Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy (Vegan and Gluten-free)

Savory vegetables and plant-based mushroom gravy baked with golden mashed potatoes on top–this stick-to-your-ribs shepherd’s pie with garlic mashed potatoes is hearty comfort food at its finest.

Here’s my vegan interpretation of the classic British Isle “pie” known as shepherd’s pie, a casserole of vegetables mixed with gravy and baked with mashed potato topping. In shepherd’s pies of old, dibs and dabs of (usually leftover) meat were mixed into the gravy, being an economical way to use up what’s left from dinner the night before.

The  “meat” stand-in in this shepherd’s pie with garlic mashed potatoes is little 1/4-inch cubes of baked tofu, an easy high-protein addtion to the vegetables and gravy mix. I buy the seasoned and marinated savory baked tofu premade, like this one.

Besides the tofu bits, you’ll find carrots, cauliflower, and peas mixed in with the savory gluten-free mushroom gravy. You can add or substitute in other vegetables too, like celery or corn kernels.

The garlic-infused vegan mashed potato crust is made with a bulbs worth of garlic that you’ve steamed in the same pot as the potatoes and mashed all together with fruity olive oil and salt. When you cook garlic cloves until they’re nice and soft, the garlic takes on a whole new personality–mellow and gentle on the palate.

Make your shepherd’s pie with garlic mashed potatoes ahead of time:

Each of the three components–the gravy, the vegetables, and the garlic mashed potatoes–for this shepherd’s pie can be made days ahead. You can also assemble the pie earlier in the day, cover and refrigerate, and then bake it for dinner.

How to make the garlic mashed potatoes:

Either in a steamer or Instant Pot pressure cooker, cook an entire bulb of garlic along with the potatoes. While the potatoes fall apart, the garlic seriously mellows. Mash them together with olive oil, salt, and some of the cooking water–ta-da! Creamy potatoes with incredible flavor!

If you wish, roast the garlic instead of steaming, like in this (also vegan) recipe for roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

Ideas:

• Try garlic mashed potatoes on top of thick stews or chili–yup–you’ve got your own version of shepherd’s pie!
• Instead of the pastry crust, bake garlic mashed potatoes on top of any vegetable pot pie filling.

Be sure to check out this other mushroom gravy that’s served over baked polenta and cannellini beans.

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