Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Pumpkin
A real seasonal favourite, this mushroom based vegan pumpkin shepherd’s pie is great for a holiday meal or any time you need a good comfort food meal. It is more of a special dinner kind of recipe, needing about an hour from start to finish – not all active time – so it may be best saved for the weekend. Luckily, it makes enough for at least a couple of meals and leftovers are great.
I’ve included a little red wine for richness with the mushrooms, some fresh herbs (or dried), and a pumpkin and potato topping. Those are the stars. There are lentils for protein and lots of spices for flavour, too. This is a great recipe to make for picky eaters – it’s almost universally liked, even for people who think they don’t like mushrooms.
This is a gluten-free recipe that makes excellent use of seasonal ingredients, so it can be made all through the coldest months of the year. This is truly one of my all-time favourite recipes, and we make it at least twice a month all through autumn and winter every year.
I first shared this recipe in 2019. It’s been updated with improvements to the recipe instructions and slight improvements to the recipe, updated photos, and more helpful information.
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One reader, Courtney, commented: “This is such a beautiful dish: warm, nourishing, clean, and oh so yummy! The recipe is easy to follow and make, and there are so many servings I’m freezing what I can’t eat over the next few minutes days. This is a wonderful recipe. Thank you!“
Another reader, Tina, said: “Love this dish. We are not vegetarians/vegan but eat veggie meals a couple of times a week. Not difficult to make and so tasty!“
Ingredients You’ll Need and Why
The ingredient list might seem a little long due to the added herbs and spices, but the base recipe is pretty simple. There are some things to keep in mind – these are my notes from recipe testing (I’ve been making this a dozen times a year for the last seven years!) and you can see the full recipe card below.
- Mushrooms: any kind of mushroom can be used. White mushrooms are easiest, of course, but also the least flavourful – for a bigger punch, use chestnut, portobello, or a mix with shiitake or oyster mushrooms. Wild mushrooms are excellent if in season and you’re a forager.
- Red wine: no worries if you don’t drink wine. A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar will add a similar depth of flavour and makes a good substitution. Make up the liquid difference with an extra splash of vegetable broth.
- Pumpkin: use just about any pumpkin or winter squash. Pictured is Hokkaido. If you prefer a more classic vegan shepherd’s pie, feel free to leave the pumpkin out of the topping and go all potato. You can follow the amounts and instructions in my lentil cottage pie recipe.
- Lentils: black, green, and brown mountain lentils are all appropriate here in terms of texture, though brown will give you the most typical kind of colour you expect from a shepherd’s pie. Don’t use red lentils. I don’t recommend large brown lentils as they tend to be a bit too starchy to be pleasant here.
- Herbs: you can substitute two teaspoons of herbes de Provence for the fresh herbs, or a teaspoon each of dried oregano and rosemary.
How to Make Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie
If you have an oven-safe pot that can move from stove top to oven, that’s the easiest way to make this recipe with the least number of dishes to wash. It might seem like a lot to do but you don’t need much hands-on time here.
Step 1: sear the mushrooms, then add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic, herbs, and spices, and cook for another minute. Giving the spices a quick cook releases their oils and improves the overall flavour.
Step 2: deglaze with the wine (this releases any pieces that might be stuck to the pot) and add the broth. Bring to a rolling boil. Making sure the mixture is well-seasoned at this point will improve the taste of the lentils later – it’s best to season earlier so that the lentils absorb the salt during cooking.
Step 3: add the lentils and reduce the heat to simmer until cooked. Keep the pot covered while the lentils are cooking to prevent too much liquid from evaporating.
Step 4: make the topping while the lentils are cooking. Boil potatoes and carrots in salted water, then mash together with some of the reserved cooking water and season well. Be sure to taste this before baking the pie in the oven.
Step 5: once the lentils are cooked, thicken the base with the starch mixture and be sure to taste and season to your personal preference. The lentils need to be cooked through at this point because they won’t cook more in the oven.
Step 6: top with the potato pumpkin mash and bake until bubbling up around the edges. Serve hot.
Expert Tips for the Best Pumpkin Cottage Pie
- Try to get smoked paprika: that tiny bit of smoked paprika adds a nice depth and very subtle meatiness to the dish, and alongside the mushrooms and wine, brings a truly excellent flavour here. It’s widely available, but if you don’t have it, don’t worry! It’ll still taste great without, or using sweet paprika instead.
- Leave the wine out: since this cooks for about an hour total, there will still be traces of alcohol from the wine present in the final dish. As there’s just 60ml in the whole thing and it is cooked, it’s highly unlikely that anyone would be affected. If this is a concern for you, or you avoid alcohol completely, use balsamic vinegar as noted below.
- Keep that cooking water: using the cooking water from the potatoes and pumpkins for mashing has two positives. One, it’s already there, so you don’t need to worry about warming milk. Two, the starch in the water makes for a silky smooth, perfect mash. A range is offered for the amount needed because it’ll vary depending on the types of potato and pumpkin used. Read more about this in my dairy-free mashed potatoes recipe.
- Don’t over-blend: the starch in potatoes can quickly become gluey if mixed in a food processor or blender. Mash by hand or carefully with an immersion blender on low power for the best results.
More Vegetarian Pie Recipes
- Lentil Cottage Pie – without mushrooms, this is the simplest vegan shepherd’s pie recipe on Occasionally Eggs
- Sweet Potato Cottage Pie – similar to this recipe, but with sweet potato topping (no potatoes) and peas added
- Mushroom Pot Pie – with a puff pastry topping and creamy mushroom filling. Vegan as written but with vegetarian options
- Biscuit Topped Vegetarian Pot Pie – this is a vegetable-forward pie with spelt biscuits on top
If you make this Mushroom Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie or any other vegetarian mains on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Vegan Mushroom and Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie
Description
Ingredients
Mushroom and Lentil Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 250 grams (2 cups) button mushrooms halved and sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small sprig of rosemary leaves finely minced
- 2 sage leaves finely minced*
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- 60 ml (¼ cup) dry red wine**
- 625 ml (2 ½ cups) vegetable broth
- 150 grams (1 cup) brown lentils
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot*** powder + 2 tablespoons water
Pumpkin and Potato Topping
- ½ large (2 cups) hokkaido pumpkin or another pumpkin variety
- 500 grams (2 heaping cups) potatoes
- 1 cup cooking water you’ll probably need less, but best to reserve extra
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Mushroom and Lentil Filling
- In a large, heavy bottomed pan, oven safe if possible, heat the oil over medium. Add the mushrooms and sear for about 8 minutes. Stir infrequently, only enough to prevent sticking.1 tablespoon olive oil, 250 grams (2 cups) button mushrooms
- Add the onions and cook for another 6 minutes, or until softened and fragrant, reducing the heat if necessary. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper, and cook for an additional minute.1 medium yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small sprig of rosemary leaves, 2 sage leaves, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add the red wine and stir to release any spices stuck to the bottom of the pan.60 ml (¼ cup) dry red wine**
- Add the vegetable broth and increase the heat to high to bring to a rolling boil. Add the lentils and reduce the heat to medium-low, then simmer for 20-25 minutes, covered, or until the lentils are cooked. Make the topping in the meantime.625 ml (2 ½ cups) vegetable broth, 150 grams (1 cup) brown lentils
- Taste and season if needed. Whisk the arrowroot powder into the 2 tablespoons of water and then stir it in to the filling. It should thicken immediately. Remove from the heat and set aside.2 teaspoons arrowroot*** powder + 2 tablespoons water
Pumpkin and Potato Topping
- Peel the pumpkin if necessary and cut it into small chunks, about 4 cm (1.5 inches). Wash and chop the potatoes to the same size.½ large (2 cups) hokkaido pumpkin, 500 grams (2 heaping cups) potatoes
- Place both into a medium pot, cover with water, and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer, covered, until the vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the water, reserving a cupful, and let the potatoes and pumpkin dry in the pot for a few minutes before mashing.
- Use a potato masher to mash the vegetables before adding half of the reserved water, oil, salt, and pepper. Add more water as needed to get a smooth, spreadable consistency. If it’s too thick it’ll be difficult to spread over the mushroom filling.1 cup cooking water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
To Bake the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). If you used an oven safe dish, simply spread the topping in an even layer over the mushroom base. If not, spoon the filling into a baking dish and top with the potato pumpkin mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and the sauce has started to bubble up around the edges. Serve hot.
- Leftovers can be frozen and keep well for 3-4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven if possible to keep the layers distinct.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Love this dish. We are not vegetarians/vegan but eat veggie meals a couple of times a week. Not difficult to make and so tasty!
Dark rich base with an interesting topping.
This is such a beautiful dish: warm, nourishing, clean, and oh so yummy! The recipe is easy to follow and make, and there are so many servings I’m freezing what I can’t eat over the next few minutes days. This is a wonderful recipe. Thank you!
OMG Thank you for including the ingredient amounts below each step! No more scrolling back and forth 🙏🙌
Can lentils from Trader Joe’s that are already cooked be used?
I haven’t tried using cooked or canned lentils, but I think they’d work. You’ll want to reduce the broth amount by half, though.
Made this today as it’s so cold and miserable here in Cape Town today and need some comfort food 🙂 It is absolutely amazing! Use corn flour to thicken as i didnt have arrowroot and used miso paste instead of wine and dried porcini for stock. It is really divine! Thanks to my friend Cate who pointed me in your blogs direction!