How to Make Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie dates from at least the Renaissance period in England and possibly earlier, when pie crust was conveniently used as a baking pan, storage container and serving dish all in one. Traditionally, shepherd's pie is made with lamb, although most versions served in the United States substitute beef, mixing vegetables and gravy and topping with a hearty helping of mashed potatoes. Despite its origins as a meat pie, vegetarians and vegans can prepare shepherd's pie without the sheep and indulge in this classic comfort food.

Things You'll Need

• 6 large potatoes
• 1/2 cup unflavored rice milk
• 1 tbsp. each minced fresh parsley, sage and thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup vegetable or mushroom broth
• 1 cup dried textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• 2 cups mushroom gravy
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

Preparing the Potatoes

1. Peel the potatoes, if desired, and cut them into large chunks. Add to enough water to cover them and boil for 25 minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes and mash.

3. Stir in the rice milk and minced herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preparing the TVP and Vegetables

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Boil the vegetable broth and add the TVP. Dried TVP will soak up the liquid it is cooked in, both expanding in volume and taking on the taste of the broth. You may want to add salt or additional seasonings depending on your tastes. If meat eaters will be among your guests, the Red Kitchen recommends adding a pinch of unsweetened cocoa powder to darken the color of the TVP to look more like meat.

3. Heat the gravy over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, stirring frequently.

4. Saute the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent.

5. Add the TVP to the vegetable mixture and stir.

6. Layer the TVP and vegetables, gravy and mashed potatoes on an oven-safe plate or pan and bake for seven minutes. Shepherd's pie can be prepared as individual servings or served in a single large dish as a casserole. The recipe serves two people, though it is easy to expand to cook for more.

Tips & Warnings

• Vegan shepherd's pie is easy and inexpensive to prepare in large quantities, making it a sensible dinner option when feeding large crowds.

References

• What's Cooking America: History of Pies
• Simply Recipes: Easy Shepherd's Pie
• "Vegetarian Times"; Soul Celebration; Bryant Terry; 2009
• Wise Bread: TVP for the Meat Lover's Soul