This vegan and gluten-free white bean shepherd’s pie recipe is both tasty and easy to make. With a little planning, you can prepare it in about an hour. Jump to recipe →
Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with meat filling and a mashed potato crust. It’s the ultimate cold-weather comfort food and healthy plant-based versions are popular. Some are more complicated than others. This White Bean Shepherd’s Pie recipe is both tasty and easy to make.
3 Things Inspired This Recipe
- I was looking for a gluten-free plant-based alternative to chicken potpie. (My family loves chicken potpie…)
- I discovered Pinch of Yum’s delicious Cauliflower Sauce.
- I decided navy beans would work just fine as a chicken substitute.
White Bean Shepherd’s Pie
This White Bean Shepherd’s Pie requires a few extra steps compared to the quick and easy recipes I usually share. But it’s not difficult.
The trick is to cook the potatoes, cauliflower and veggies for the filling at the same time. This way you can:
- Make the cauliflower sauce when the veggies for the filling are nearly done.
- Finish the white bean filling when the potatoes are nearly done.
- Mash the potatoes, spread them over the filling and pop the pie into the oven.
With a little planning, you can prepare this warm, creamy, flavorful and satisfying meal in about an hour.
White Bean Shepherd's Pie {Vegan & GF}
Ingredients
Cauliflower Sauce
- 16 oz frozen cauliflower florets about 5 cups
- 3-5 cloves garlic adjust to taste
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
White Bean Filling
- 32 oz canned navy beans low sodium, rinsed and drained
- 16 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 cup onion chopped, fresh or frozen, I use frozen to save time
- 2 cups frozen broccoli florets
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
Mashed Potato Topping
- 8 potatoes medium, I like to use Yukon Gold
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or more if needed)
- 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
Cauliflower Sauce
- Place cauliflower, 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan, cover and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender when pricked with a fork.
- Drain cauliflower, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
- Place cauliflower, 1 cup cooking liquid, ½ cup almond milk, 2 tbsp. olive oil, ½ tbsp. arrowroot powder, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper in a high-speed blender.
- Blend on medium-high until mixture is creamy. (I used variable speed 7 on my Vitamix for about 30-40 seconds.)
White Bean Filling
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- While cauliflower is cooking, add ¼ cup of water to a 5-quart sauté pan.
- Add mixed vegetables, broccoli, onion, and chopped celery, cover and cook on medium high. Stir occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium once pan is fully heated and continue to cook for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add navy beans, 1 tsp. thyme and cauliflower sauce to vegetables and stir until well mixed.
- Spoon mixture into a 9x13 pan and spread evenly.
Mashed Potato Topping
- Before you begin cooking the cauliflower, scrub potatoes and chop into 2-inch chunks. (No need to peel.)
- While cauliflower is cooking, add potatoes, 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water to a large saucepan, cover and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork.
- Drain potatoes, leaving a small amount of the cooking liquid behind. (Enough to wet the bottom of the saucepan.)
- Add ¾ cup almond milk, 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. dried parsley, ½ tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper to the potatoes and mash with a potato masher. (Avoid over-mashing or the potatoes will become gummy.)
- Use a large spoon and a spatula to spoon and carefully spread the mashed potatoes over the white bean filling in the 9x13 pan. (Be sure to spread mashed potatoes all the way to the pan's edges to seal in the filling.)
- Place pan in an upper center position in preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. (Look for tips of mashed potatoes to brown lightly or for filling to bubble up. You may wish to place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips.)
- Let cool for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Note: I do not include nutrition information with my recipes because I subscribe to the theories presented in the book Whole and believe we should focus on eating a variety of whole foods instead of counting calories or keeping track of individual nutrients.
Did you ever open your house door on a cold wet night at the end of a long commute and smell something that just said H-O-M-E? Well recently I did stumble through the door on such a night and smelled the results of my wife’s efforts. This recipe. I just looked at it for a few minutes as it sat on the stovetop and let the theraputic aroma drift around my head and clear away the stresses of the day before scooping out a hearty helping. This recipe will make you feel good – in your belly and in your head.
🙂
This shepherd pie looks so comforting and delicious!
Thank you! It is! 🙂
Kids and hubby gobbled it up!
Glad to hear it! 🙂
I mAde this and it was really good. Though it seemed complex it was relatively easy! All the precut veggies helped and I used small red potatoes so I wouldn’t have to peel them. Yup, even made this adventurous dish on a Monday!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 And kudos to you for trying something new on a Monday!!
PS – I don’t peel the Yukon Gold potatoes either!
I am definitely going to make this. Looks delicious! However, I think I am going to replace the potatoes with turnip or rutabaga.
Yum! Sounds like a neat idea! Let us know how it goes!
Do you happen to know how long this keeps in the fridge? I would like to make this in the weekend to take to uni with me (don’t have an oven in my dorm), but wouldn’t want it to go bad befor I get to enjoy it :)..
Hi Nakiska – the pie keeps well in the fridge. I’d say it would be good for up to a week – although I’ve never had it last that long! 😉 I think the longest my family has gone without devouring the whole thing is about 4 days…
I’m going to make this tonight but don’t have the arrowroot powder – should I use cornstach, or maybe tapioca flour as a sub?
Cornstarch should work fine as a substitute – let me know how it goes! 🙂
How would sweet potatoes work instead of potato potatoes? I’m always scared to do it because it can alter the taste dramatically, but I love SPs.
I also love sweet potatoes and I’ve actually been thinking about creating a version of this pie with them. I suspect they would pair better with a slightly spicier version… But you could always give it a try and see what you think! Let me know if you do!
This recipe was not for me. This was my first time making a cauliflower sauce and I have always been skeptical. Tonight I realized I really do not care for it. I will make again but with organic cream of chicken in the veggies to give it a more comfort food feel with a vegetarian twist.
Thanks for sharing! I’m a fan of adapting recipes to suit your taste! 🙂
Is this freezer friendly? If yes, would you freeze it before or after baking? I’m looking for some good freezer meals to stock the freezer of my soon-to-be-mom friend. Thanks!
Hi Jenn – I have not tried freezing it, but I think it would freeze okay. I don’t think I would bake it before freezing. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Just found my staple meal for fall and winter dinners! I can see making this weekly to come home to on a chilly night, such a comfort to come home to a warm great smelling meal ! My husband and I enjoyed making it together 🙂 I did tweak it slightly, just switching out Thyme for Rosemary and adding some vegan butter, delish! Thank you !
Yes! It’s a perfect warm and cozy meal! 🙂
I made it as a main vegetarian thanksgiving dish. Sadly nothing about the cauliflower sauce tasted comforting. The vegetables were mushy and the flavor was just not tasted. No one went back for seconds and lots was left over)-:. I felt foolish making it for the first time as a main meal. Grrr.
Hi Luba – I’m sorry the recipe did not turn out well. It sounds like the veggies might have been overcooked? Folks seem to either love or hate the cauliflower sauce. It’s quite garlicky and a big hit with my family, but everyone has different tastes. Hope you had a nice holiday anyway. 🙂
Made this dish tonight on Christmas Eve. Very tasty.
Glad you enjoyed it – hope you had a Merry Christmas! 🙂
Came out better than I expected! I ate this as my main dish as my husband had it as a side with his pot roast.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can I substitute the almond milk with another milk like soy or coconut?
Sure! Any plant milk should do the trick. 🙂
Just ok… The whole thing mostly tasted like mashed potatoes which was kind of a let down. I think it needed more spices to combat the blandness of the canned beans and frozen veggies.
Hi Kate – sorry the recipe didn’t go well for you. What kind of potatoes did you use and did you add enough garlic to the sauce?
I am making this today and it’s baking away in the oven. I have tasted the veg beans filling and the mashed potato topping and it’s delicious! the reason this dish could turn out just OK is that it lacked salt during the cooking processed and the quality of garlic cloves used. I did some tweaking: my garlic cloves were large and fresh so I used 4 cloves and I cooked along with the cauliflower. I added 1/4 salt to the veg mix when it’s cooking, I used salted white navy beans (that was the only one available in the Supermarket I went to) which I drained and rinse, added 1 tsp salt to the boiling stock and water for cooking the potatoes and once ready to mash the potatoes, reduced the salt stated on the recipe from 1/2 to 1/4 tsp. To brown the top, switch oven to broil the last 5 minutes and bring the casserole dish to the top rack (closer to the broiler). It turned out nicely brown (yup, I just took it out of the oven as I typed) 🙂
Thank you for sharing your tweaks! If you are accustomed to more salt in your diet, adding a bit more to this dish is probably a good idea. However, if you reduce the amount of salt you consume, your tastes do adjust! I tend to go heavy on the garlic instead of salt. Hope you enjoyed the dish!
Do you put the cauliflower sauce over the veggies? Sorry don’t see what it says to do with it when it’s done
Yes – you add the cauliflower sauce in step 5 of the white bean filling instructions. 🙂
Hi, for the cauliflower sauce it says to use 16 oz frozen cauliflower florets about 5 cups.
Is it meant to say about 2 cups?
Hi Lisa – 5 cups is correct. A 16 oz bag contains about 5 cups of florets – based on how many pieces can fit in a dry ingredient cup. It’s not the same as the fluid conversion of 2 fluid cups equalling 16 fluid ounces.
Hi, i just made tis today… But my the upper potato layer is not very crispy. Is it because i put too much stock or water?
That could be. In the future, you could try switching the oven to broil and cook the pie on that setting for the last 5-10 minutes to brown up the top.
Can I make this in advance
Yes – making it a day ahead shouldn’t be a problem.