This cozy vegan sweet potato shepherd’s pie with quick-cooking red lentils in a savory sauce snuggled in a blanket of sweet potato mash is a plant-based dream of comforting bites.
I buy bags of sweet potatoes because they are great in everything from maple roasted sweet potatoes with pecans to stuffed sweet potatoes with chickpeas to creamy sweet potato hummus to Mediterranian veggie burgers.
This vegan shepherd's pie recipe captures everything we love about sweet potatoes. Versatility and flavor.
Table of Contents
⭐ Recipe Highlights
Red lentil filling. Red lentils make a quick cooking ground meat alternative. They cook in a savory tomato-based sauce with a few of our favorite seasonings.
Sweet potato mash. This vegan shepherd’s pie recipe capitalizes on the ease and flavor of mashed sweet potatoes. We’re keeping it light and easy here with a smidge of paprika and a dash of salt. No vegan butter or olive oil is required.
Easy and healthy. This recipe is prepared to avoid added oil or other ingredients that add unnecessary fat and calories. There are also plenty of substitutes provided if you want to make modifications to fit your individual needs.
📋 Recipe Ingredients
Sweet potatoes – 4 large or 5 medium potatoes will give you a thick topping. Because it’s mash, you can boil or steam the potatoes. You can also bake them whole or cut them in half. For more info, check out my sweet potato flatbread recipe.
Paprika – Besides salt, paprika, especially smoked paprika, helps temper the potatoes' sweetness. For a little kick, use hot smoked paprika.
Tomatoes – Use canned tomatoes packed in juice. If you use fresh tomatoes or those packed in water, add a tablespoon of tomato paste to help thicken it.
Fresh thyme – A couple of fresh thyme sprigs or 2 tablespoons of thyme leaves add an earthy flavor. If you use dry thyme, use 2 teaspoons. Dry herbs get stronger as they rehydrate.
Red wine – Wine is used to deglaze the cooking pot. Substitute with vegetable broth.
Vegan Worcestershire sauce – Savory and sharp Worcestershire sauce is a vegan cottage pie classic. Soy sauce or tamari is often used to replace Worcestershire, but Bragg’s amino acids are better.
Marmite – The yeasty umami flavor of marmite is unique, and even if you don’t like spreading it on toast, it’s delicious in any stew or rich soup. Marmite has also introduced a lower salt version. Vegemite is a suitable replacement, but the easiest for this recipe is miso paste.
Red lentils – Split red lentils are perfect for the filling; however, you can also use whole red or brown lentils. Because whole lentils take 5-10 minutes longer, you may need to add additional liquid during the cooking process.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Pro Tips
Get the sweet potatoes cooking before you start the filling. Cook them until they are very tender when pierced with a fork. That's the secret to making a fluffy mashed potato topping.
Sprinkle the paprika and salt over the cooked cubes, and then use a potato masher to mash them smooth. You can use a hand beater or food processor for super smooth potatoes.
Heat the pot before adding the onions, celery, and carrots, they are less likely to stick to the bottom. Be sure to stir them consistently, and be mindful that you don’t let the heat get too high.
Once you add the garlic and marmite, pour in the red wine. This helps to deglaze the pot. Stir the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to clear it.
Red lentils, especially split red lentils, take about 15 minutes to cook. If the filling starts to dry before the lentils are done, add up to 1 cup of vegetable stock or water during cooking.
Be sure to spread the filling evenly in the casserole dish. You may want to let it cool a little before adding the sweet potatoes.
Start at one end of the casserole dish. Add a little topping and spread it with the back of a metal spoon.
Use a light touch. If you start pressing on the topping, it will start sinking into the lentils. Take your time with this process.
If the lentils are still warm, you only need to grill (broil) the top. It will take about 15 minutes at medium-high heat to crisp and brown the top.
🍽 Serving Ideas
Lentil shepherd’s pie is the kind of comforting dinner the whole family will love. It makes a beautiful centerpiece for a special occasion. It’s also a great recipe for meal prep because you can make the filling or the entire pie ahead of time.
Serve it with a side of green veggies such as green beans, peas, or a simple green salad.
🌡️ Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
Cover and store leftover shepherd’s pie in the refrigerator for 4 days. To reheat, remove it from the oven and let it start to warm up. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Turn the oven on broil for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the top.
If you freeze shepherd’s pie, remove it from the casserole dish and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You can also use an airtight container. You can also freeze the lentil filling separately. Thaw and warm it before adding it to your casserole dish.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
To make 2 tablespoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce, use 3 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 ¼ teaspoon lemon juice, 1 ¼ teaspoon maple syrup (or another vegan sweetener), and ½ teaspoon hot sauce, like Tabasco.
Marmite is unequivocally vegan. It is vegan-friendly as it is one of the few vegan foods that provide B12. The only other is nutritional yeast. Check the labels of any marmite blends or products other than the original to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
This vegan version of sweet potato shepherd’s pie can be made a day ahead of time. After making the lentil filling, let it cool before adding it to the casserole dish. Then, spread the sweet potato topping. Cover the dish and refrigerate it. Bake it for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Turn the oven to grill (broil) for the last 5-10 minutes to crisp and brown the topping.
You can easily substitute white potatoes for sweet potatoes. Use the same amount and cook them fork tender. Because white potatoes are starchy, you may want to mash them with plant milk, such as almond milk, to smooth them out.
🥗 Sides for Shepherd's Pie
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PrintVegan Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Cozy vegan sweet potato shepherd’s pie with red lentils and savory sauce snuggled in sweet potato mash is a plant-based dream of comforting bites.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Courses
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked or sweet)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium onion, diced (1 - 1 ½ cups)
- 2 stalks of celery, diced (1 cup)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced (1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon marmite or miso paste
- 1 cup red wine or vegetable broth
- 2 cans of tomatoes (15-ounce cans)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups red lentils, rinse
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Add them to a large pot and add enough water to cover them by several inches. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then decrease the heat, so they are simmering. Cover the pot and cook the potatoes until they are very tender when pierced with a fork.
- Cool and mash the potatoes. When the potatoes are done, drain them and allow them to cool a little. Transfer them to a large bowl. Sprinkle the paprika and salt over the potatoes. Then use a potato masher to mash them smooth. You can also use a hand beater or food processor to mash them.
- Make the lentil filling. Heat a large skillet or large saucepan to medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook them for 5 minutes until they soften and get translucent.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add the Marmite. Immediately add the red wine and stir it to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
- Add the tomatoes, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir the bottom of the pot to release any stuck-on bits of ingredients.
- Stir in the red lentils and bring the pot to simmer. Cover the pot, leaving an air vent. Simmer the lentils for about 15 minutes or until they are tender and get creamy. If the lentils start to dry before they are tender, add a bit of vegetable broth or water.
- Taste the filling and add salt and/or black pepper if desired.
- Preheat the oven and make the pie. Preheat the oven to grill. See the notes for baking shepherd’s pie from cold. Transfer the lentil mixture to a casserole dish (9 x 13 inches). Spread the filling evenly. Use the back of a spoon to spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the top evenly.
- Grill. Place the casserole dish in the oven and grill for 15 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Set up and serve. Remove the pie from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then serve it.
Notes
- Shepherd’s pie can be made ahead of time and baked cold. To do this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 C.). Bake for 45 minutes. If you want to brown the top, set the oven on grill (broil) for the last 10 minutes.
- To make 2 tablespoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce, use 3 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 ¼ teaspoon lemon juice, 1 ¼ teaspoon maple syrup (or another vegan sweetener), and ½ teaspoon hot sauce, like Tabasco. You can also use miso paste or liquid amino acids.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 206.2 mg
- Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 68.8 g
- Protein: 18.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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