This meatless Shepherd’s pie has an incredibly tasty and textured filling with a mix of lentils, quinoa & barley (though you don’t have to use all three) and a creamy goat cheese mashed potato topping. Packed with flavor and texture, it can easily be adapted to suit your family perfectly. This is vegetarian comfort food at its very best.
This recipe was originally published in 2015, but has been updated for 2023 to give more precise measurements, different proportions and a better flavor. If you’re here because you love the old recipe, you can see what’s changed and access the original version here.
Look no further for a tried and tested vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
When it’s time to start living your best cozy life, you can’t do much better than a big pan of Shepherd’s pie! But making this dish excel without meat may seem tricky. And it is. Lucky for you, I have put YEARS of trial and error into mastering vegetarian Shepherd’s pie so that you don’t have to! You can just take this recipe, take my notes, and get it right the very first time.
My recipe uses the usual veggies plus a combination of lentils, pearl barley and quinoa to make up the bulk of the filling. Lentils and grainscan really excel in recipes where they are intendedto replace ground meat, butthey need help! Wheremeatwould have added flavor to the dish, our lentils and grains are soaking it all up, so we have to give them a lot to work with. And because we want this pie to be completely epic, we are also going to make an extra tasty cheesy root mash topping with a cheesy topping and making sure there is not a single bland bite to be had here.
Nothing about this recipe is half hearted, and it does take a little bit of time, so make this on a weekend when you’ve got some time. Put on some tunes, pour a glass of wine if you wish, and we’ll make magic happen!
Reader Feedback for Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
This is delicious, we are constantly trying out vegetarian alternative recipes for comfort food we love and have been so disappointed until trying this. Clean plates all round including my four year old who is stereotypically fussy! Love the fact that it’s made from lots of staple and cheap ingredients, gorgeous thank you!
Jen
Made this for New Year’s Day lunch… it was a big success. The best veggie shepherd’s pie recipe I’ve tried. And marmite was a great “secret ingredient”. Thanks!
Jeremy
Delicious! My husband just said it was one of the best things I’ve ever made.
Nancy
Ingredient Notes for the Filling
Everything you need to know to understand the mechanics of this recipe and customize it to your tastes…
- Lentils, quinoa and barley are our “meat”. They work together really nicely to create a varied texture. I like to weigh it more towards lentils (1 cup of lentils, 1/3rd cup each of barley and quinoa) which turns out quite soft, but if you upweight the barley you get something with a lot more chew to it. Also, feel free to only use lentils or to use two out of three of these ingredients. Just aim for 1 2/3rd cups of whichever grains you wish.
- Meatless beef style stock: When I first created this recipe in 2015, I recommended using this if you could find it, but nowadays vegan ingredients are more widely available so I am going to assume that you can. In the US there is “Better than Boullion” brand and in the UK there is an Oxo Meatless Beef. You will get much better results using this over vegetable stock.
- Mustard powder and prepared dijon mustard go a long way to infusing a savory depth, without it getting spicy. This is an idea I’ve borrowed from a mustard lentil recipe in Leith’s Vegetarian Bible and the entire recipe was kind of born from that.
- Miso or Marmite / Vegemite adds some additional umami flavor. Marmite was in the original recipe and my UK readers love it, but I have always wanted to offer an alternative to overseas readers. I have now tested it with miso and it works just as well.
- It’s optional, but the pat of butter in the pan with the herbs helps to infuse some richness and enhance the flavors. Not completely necessary if you want to keep this on the lighter side, but I do notice a difference when I use it.
- With so many different things going in to add flavor to this recipe, don’t stress too much if you have a missing ingredient. Taste it and decide if you’d like to add more of another flavor source instead, but you may feel like it’s perfectly tasty enough without the missing ingredient anyway.
- You can control how saucy the filling is – those grains really drink up liquid, so just add additional stock (or red wine) as needed to get the texture right.
Ingredient Notes for the Topping
If you want to save time, you can of course use a premade mashed potato, you can also just use your favorite mashed potato recipe. But for the full epic-ness of this recipe, do use my root mash if you can!
- I like to use 2/3rd white potatoes and 1/3 parsnip, sweet potato or a bit of both. This yields a super comforting fluffy mash with a nice hit of sweetness. You can play around with these ratios and you can’t go too wrong.
- You want a soft creamy goat cheese, not an aged one with a rind.
- As is always the case with cheese, a mature / aged cheddar tastes best.
- The cheese topping is completely optional – I have enjoyed this many times without it and I wouldn’t consider it critical to the recipe’s success so if it feels like overkill, or you’re looking to cut ingredients or calories down, go ahead and skip it.
- You don’t have to use the same cheese in the mash and for topping. You might wish to get some pre-bagged cheese for the topping, it’s fine either way, but those pre-bagged cheeses tend to brown a little quicker than when you grate it off the block. So you’re either going to need to bake it a little less time (which means the pie won’t be as “set”) or you could add it for the last 10-15 minutes of baking time.
More Vegetarian Comfort Food Staples
I have sooooo many more classic recipes made meatless – these are perfect for those who are new to vegetarian cooking…
The Best Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
This meatless Shepherd's pie has an incredibly tasty and textured filling with a mix lentils, quinoa & barley (though you don't have to use all three) and a creamy goat cheese mashed potato topping. Packed with flavor and texture, it can easily be adapted to suit your family perfectly. This is vegetarian comfort food at its very best.
8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
4.79 from 19 ratings
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Ingredients
Topping
- 800 g (28 oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped – weigh before peeling
- 400 g (14 oz) parsnips, sweet potatoes or both, peeled and chopped – weigh before peeling
- 50 g (3.5 tbsp) salted butter
- 125 g (4.5 oz) goats cheese
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cheddar cheese
- 180 g (1.5 cups) additional grated cheese, for topping – can be more cheddar or a mixed blend
- 1 small bunch sliced green (spring) onions, optional
- salt and pepper, to taste
Filling
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 300 g (10 oz) mushrooms , diced
- 40 g (3 tbsp) salted butter
- 1 Tbsp dried provencal herbs
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 1.5 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1.5 Tbsp dried mustard powder
- 2-3 Tbsp red wine, approximate
- 190 g (1 cup) dry green or brown lentils
- 60 g (⅓ cup) dry quinoa
- 60 g (⅓ cup) dry barley
- 1 litre (4.5 cups) meatless beef style broth
- 1 tbsp marmite or miso
- 2 bay leaves
- 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a large, deep saucepan or casserole pan, heat a thin layer of olive oil and saute the carrots and onions over a medium heat until they start to soften.
1 large carrot, 2 medium onions
Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook until the mushrooms start to let out moisture and reduce.
300 g mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic
Add the butter, herbs and mustard powder and mix through just until the fragrance is released and the butter is melted. If you're using the red wine, add it now to deglaze the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes, allowing the vegetables soak it in
40 g salted butter, 1 Tbsp dried provencal herbs, 2 tsp dried thyme, 1.5 Tbsp dried mustard powder, 2 tsp dried sage
Add the dried lentils, quinoa and barley to the pan and cover with the beef style broth.
190 g dry green or brown lentils, 60 g dry quinoa, 60 g dry barley, 1 litre meatless beef style broth
Bring the pan to a simmer, then reduce the heat and add the miso / marmite, dijon mustard and bay leaves.
1.5 Tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp marmite or miso, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper
Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the grains are cooked through and soft. Check in regularly – add extra stock if you find it gets too dry and add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, make the root mash topping
Boil the potatoes, parsnips and sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes until they are fully cooked.
800 g potatoes, 400 g parsnips, sweet potatoes or both
Drain and return to the pan. Using a masher or a hand mixer, mash or whip the mixture with the butter until it's creamy and totally smooth.
50 g salted butter
Add the cheddar and goats cheese. Stir through until melted and add salt and pepper to taste.
125 g goats cheese, 100 g cheddar cheese, salt and pepper
Assemble and bake!
Heat the oven to 180C / 355F.
Remove the bay leaves from the filling and add the frozen peas. Mix through.
150 g frozen peas
Spread the filling in a 9×13 casserole dish.
Spread the root mash over the top.
Sprinkle the cheese and sliced green onions over the top of the mash.
180 g additional grated cheese, 1 small bunch sliced green (spring) onions
Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
To make this recipe gluten free, omit the barley (just add more of the other grains) and the marmite/miso (you could add more of the other flavour sources if you wish, but it’s pretty flavorful so don’t worry too much).
Cuisine: European
Course: Main Course
Author: Christine Melanson
Calories: 579kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 973mg, Potassium: 1244mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2734IU, Vitamin C: 41mg, Calcium: 351mg, Iron: 5mg
The 2015 —> 2023 Update
The original recipe lives here, if you’d like to save or print that off. What’s changed:
- The proportions have been adjusted to ensure it fits into a normal rectangular 9×13 casserole dish, instead of being baked in the Dutch Oven.
- I’ve strengthened the overall flavor – as lovely as most reviews were, some readers did report needing to add more seasoning. I decided it was better with a little extra mustard, some added red wine, optional salted butter and garlic. And I now strongly recommend you seek out the vegetarian beef style broth instead of using veggie broth. It is SO tasty now.
- More flexibility for non UK cooks! I’ve tested this with miso instead of marmite, and sweet potato instead of parsnip, so I can confidently recommend these swaps and keep the recipe easier to make globally.
- More precise and specific measurements to take out some of the guesswork. 2015 was the “winging it” era – I’ve since learned that not everyone enjoys that way of cooking!
posted by Christine Melansonon February 8, 2015 (last updated Dec 14, 2023)
43 commentsLeave a comment »
43 comments on “My Best Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Recipe”
Leave a comment »
Nancy —Reply
Delicious! My husband just said it was one of the best things I’ve ever made. I used carrots with the potatoes and it added a nice sweetness. Thanks for a great recipe!
Christine —Reply
Wow! This makes me so happy 🙂 Thank you very much for sharing your feedback.
Julie —Reply
Great recipe …but you placed it under gluten free. Barley and Marmite are not gluten free.
Simon Munt —Reply
Warning this is not gluten free anyone preparing this for a celiac vegetarian should not use marmite which contains gluten in the form of wheat flour.
Christine Melanson —Reply
You’re absolutely right, apologies. I have now added a disclaimer in the top of the post and in the recipe card. It’s very easy to adapt but indeed this error could have caused problems for someone who wasn’t aware. Thank you.
Miss Polkadot —Reply
Hold the phone. Do you promise you’re not a mind reader? Because that’d be scary. I was trying to come up with an idea for lunch using the potatoes I just bought and cheese. Because, well, cheese. It wasn’t until I’d settled on a dish, though, that I remember your blog would probably be the right one to turn to in that situation. Long story short: wow. Right now I miss too manyof the ingredients used here but I can tell it’s one that’d be perfect for the next time I visit my parents.
stu currie —Reply
Hey, I just made this for my tea tonight. It was amazing. I used a little more mustard than you said after I tasted it before adding the topping, and it turned out excellent. I want to start writing a blog about the recipes I make, and if I include this I will credit you as the mastermind. Thankyou.
Christine —Reply
I am so glad that you liked the recipe! Thanks very much for stopping by to let me know. And yes you should definitely start that blog- it’s great fun!
Nutty Nutritionist —Reply
YUmmy! this looks amazing! I made a veg Shepherds pie once and it was good, but not great. I will have to try this version!
FoodGeekGraze —Reply
i have added all things needed to make this masterpiece to my market list. even before trying, it is more than obvious that this will kill it at my dinner table. rather than typing how much love i feel for you right now, please allow me to copy paste what i wrote under the pin…
“i was pulled in by this deliciously constructed recipe (loosely based upon a share from the book, “leiths vegetable bible”) and how she goes about employing marmite as a umami push. yes, you read correctly. marmite. seriously well-deserved standing ovation 🙂 other ingredients helping to push this dish over the edge of awesomeness: green lentils, quinoa, barley, parsnip, potato, scallion, goat cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, carrot, mushrooms, peas, herbs, and two kinds of mustard (please don’t beat me up, people of oz… i am a fully vested team marmite member)”
thank you, thank you, thank you for the genius share!!! cheers~
Christine —Reply
What a lovely comment to wake up to! 🙂 I love your enthusiasm for good veggie cooking and marmite 🙂 I really hope you enjoy the recipe!
Laura —Reply
This sounds wonderful. So many veggie versions of meat dishes are only ok but I actually want to try this one and I’m not even vegetarian. Good call on using marmite – I love the stuff.
Christine —Reply
Ah thank you Laura! I hope you enjoy it if you do! 🙂
Jeremy —Reply
Made this for New Year’s Day lunch. I used just barley and lentils because the children are still dubious about quinoa (!). Anyway it was a big success. The best veggie shepherd’s pie recipe I’ve tried. And marmite was a great “secret ingredient”. Thanks!
Christine —Reply
That’s wonderful, I am so happy to hear that this turned out well for you! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know 🙂
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Taylor —Reply
Hi Christine! I have yet to try this incredible looking recipe. I found it when a friend and I were discussing a mutual love of barley and incorporating it into shepherds pie. (We will be starting a blog about barley, and are hoping to feature this gorgeous dish in a blog about variations of shepherds pie – I promise to link your blog once this happens). My question is this – I am I. Canada and can order marmite off Amazon, but was hoping to make it sooner. Do you know if anyone subbing in worchestershire sauce for traditional shepherds pie flavour?? Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom, and (of course!) this lovely recipe!
Christine —Reply
Hi Taylor! Wow I am excited to see your blog about barley – I always want to make more barley but I’m never quite sure what to make so I could use some inspiration! Anyway making this without marmite is totally fine – I would just suggest adding a little more of all the other flavourings- and yes Worcester sauce is a good call. In Canada I think you can get faux beef stock too which is great in this (or if you’re not vegetarian you could of course use real beef stock). Just keep tasting it while you cook and add more stuff until you’re happy 🙂 I hope you love it as much as I do!
Jen —Reply
This is delicious, we are constantly trying out vegetarian alternative recipes for comfort food we love and have been so disappointed until trying this. Clean plates all round including my four year old who is stereotypically fussy! Love the fact that it’s made from lots of staple and cheap ingredients, gorgeous thank you!
Christine Melanson —Reply
I’m so happy this worked out so well for you! Thanks so much for your feedback. I’m impressed by your four year old, my six year old daughter doesn’t even like potatoes in non chip form so wouldn’t touch this! WHYYY 😂
Julia —Reply
I’ve never tried making vegetarian shepherd’s pie but I like what I see! :)Using barley and quinoa is a great idea.
Christine —Reply
Thank you! 🙂
Ellen —Reply
How perfect would this be for meatless Monday?! Looks hearty, delicious and good for you!
Christine —Reply
It is indeed! Thank you! 🙂
Natalie —Reply
I love shepherd’s pie and this vegetarian version looks and sounds simply delicious and so easy to make. Such a great idea for weekday dinner or lunch!
Christine —Reply
Thank you so much! 🙂
linda spiker —Reply
Well this is a great idea! My husband loves shepherd’s pie, but I am not a fan, but this version I could get behind!
Christine —Reply
Yay! A great compromise! 🙂
Julia —Reply
I’ve never tried making vegetarian shepherd’s pie but I like what I see! :)Using barley and quinoa is a great idea.
Julia —Reply
I’ve never tried making vegetarian shepherd’s pie but I like what I see! :)Using barley and quinoa is a great idea.
Natalie —Reply
I love shepherd’s pie and this vegetarian version looks and sounds simply delicious and so easy to make. Such a great idea for weekday dinner or lunch!
Natalie —Reply
I love shepherd’s pie and this vegetarian version looks and sounds simply delicious and so easy to make. Such a great idea for weekday dinner or lunch!
linda spiker —Reply
Well this is a great idea! My husband loves shepherd’s pie, but I am not a fan, but this version I could get behind!
linda spiker —Reply
Well this is a great idea! My husband loves shepherd’s pie, but I am not a fan, but this version I could get behind!
Claudia Lamascolo —Reply
My son will love this and if he sees it will be making me go to the kitchen to start cooking! thanks for the recipe
Sheli —Reply
How do you deal with the fact that quinoa is very bitter and needs to be soaked first? Your recipe didn’t say to soak it first. How do you deal with this? Thanks
Christine Melanson —Reply
Hmm, well I actually don’t soak my quinoa – I don’t find it too bitter. I don’t get it from a bulk bin so it should be pre rinsed. But it shouldn’t change any of the timelines if you soaked or rinsed it before making this recipe. The texture would be a little less al dente is all.
https://www.southernliving.com/kitchen-assistant/how-to-cook-quinoa-rinse
Eyeem —Reply
Why is this recipe listed as gluten free? Barley is not gluten free!
Christine Melanson —Reply
You’re right, I made this recipe a long time ago before I was aware of that fact. I’ve added a disclaimer. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
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Lindsay Kennedy —Reply
This was amazing:)
Ummm that goat cheese in the mash…. I am in love.
This dish is amazing… I needed to use up some ingredients so here is what I added:
A squirt of tomato paste
A splash of red wine
My partner who eats meat made his own version and preferred this one Told me he would happily eat this as his main.
I should probably add that my very picky toddler also gobbled this up!
Thank-you for sharing. I will definitely be making this again.Jillian —Reply
Being pregnant and not feeling well I decided to try something to speed this up. I also have celiac and can’t do marmite or barley. I pulled out my instant pot and used the sauté feature to cook the onions, carrots and mushrooms. I had an heirloom bean and lentil blend I added with a cup of brown rice. I put in 4 cups of veggie stock and pressure cooked it on high for 16 minutes. Turned out perfectly and was pretty easy. This is one of my favorite meals to make and this little “shortcut” made it that much easier. So yummy and a complete dinner in a bowl which is my favorite.
Sarah —Reply
This was really great! Followed the recipe exactly except without the barley (used extra lentils and quinoa). It was much tastier than vegetarian ‘meat substitute’ fillings usually are, and I’m assuming this was down to the combination of mustard, miso, and beef flavoured stock cube. Christine has really got the combination right here for maximum flavour. I made it for Christmas dinner, it wasn’t quick, but it was an easy work flow while sipping wine and listening to Christmas music. Just what you want on Christmas Day after a brisk morning walk 🙂
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