cold of any kind. I hear the same thing from others on a low fat raw vegan diet. Please do not take what I am saying as a criticism of what you are doing. I often make your recipes for my family and have recommended your site to 100’s of people as a transitional tool. I like that I can trust that you are making the recipes as fat free as possible. My only point is that often we are led to believe that just being on a vegan diet brings perfect health but the dirty little secret is that from your body’s standpoint that is not necessarily true. An example is the additives that you need to use to give cooked foods flavor. Spices are mostly irritants to the body. This is why you sneeze from adding pepper. Onions and garlic are mild toxins. This is why you cry when cutting an onion. Fighter pilots are told not to use garlic as it affects the brains functioning and reaction times. This is one of the reasons that cooked foods can be harmful long term, cooking itself tends to derange the chemical makeup of the food and then the spices and flavors add a toxic load to your lymph system. Back when I was eating a cooked vegan diet I felt much better than I had on the SAD diet but when I went low fat raw it was like a turbo charger kicked in. So my own experience is that there is a definite difference. Also on cooked vegan I still got the occasional seasonal cold. I have noticed that the reverse is also true. On occasions when I eat some of your recipes I notice my energy levels drop and often I have light allergy symptoms the next day.
I know that you are very invested in your current path and honestly that is perfectly fine. I am just giving you some further information that may be helpful if you would like to further improve your health. I am not one of those diet nazi’s that thinks there is only one way to do things I know that many ways will get you to a satisfactory result. Each of us needs to decide where we wish to be at.
If you would ever like to look into this subject further please send me a note via my website and I would be more that happy to send you further info. I have a lot of good reading material.
Again, sorry if I am being a little pushy. It is not my intention.
Hope you have an excellent day!!!
Bill
Wildsexyhealth.com
Kathleen
I have made this various times. I have made it with half sweet potatoes and my latest version is all sweet potato since my hubby prefers it and it is healthier. I have never included the breadcrumbs in my version either, seems like an odd addition in my opinion…I mash the sweet potatoes with a bit of soy milk, nothing else. I also find the whole recipe is too much for my small family and so I have halved it with no problems. It is definitely comfort food and completely delicious. Very very good for meat eaters and I have made this as the main course for Christmas dinner. Have another one in the oven now, yummy!
fruitopia
Tofu is not a processed food. It’s just the curd of the soya bean. Soya beans have been eaten this way for 2000 years. It is also not a meat replacement, it is a food in its own right. It is often eaten *with* meat in east Asia, not instead of it.
I am a low fat, high fruit raw vegan and agree with you that optimally, we should be eating raw living foods like all other creatures. But any plant based diet is better than nothing. All plant based diets are free from cholesterol for a start, and free of excess cancer-feeding methionine, and excess calcium-leeching sulphur. I agree with the low-fat theory and follow it myself.
I am trying to find healthier foods to cook for my mother. She has been a vegetarian since she was 10, and is mostly plant based, but she doesn’t eat healthily. I’d rather her initially eat moderate amounts of fat so that she will eat more vegetables, enjoy my food, and see it as “normal”. She can have fruit smoothies in the morning to get some raw goodness. For most people, eating partially raw is more doable, to get the health benefits of natural food while eating what they’re used to. For cooked vegans, as long as they’re generally lowish fat it won’t hurt to use oil occasionally or have a high fat meal on special occasions. Just like it won’t hurt us rawbies to have something nutty and creamy once in a while. It’s not necessary but if people want a treat it won’t hurt.
Also, when promoting plant-based food it’s best not to scrimp on things like oil and gluten. Fat carries flavour, and gluten contains addictive opioids that are otherwise only found in animal products. Unfortunately people are so biased against veganism that you have to really wow them with the food they try and show that veganism itself is not restrictive. I’m sure there are many oil-free, gluten free, animal free meals that will impress people – as this website shows – it’s just that you have more options to make things that are familiar to them if you use gluten and oil. For example, the fried treats from India, many of which happen to be vegan.
Alexandria Lewis
Wow and am looking forward to making this- perhaps with sweet potato, butternut squash, and red potato top 🙂 my husband has been wanting to do a shepards pie with a squash/potato topping so I think this will be a good recipe to try that on.
Carole
I am enjoying Nava’s holiday cookbook and your beautiful pictures, I have a question about the Lentil Shepherd’s pie. The ingredient list says lentils, drained but not rinsed but the directions say to add the lentils and their liquid. Do you know which is correct? Thank you, my daughter Melissa (Vegenista) and I enjoyed meeting you in Portland!
Thanks again, Carole
Natalie
This looks like a wonderful take on shepherds pie, I love the ingredients.
Ingredients for Life
This looks and sounds delish. I will for sure try this.
Shirley
I have never used tinned lentils but have a stack of dried on hand. what is the weight volume of the lentils used in the recipe?
Susan Voisin
I don’t know what it would be by weight, but it’s about 3 1/2 cups of cooked lentils.
Brenda
Made this today and my husband said it is “Awesome”. Thanks for a great recipe. Did a couple things different- made my own lentils and subbed Sherry for the wine.
Quick and easy recipe.
Lizzie
Just made this for dinner tonight! A big hit with both me and the omni husband, though mine didn’t separate itself from the pan nearly as nicely as yours did. Still fantastically delicious. I always felt before like my vegan shepherd’s pies were missing a certain savory flavor to the “meaty” layer, but this one was really spot on. Definitely going to put this cookbook on my christmas list! Thanks so much for posting this recipe.
Leslie Paquette
This looks delicious! I almost made it for dinner tonight but was really craving your Meatless Meatloaf. Instead of making in a loaf shape I made it into about 25 meatless meatballs. I did it intentionally since I plan to bring the leftovers to a pre Thanksgiving get together and figured they would be easier to reheat and serve , plus they are already portioned out. It’s a group of traditional foodies so I’m not too sure how many people will even try them. They will certainly be missing out but at least I may have some leftovers to take home. I also made your mushroom gravy which is always delicious! Thanks, Leslie
Shirley
Made this last night it was superb and was enjoyed by both myself and my non vegan husband. I cooked my own lentil using 1 1/2 cups of dried lentils and it worked well. Will also be buying the book.
Miriam
I made this last night, however, I use collard greens instead of kale. It was still good. My husband who is normally a meat love had two servings!
janell
Made the Shepherd’s Pie for our family of 3 by halving the recipe. I omitted the wine (we didn’t have any on hand) but included everything else. In future, will probably make this with less cornstarch and Dash, and a bit more lentil liquid. I’m imagining all sorts of variations by adding other greens and vegetables. We love onion, so may include some good size chunks or pearl onions to the mix, too. Do you think wild rice might work?
Yum! Thanks for sharing Nava’s recipe!
Alyssa
This recipe is a vegan’s dream! I spent hours searching for the perfect lentil shepherd’s pie and finally have found it. I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely fabulous. I tweaked it slightly, used shallots instead of onions and topped it with sweet mashed potatoes. This would be a super yummy Thanksgiving side. Can’t wait to share this with the family. Even my meat loving boyfriend loved it. Awesome recipe! xo