Vegan Shepherd's Pie - Gluten Free

Here comes the flavour parade with this gluten free vegan shepherd's pie. Each bite is so comforting, with the bottom veggie layer seeping into the top creamy potato layer to create the most deep flavour and amazing golden crust.

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• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪Cooking Instructions
• 💭Recipe Tips
• ⏲️Cooking Time
• 📋Other Recipes
• Vegan Shepherd's Pie - Gluten Free

A few weeks ago my awesome mother-in-law sent over a tray of a simple shepherd's pie which inspired me to make my own version, and I haven't looked back since.

This is a very easy recipe of how to make the tastiest vegan shepherd's pie that is gluten free too. It's healthy (way less calories than the traditional recipe), hearty and fluffy.

I made this for a friend who is clueless about a vegan diet (the word vegan is daunting her) she ate it and didn't even realise it was vegan until I mentioned it afterwards.

To my delight, after our conversation, she said she wanted to try and implement one vegan day a week into her family's diet. Wow, what an outcome!

🥘 Ingredients

• 800 g Mince Meat substitute (aka ground meat) choose a gluten free variety, I've made it with several brands here are two I like; Made with Plants Premium Mince or Beyond Beef Ground Meat*) You might be interested learning about these vegan meat / vegan meat alternatives
• 1 tbsp Olive oil*
• 1.5 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1.5 tbsp Tamari Sauce (Sub: soy sauce or worcestershire sauce - gluten free varieties and make sure they are vegan too)
• 2 tbsp Corn flour
• 1.75 cups Vegetable stock
• 1 medium Brown onion finely diced
• .75 cup Celery finely diced (2 celery sticks)
• .75 cup Carrot finely diced (1 large or 2 med carrots)
• .5 tsp Cracked black pepper
• 1 kg Potato (Approx. 6-8 med potatoes)
• 70 g Plant based butter (50g for mash and approx. 20g for brushing)
• .5 cup Almond milk (add a little more if desired, mash needs to be creamy and fluffy)

🔪Cooking Instructions

I've sectioned these step-by-step instructions into segments for how to cook this vegan shepherd's pie recipe;

Mise en Place

1. Measure out all ingredients
2. Finely dice onion, carrot and celery. Peel and quarter potatoes

Vegan Shepherd's Pie Bottom Layer

1. Heat pan and add olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, sweat onion until soft
2. Add celery and carrot to onion and sweat until all soft
3. Place mince (ground) meat substitute* into the veggies and stir through until all mince meat substitute is broken down
4. Add tomato paste, tamari sauce and vegetable stock, stir through until contents are evenly coated
5. Sprinkle corn flour and evenly stir through
6. On medium heat, allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, until contents thickens

Vegan Shepherd's Pie Top Layer

1. In a tall pot, place potato and submerge in water. Boil potato until soft and then drain water
2. In a mixing bowl, add boiled potatoes, milk and plant based butter and mash together well

Constructing Vegan Shepherd's Pie

1. Oil baking tray
2. Place bottom layer into the tray and evenly distribute
3. Place mashed potato on top and evenly spread out on top of the bottom layer
4. Add plant based butter on top of mash potato layer and spread around until evenly coated
5. Place tray in the middle of the oven and allow top layer to brown
6. Optional - garnish with freshly chopped parsley or thyme and serve

💭Recipe Tips

Tamari sauce adds a depth of flavouring however if you can't get your hands on this, try using worcestershire sauce (watch out for gluten on the labels)

I am the only gluten free person in my household. I've made both gluten free and non gluten free versions and they pretty much taste similar. The non-gluten free members were more than happy to eat the gluten free version

No need to add salt; as the tamari sauce in the bottom layer is salty enough and will seep through the top layer. However if you prefer a little more salt than this, add a sprinkle in the potato mash layer whilst mashing

If you prefer your mash to be silkier, then add more almond milk. I prefer mine to be a lit bit more firm (remember - cook the way you want - no recipe (mostly) is ever set in stone!)

During the cooking process - whilst your bottom layer is simmering, ready your mash for layering

I used a non-stick baking tray that is roughly 30cm x 25cm, if you don't have this, use smaller separate trays or use individual portioned ramekins

Can I freeze vegan shepherd's pie? Yes, portion out the pie and place into well sealed containers and freeze for up to three months

⏲️Cooking Time

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius, 392 degrees Fahrenheit

Baking can take anywhere from 25-35 minutes, until you achieve the golden brown colour on top. The ingredients are already cooked, so it's up to you with how golden you'd like it to be.

I found the colouring (reddish) from the bottom seeps through the potato the longer it browns (I don't mind this, as I love the crispier edges)

📋Other Recipes

Here are some other ideas for comforting vegan meals you might like to try;

• A very hearty yellow split pea dal recipe
• A wholesome meal of kidney bean stew Lebanese fasoulia
• An easy vegan lasagna (gluten free)
• Creamy and easy vegan mushroom pasta