Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
An epic vegan shepherd’s pie, filling and flavourful, and a lot easier to make than you might expect! Yes, it is possible to make a vegan version of the classic shepherd’s pie.
The other day I got asked, how on earth do you make a vegan Shepherd’s Pie? Well, I am here to tell you friends that it is indeed possible. And it’s pretty delicious as well – if I do say so myself.
The star of this dish is definitely The Meatless Farm’s Meat Free Mince. I’m not going to lie, when I first saw this mince I thought it looked eerily realistic. I don’t know how The Meatless Farm do it, but I find this mince INSANELY similar in texture to meat mince.
I met The Meatless Farm team last month when I ran the Hackney Half Marathon. They were serving up their vegan food at the Hackney Festival of Fitness. I sampled some of their vegan chilli, and it was amazing. So when they got in touch with me asking if I wanted to try a couple of their other products, I was so down for it.
After receiving their Meat Free Mince, I brainstormed what recipe I should create with it. At first I thought I’d try out an easy vegan chilli or bolognese – but I already have two go-to recipes for those on my blog (though I imagine this mince could work well in them). Then it hit me: Shepherd’s Pie. That felt more exciting and adventurous, plus I would get to enjoy Shepherd’s Pie for days afterwards. And enjoy it I did! In fact the weekend after I made this dish, I went on a 13.6 mile hike from Seaford to Eastbourne over the Seven Sisters. Getting back home and digging into a big helping of this Shepherd’s Pie was glorious.
But back to the recipe. I created this one after looking at a number of traditional Shepherd’s Pie versions, to keep it as realistic as possible. I tried to keep the ingredients simple, yet still packed with flavour. The result was even better than I’d hoped for. The mix of the savoury base with the sweetness of the sweet potato topping is honestly gold.
Fast 5 Reasons to Try: Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
- The ultimate hearty, filling, and comfort-food meal.
- Perfect for non-vegan friends and family who are up for trying a vegan version of a meat-y classic.
- Customisable – use the veggies you have on hand, swap the sweet potato for regular potatoes, squash, etc.
- A much easier recipe than you might expect, but turns out looking quite impressive.
- Full of flavour and SO delicious!
Coming off of World Meat Free Week, I figured this recipe couldn’t be better timing and I really hope you give it a try! I highly recommend The Meatless Farm’s mince, but if you can’t get your hands on some, try out other versions of vegan mince. And let me know how it turns out! Take a photo and tag me on Instagram @bitesbybekah. I’d love to connect with you and it always makes me so happy to see your creations!
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 700 g mashed sweet potato
- 400 g Meatless Farm mince
- 2 cups chopped veggies I used carrots, frozen peas, and corn
- 150 ml pomegranate juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce I used @biona’s vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1½ tbsp tomato purée
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200C, and grease a baking dish.
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Peel and slice the sweet potatoes; add to a pot and boil on medium high heat (20-30 minutes until soft).
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While the potatoes are boiling, add The Meatless Farm Meat Free Mince, along with the veggies, into a pan. I cooked these with a splash of water, but feel free to use oil. I also only added the carrots at first, and the frozen vegetables later, as they didn’t need as much cooking time. If you’re using garlic/onions, start with those.
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Cook for about 10 minutes, until the mince begins to brown.
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Add the pomegranate juice, apple cider vinegar, Worcester sauce, chopped tomatoes, and tomato puree. Cook another 20 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken and the liquid evaporates.
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At this point, the sweet potatoes should be done. Check that they are soft enough (able to be easily speared with a fork), drain, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Then mash until smooth.
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If necessary, add some of the mashed sweet potatoes mixture (I used 2 spoonfulto thicken up the mince mixture more. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
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To the greased baking dish, add the mince mixture and smooth until even. Then layer the mashed sweet potatoes on top. Use your fork to add a textured design to the top if desired.
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Bake for around 15-20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
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Let it sit to cool. Serve up and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This made 3 big servings for me, cut up into 6 slices and having 2 pieces per serving.
Hi Bekah.
Amazing meat free Shepard’s Pie dish and I so enjoy sweet potato. I am so looking forward to cooking your recipe from your blog post. I have never heard of Meatless Farm Company before but I will keep a look out for there food in the Supermarkets! Hope you enjoyed doing the Hackney half Marathon as well
Great photography as always
Hehe, thanks for this Sophie, it turned out so well! I’m craving it all over again!