55 mins
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Recipe by Graham
Shepherd’s Pie is supposed to be made with lamb, and Cottage Pie is supposed to be made with beef. So what do I call one made with vegetables? And in this recipe we're making vegetables that taste really, really good. Sauced up with a red wine gravy and baked under a layer of creamy mashed potatoes.
I have included Greek yogurt in my potatoes to lean towards healthy while still being creamy-tangy. But if you want this dish to be completely vegan, just use olive oil instead of butter and maybe a splash of non-dairy milk in your potatoes and you will be golden... just like your potatoes!
Granny's Slow-baked Chicken 
Avocado with Grapefruit Chutney and Smoked Salmon Ingredients for Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
- Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces of roughly equal size (A medium-sized potato is usually cut into about 6 pieces). Rinse the potatoes to remove any surface starch. Now place them in a large pan with sufficient salted water to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to the boil then turn down the heat and cover the pan so that it continues to boil gently.
- Cooking time can vary depending upon the type of potato and the texture. Generally, however, somewhere between 15 - 20 minutes is sufficient. When you think that the potatoes are close to being cooked, pierce one or two of them with a fork. If the fork penetrates easily with little resistance, the potatoes are cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off the water. Add the butter and, using a potato masher, begin to break up and mash the potatoes. Add natural, unflavoured yoghurt until the texture is soft and light. Season to taste and set aside to keep warm.
- While the potatoes are cooking, peel and finely chop the shallots, slice the mushrooms, and peel and chop the carrots. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large oven-proof pot (I use a cocotte - a Dutch oven - but a heatproof casserole dish will work just fine). Add the shallots and sauté gently until soft and fragrant. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and whole herbs (you will pull the herbs out later). Sauté until the carrots are softened.
- To make the gravy, add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine and degalze the pan (scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan). Let the wine cook out for a minute or two. Slowly add the stock, stirring it in until a gravy starts to form. Season with salt. Simmer over low heat to thicken it further.
- Remove the herbs. Stir in the peas, spread the mashed potatoes on top (brush with butter to be extra awesome), and bake in a preheated moderate oven (Mk 4 - 350°F - 180°C) for 15 minutes. If you want your pie browned on top, finish it inder the oven grill (broiler) for a few minutes until you have the golden colour you want.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
If you don’t want to use red wine, just adda little more stock. No problem.
Reviews of Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
 February 27 2019Nice variation from shepherd's pie. We're not a vegetarian family, so everyone was a bit suspicious when I said what it was, but there was none left at the end. Maybe it's the wine that helps with the flavor. I also used the hot tip and added a couple of stalks of celery. This recipe will appear on the table again at some point, when it's time for a variation from normal. GinaFS (2 reviews) |
 February 03 2019These potato-topped pies are traditional British foods, and I can confirm that a Shepherd's Pie is made with Lamb, and a Cottage Pie is made with beef. So if it's made with vegetables I’d call it a Vegetarian Pie. 'Vegetable Pie' is too broad a term. There are thousands of pies out there that could be called 'vegetable pie' how are people supposed to know what kind pie the author is referring to? Anyway, to more serious matters... it tastes incredibly good. Top marks for an excellent recipe. CathyTheBrit (1 review) |
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