This vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie has all of the flavor you’d expect in the traditional version but with all of the hearty goodness of lentils!

Tender lentils are simmered in a rich savory broth, topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked to golden perfection! Serve this easy meal as a meatless favorite any time of year.

lentil shepherds pie on a plate with parsley on top

Ingredients in Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

A true shepherd’s pie recipe is made with lamb.

If you use ground beef it actually becomes a cottage pie… and in this case, we’re using lentils to replace the meat.

LENTILS Lentils are a yummy, healthy, and inexpensive substitution for meat in almost any ground beef dish! 1 cup of dried lentils can replace 1 pound of ground beef in most recipes.

VEGETABLES If I have them on hand, I use fresh veggies in this recipe. If you don’t have fresh veggies available, use frozen mixed vegetables and add them in along with the peas.

SAUCE The sauce for this recipe starts with a bit of flour and the remaining broth from the lentils. Depending on the type of lentils, you may need to add more or less broth. Start with 3 cups and once you add in the veggies and lentils as it begins to simmer, the sauce will thicken. Add more broth as needed (I add about 4 cups).

If you add too much broth, just let it simmer until thickened. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken further as the dish bakes and as it cools.

MASHED POTATOES Creamy homemade mashed potatoes are the perfect topping for this recipe, simply spread them on or pipe them for a pretty topping. I don’t add cheese to this recipe but you certainly can.

If you’d prefer, use mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes.

lentil shepherds pie ingredients in a pan not mixed

Short on Time?

Swap lentils for canned lentils (drained and rinsed) and skip the boiling step (adding broth for the sauce where needed).
Skip the homemade sauce and opt for a can of tomato soup, it makes a surprisingly delicious sauce. Simply omit the sauce ingredients in the recipe and add a can of condensed tomato soup directly into the mixture.
Trade fresh veggies for frozen veggies to skip the washing and chopping.
Trade homemade mashed potatoes for leftover mashed potatoes or store-bought (or garlic mashed for a flavor boost)!

lentil shepherds pie ingredients in a pan

How to Make Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

This dish is easy to make (although it does take some time). A quick overview of the steps…

Simmer lentils in broth.
While lentils are simmering, chop and soften veggies (or skip this step and use frozen veggies).
Combine lentils with veggies and sauce ingredients. Simmer until thickened.
Place in a deep dish pie plate and top with mashed potatoes.

Bake until golden and bubbly! So easy and so yummy!

lentil shepherds pie in a white pie plate with a scoop taken out

Is Lentil Shepherd’s Pie Vegetarian?

It can be!

To make this a vegetarian dish, be sure to use vegetable broth and substitute regular Worcestershire sauce for a vegetarian Worcestershire sauce.

More Meatless Mains

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

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Casseroles, Meatless Main Dishes, Recipes

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly