Name: Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd's Pies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced; 3 carrots, peeled and diced; 2 ribs of celery, sliced; 1 leek, cleaned and sliced, ends removed; 3 cups mushrooms, cleaned and sliced; bouquet garni (comprised of thyme, rosemary and sage); 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth; 1/2 cup vegan red wine; 1 cup frozen organic peas; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 8 oz organic tempeh, cubed; 1/2 cup pecans (toasted if you aren't in a rush); 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1/4 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 tbsp tamari; 6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled; 1/2 cup almond milk; 2 tbsp vegan butter; salt to taste; fresh herbs to top (I used a mixture of parsley, dill, sage and thyme)

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In a season where packed holiday schedules and stress can manifest, carving out time for the gentleness of presence grows mindful connections with our family, our community and more importantly, ourselves. And while cooking nourishing meals often takes time and effort, there are times when we simply need a little help. Which is why crafting comfort food like these Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pies are a saving grace during the holidays. Festive enough to serve to guests (or fast enough for busy nights), these individual pies deliver fuss-free comfort food and sumptuous flavors to your holiday table.

My tiny winter garden path. (Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd's Pies | Homegrown Provisions #vegan #glutenfree)

My tiny winter garden path at sunset.

Topped with the fluffiest mashed potatoes you’ll ever have, these Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pies don’t require a ton of energy or forethought. Unlike traditional Shepherd’s pie recipes that can take upwards of an hour or more, using the Instant Pot ensures these pies are ready in just 30 minutes. They’re nourishing and warming, yet full of classic flavors and good-for-you ingredients (like vitamin D2 touting mushrooms, protein-packed tempeh and pecans, and phytonutrient-rich leeks, carrots and more!).

Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd's Pies | Homegrown Provisions #vegan #glutenfree

Have you worked with an Instant Pot before? It’s surprisingly easy!

Red wine and a bit of vegetable broth marry a tempeh-pecan meaty crumble with winter vegetables and a fresh bouquet garni (comprised of rosemary, thyme, and sage). Served in ramekins and topped with hearty mashed potatoes, digging into these vegan shepherd’s pies are complex flavor bliss.

Nesting back inside with the twinkle of holiday lights, I grab a spoon and can hardly wait to warm-up with this little serving of comfort. Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, I hope you are able to create a little space for wellness and nourishment, with a simple recipe or two, that gives time back to you!
Looking for more seasonal and/or self-care recipes?

For a little “me time” try this Golden Chai Latte.
Holiday appetizers are easy with these Hoisin-Glazed Vegan Meatballs.
Santa approved cookies can be found here.

Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pies

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

Author: Homegrown Provisions
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 6 1x

Scale

Ingredients

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Filling (Vegetables/Mushrooms/Herbs)

3 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
1 leek, cleaned and sliced, ends removed
3 cups mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
bouquet garni (comprised of thyme, rosemary and sage)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup vegan red wine
1 cup frozen organic peas
1 tbsp tomato paste

Tempeh-Pecan Meaty Crumble

8 oz organic tempeh, cubed
1/2 cup pecans (toasted if you aren’t in a rush)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp tamari

Mashed Potatoes

6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tbsp vegan butter
salt to taste
fresh herbs to top (I used a mixture of parsley, dill, sage and thyme)

Instructions

Add pecans, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt and Italian seasoning to a food processor. Pulse about 10 times to mix the pecans with the spices. (Do not over grind.)
Then add the cubed tempeh and tamari to the pecan mixture, and pulse lightly (about 20 more times) until the tempeh-pecan mixture comes together and is coarsely mixed.
Next set the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting. Add in the olive oil (3 tbsp of olive oil is a little more than what I’d normally work with, but I found adding a bit more oil up front avoided burning and sticking), along with the carrots, onions, celery and leeks. Sauté for roughly 5 minutes or so; add the mushrooms and sauté for another couple of minutes. Then add the tomato paste and stir evenly to coat the vegetables for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the red wine, vegetable broth and add your bouquet garni (more on this in the Notes section) and tempeh-pecan meaty crumble.
Place your Instant Pot trivet into the Shepherd’s pie mixture and sit the peeled potatoes on top.
Cancel the Sauté setting and change the setting to Manual for 12 minutes. Make sure your Instant Pot lid valve is set to “sealing.”
While the Instant Pot is working its magic, pre-heat the oven to broil.
Once the Instant Pot is done, transfer the potatoes to a food processor. Pour the almond milk over the top, add the vegan butter and puree until smooth. Do not over puree, or the potatoes will be hard to work with and glue-like.
Fold in the frozen peas to the vegan Shepherd’s pie filling and spoon the filling into 6 large ramekins (or an 8 x 8 baking dish). Top each serving with the mashed potatoes. Transfer ramekins to a large baking sheet and place in the oven.
Broil for 5-10 minutes (this will vary depending on your oven — keep a close watch!) until the potatoes are golden brown on top.
Allow the vegan Shepherd’s pies to cool ever so slightly, top with fresh herbs and enjoy!

Notes

To make a bouquet garni, simply tie baker’s twine around several sprigs of fresh herbs (or use a muslin bag tied with string). Remove the bouquet garni before eating.

12 Comments

Jen | My Healthy Homemade Life

December 17, 2017

Wow! I’m loving that you have an instant pot recipe! I got one for my birthday a few months ago and I’ve been wanting to expand beyond soups, rice and beans! I’m looking forward to trying this! Thank you, Shannon and Merry Christmas!
- Reply
  Shannon
  
  December 19, 2017
  
  A very Merry Christmas to you too, Jen! We must be on the same wavelength! I received an Instant Pot for my birthday and decided this holiday season is the perfect time to try out new recipes. Enjoy & have a wonderful rest of your week! 🙂
Gregory Knight

December 29, 2017

We loved the vegan shepherd’s pie. We don’t own an instant pot but had no trouble doing what we needed to without it to prepare this dish. The tempeh pecan crumble really does make this dish special. We will definitely put this in our regular dinner menu rotation during the cold Winter months.

★★★★★
- Reply
  Shannon
  
  December 30, 2017
  
  How wonderful, Gregory! I especially love that you adapted the recipe to suit your needs without an Instant Pot. Thank you for giving this recipe a whirl, and for your lovely feedback!
Gerald Blount

December 29, 2017

I made this recipe for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a huge hit! Great idea on the “meat’ portion.

★★★★★
- Reply
  Shannon
  
  December 30, 2017
  
  Thank you, Gerald! I’m so glad you tried the recipe and that it was so well received at your Christmas table!
Lori P.

December 24, 2019

My husband I loved this recipe – we both went back for seconds. We are new to both the Instant Pot and whole food plant based eating. My husband commented that it could even fool meat lovers. I did find one problem with the recipe though. At no point in the instructions could I find when to add the tomato paste. I decided to add it to the meat mixture along with the red wine and vegetable broth. I’ll be making this again.

★★★★★
- Reply
  Shannon
  
  December 24, 2019
  
  Hi Lori! Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment. I’m so glad you both loved the recipe! Thank you also for bringing the tomato paste omission to my attention. You added it at the perfect time and I’ll update the recipe when I have a moment to reflect this change. Happy Holidays!
Donna

January 1, 2020

Hi, this recipe looks great. Can you confirm you mean the trivet that comes with the instant pot only the one I have sits only about an inch above the bottom of the pot so I’m not sure that’s high enough?
- Reply
  Shannon
  
  January 2, 2020
  
  Happy New Year, Donna and thank you for your question! I used the trivet that came with my Instant Pot by placing the trivet “legs” on either side of the pot to elevate the potatoes. It was a bit of a balancing act, so if you’d like to try this recipe with taller trivets, there are several options out there (designed specifically for the Instant Pot) that might make things easier. I hope this helps!
Patricia

January 3, 2020

Hi Lori
I’m new to the Instant Pot and keep looking at it so I really must start to use it now I’ve seen your wonderful shepherds pie recipe. Can you just confirm a couple of things for me…should the peeled potatoes be cubed or whole (what sort of size) and is it a quick release when the time is up or release naturally? Thank you in advance😊

★★★★★
- Reply
  Shannon
  
  January 4, 2020
  
  Hi there, Patricia! Thank you for your questions. The peeled potatoes should be whole (small/medium-sized). When the time is up, turn the valve to “venting” for a quick release of pressure (a word of caution: the steam can be very hot, so I often use oven mitts when turning the valve to protect my hands). Many thanks for your lovely comment!

Instant Pot Vegan Shepherd’s Pies