The best vegan cottage pie - ideal for a hearty mid-week dinner with a meaty filling and golden fluffy mash topping.
Raise your hand if you've never had a vegan cottage pie...WHAT?? Rebecca Smith, I don't mean to single you out but HOW have you never enjoyed the umami wonder fluffy mashed potato topped heaven that is a vegan cottage pie!? We could get into the differences between cottage and shepherd's pie (usually something boring about which meat gets used *blurgh*) but since we're not using any meat, CALL THIS DISH WHATEVER YOU LIKE!
There's a lovely old vegan shepherd's pie recipe on this blog from back in the day, but things have changed and we've all grown, so I'd advise using this recipe instead! It goes wonderfully with my braised runner beans or even with my vegan gravy!
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What's in a vegan cottage pie?
Here's a little break-down of the ingredients we're going to use in this recipe, to help you get prepped before even stepping into the kitchen - ooh organised!
Obviously see the full recipe at the bottom of the page for quantities.
For the Mashed Potato Topping
- Potatoes - be sure to use a floury variety, like maris pipers.
- Vegan cream - I like to use Oatly single cream for this one.
- 50 g vegan butter - any will do, block style or soft margarine are both fine.
For the Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil - vegetable oil works great too
- 1 onion - peel and finely dice it before starting
- 1 stick celery - nice and finely diced
- 1 carrot - again, peeled and finely diced
- 300 g vegan mince - you can use frozen or fresh for this. I like to use this variety from Tesco.
- 1 tbsp tomato puree - known as tomato paste in some countries
- 1 tbsp ketchup - don't judge me, it belongs in this recipe I promise!
- 400 ml water - make sure it's boiling hot!
- 100 ml red wine - don't worry if you don't drink, just replace this with more water
- 1 tsp marmite - my favourite ingredient. If you can't find it, don't worry, just leave it out.
- 1.5 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce - I use Henderson's Relish because it's vegan!
- 4 sprigs thyme - obvs remove those stems
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 tbsp soy sauce - the light stuff not dark!
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 100 g frozen peas
- 110 g grated vegan cheese - make sure it's a variety that's gonna melt under the grill/broiler.
Before you panic, this is not the recipe: see the recipe card at the bottom of the page for quantities.
How do I make vegan cottage pie?
As always, the full recipe is down below, but here are a few visuals for you! Sometimes these help if you've never had a vegan cottage pie before (like poor Rebecca). The process is super simple though, so don't be alarmed!
1. Make the mashed potato topping! It's a good idea to chop your potatoes into roughly similar sizes so they all cook at once. This way you won't be shocked by any uncooked centres!
2. Make the vegan cottage pie filling. It's essentially a really simple, rather gravy-heavy ragu. It's traditionally made from beef (and weirdly, no cottages either!?) so use a nice meaty vegan mince/ground.
3. Top the vegan cottage pie with the mashed potatoes. Don't push the mash down too hard though, or you'll make the sauce escape over the edge of the dish! It's also a good idea to start loading the mash from the outsides of the dish and work your way to the centre.
4. Bake and grill the cottage pie. I like to bake my vegan cottage pie without vegan cheese on top, as I find this dried out many vegan cheese brands. If you top with cheese after baking and then grill/broil, you'll get a much tastier looking finish.
Hint: Whether you're making cottage pie, lasagna or shepherd's pie, it's always a smart idea to let the dish rest after cooking for a good 10-20 minutes. Don't worry, it won't lose its heat but it will lose some excess moisture. This means when you spoon out the portion of vegan cottage pie, it's more likely to hold its shape. Cheeky!
Subs and swaps
As it stands, this vegan cottage pie recipe is already vegetarian, vegan and gluten free (depending on which vegan mince/ground you use) but here are a few tweaks and swapsies you might want to make.
- Potatoes - for an easy swap to make this a low GI recipe, substitute the potatoes for sweet potatoes or even cauliflower mash. I'd recommend steaming sweet potatoes rather than boiling them, but otherwise the process is identical.
- Vegan Mince/Ground - If you're following a whole food plant based diet, feel free to swap the mince for a tin of drained lentils. You can even mix in a few finely chopped shiitake mushrooms for extra flavour and bite.
- Vegan Cheese - I've tested this recipe with and without the vegan cheese and it's still beautiful either way. Because of the extra grilling at the end, the mash will always turn golden and crispy regardless of whether or not you decide to use vegan cheese.
If you've got any suggestions for other swaps, pop them in the comments below for other readers to see. Thank you!
Make it your own!
I've deliberately kept this recipe as close to the classic as possible, but if you'd like to go rogue, why not try these ideas:
- Add some spice! - I'd go to Brit Jail for this, but I actually love a spicy cottage pie. To easily pick up the heat, freeze a red chilli pepper in a ziplock bag. When you're ready, simply grate the chilli directly into the filling sauce as it cooks using a microplane grater. You can add as much or as little as you like!
- Supersize it! - This vegan cottage pie recipe multiplies beautifully, so if you're feeding the five thousand, just tap that multiply button down on the recipe card!
- Feed the kiddies! - To make this kid friendly just leave out the red wine! You can swap it for extra stock or just water will do
An alternative crowdpleaser recipe is my vegan tikka masala! Meaty and spicy! Perfect combo!
Do I need any specialist equipment?
This vegan cottage pie is a classic, so I imagine you'll have everything you need to get started, but just in case, here's a list of the bits and bobs you'll require.
- 1 x 23cm/9 inch casserole dish
- 1 large pot
- a potato masher or ricer
- 1 x large frying pan or wide saucepan
How can I store my vegan cottage pie?
Cottage pies are perfect for making in advance. Just allow the pie to cool to room temperature then wrap in aluminium foil and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, keep the top covered with foil and place in the oven for around 20 mins at 150c/302f.
Bonus Tip!
When you reheat a single portion of this vegan cottage pie, it's always easiest to microwave for 2 mins. However, once it's hot right through, consider giving it another blast under the grill/broiler. The mash will become super crispy and those edges will be irresistable!
Vegan Cottage Pie FAQs
A: Traditionally a cottage pie is made with beef and a shepherd's pie is made with lamb (hence shepherd). A vegan variety obviously contains none of these, so the different terms are rendered synonymous!
This is a divisive question! Some people argue peas have no place in a cottage pie but traditionally a cottage pie contains cubes of carrot and peas - since they go together so well!
Vegan Cottage Pie
Equipment
- 1 23cm/9 inch casserole dish
Ingredients
For the Mashed Potato Topping
- 1.5 kg potatoes (use a floury variety like maris piper)
- 200 ml vegan cream (I used Oatly single cream but and vegan cream works great)
- 50 g vegan butter
For the Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 onion (peeled and finely diced)
- 1 stick celery (finely diced)
- 1 carrot (peeled and finely diced)
- 300 g vegan mince (aka vegan ground (see ingredient notes))
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree (aka tomato paste)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 400 ml water (boiling hot)
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 100 ml red wine (or replace for more water)
- 1 teaspoon marmite (optional)
- 1.5 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 sprigs thyme (de-stemmed)
- 100 g frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 110 g vegan cheese (grated, use a melting variety)
Instructions
To Make the Mashed Potato Topping
- Fill a large pot with boiling water and place over medium heat. Season the water with a teaspoon of salt. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1 - 1.5 inch chunks.1.5 kg potatoes
- Add the potatoes to the water and bring back up to a rolling boil. From the point the water starts bubbling, cook the potatoes for 15 minutes. Do a fork test on one of your largest chunks of potato to make sure it's cooked through.
- Drain the potatoes through a colander then immediately add the vegan cream and vegan butter to the still-hot pot. Allow the potatoes to steam in the colander for 5 minutes then return them to the pot.200 ml vegan cream, 50 g vegan butter
- Either use a potato ricer or potato masher to mash the potatoes then stir them into the vegan cream and melted vegan butter. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then cover with a lid and set aside.
To Make the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C.
- Place a large frying pan or large wide-open saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion and fry for around 3-4 minutes or until just starting to brown.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion
- Add the celery and carrot and fry for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture is softened and very fragrant. Add the vegan mince and break up with your spatula. Fry for another 3-4 minutes or until the mince has started to brown lightly.1 stick celery, 1 carrot, 300 g vegan mince
- In a measuring jug, whisk together the tomato puree, ketchup, boiling water, vegetable stock cube, red wine, marmite, vegan Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and thyme leaves. Add to the pan and stir. Bring to a simmer then reduce the temperature slightly.1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 400 ml water, 1 vegetable stock cube, 100 ml red wine, 1 teaspoon marmite, 1.5 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, 4 sprigs thyme, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Leave the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it's not catching. Add the frozen peas then simmer for a further 2 minutes.100 g frozen peas
- In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and 1 tablespoon cold water. Add to the sauce and stir then leave to simmer and thicken for a further 2 minutes.1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper then transfer to a 23cm/9 inch casserole dish. Top the filling with the prepared mashed potatoes a little at a time, working from the edges of the dish into the centre.1 pinch ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- Place the pie in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes before removing, topping with the vegan cheese and placing under the grill or broiler for a further 5 minutes.110 g vegan cheese
- Ideally, allow the pie to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This will help it keep its shape when scooped.
D Sawyer
Second time making this tonight, another absolute win! Loved it. Such a classic
Aimee
Loved making this recipe. It was absolutely delicious and great for leftovers as well. This was our first time making cottage pie and it turned out perfectly. Thank you Richard for another winner recipe, we adore your vegan peanut butter stuffed cookies as well. I am hopeful one day you will create a recipe book, we love every recipe we have made from you, with love!
Sam Naville
The topp[ing is so golden and crispy! I loved making and eating this!
Padma
I loved this and so did my husband and daughter. Thank you!
Amanda
I didn’t have tomato paste so I substituted with half a cup of tomato passata, I also didn’t have vegan wosteshire sauce so I omitted that. But this was one of the best tasting cottage pies I’ve ever made! Thank you so the mouth watering deliciousness!!!