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Vegan Shepherds Pie with Chickpeas and Sweet Potato mash. Savory Brothy Veggies and Chickpeas, mashed potatoes, Crusted with breadcrumbs, garlic and herbs. 1 hour easy Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie. Vegan Nut-free Soy-free Recipe. Can be gluten-free.

Veggies, Chickpeas (or lentils), fresh herbs, herbed mashed sweet potato and a crusty garlic top. This savory pie just shot to the top in the running for the Vegan Thanksgiving entree.
Thanksgiving and potlucks around the holidays are a good time to whip up some savory filling meals. This Easy Casserole is filled with a veggie, herb, chickpea filling. Mashed sweet potato with vegan butter and thyme is layered over the filling. Breadcrumbs mixed with olive oil, minced garlic and rosemary finish the dish, to get a garlicky crusty top. Make this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie! I made individual servings, because everything is more fun in individual ramekins. Bake into ramekins or one baking pan. Use veggies of choice. Use cooked lentils instead of chickpeas for variation. Use potatoes, butternut squash for variation.
Gorgeous colors, savory flavors, warming, and delicious.

More options for the holidays
- Lentil Quinoa Loaf. can be GF
- Cauliflower Steaks with mushroom gravy GF
- Chickpea Veggie BBQ Loaf . Can be GF
- Gobi Musalam – Whole Roasted Cauliflower with creamy gravy. (GF SF)
- Cauliflower Alfredo, Spinach, Artichoke Lasagna. SF can be GF
- Easy Vegan Veggies Lasagna. Can be GF
If you make any of these of this Shepherd’s pie, tag me on Instagram (#veganricha) or social media and also let me know how it turned out!
Make the chickpea veggie filling. Cook and Mash sweet potatoes. Prep the garlic crumb herb topping.

Assemble in individual ramekins. Fill two thirds of the container with chickpea veggie filling. Add a layer of mashed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle some breadcrumb mixture on top and bake. The breadcrumb idea is from Jamie Oliver’s vegetarian Shepherd’s pie.

Video:
Vegan Shepherds Pie with Chickpeas & Sweet Potato

Ingredients
Chickpea Veggie Pie Filling:
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/3 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tsp fresh
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1.5 to 2 cups veggies, -carrots, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, celery, chopped
- 3/4 tsp or more salt, divided
- 1/2 cup peas
- 15 oz can chickpeas, or 1.5 cups cooked
- 1.25 to 1.5 cups water
- black pepper and cayenne to taste, 1/4 tsp or more
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce, optional
- 1/4 tsp celery seed, optional
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water
Sweet Potato Mash:
- 12 to 14 oz chopped sweet potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
Breadcrumb Garlic Olive oil topping:
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast, optional
- fresh rosemary or thyme
Instructions
Sweet Potato Mash:
- Add sweet potatoes to a pot of water with salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Drain, mash, season with salt, pepper, olive oil, thyme and set aside. (I used pre-cubed sweet potatoes to save time and to save my thumb).
Chickpea Veggie Filling:
- Meanwhile, Crush coriander and cumin seeds in a mortar pestle or blender/grinder. Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. When hot, add the crushed seeds to the oil. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add onion garlic and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. I had a thumb injury, so I chopped up onion and garlic in the food processor and used. I also processed the veggies in the processor, to add at the next step. This made the chopping prep a very quick 2 mins.
- Add veggies, thyme, sage and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for another 3 minutes. Add peas, chickpeas, salt (depends on if the chickpeas were salted), water, black pepper, cayenne, soy sauce, celery seeds, and mix well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, add cornstarch mixed with water and simmer until thickened slightly. 5 to 7 mins. Taste and adjust salt, herbs. Preheat the oven to 425 deg F/ 220ºc
Assemble:
- Distribute the chickpea veggie mixture into ramekins (fill 2/3 of the ramekin) or one large baking dish. Add sweet potato mixture on top.
- Mix breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil, optional nutritional yeast. rosemary or thyme in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mash.
- Bake at 425 degrees F / 220ºc for 15 to 20 minutes. Broil for a minute to brown if needed. Cool for a few minutes then Serve.
- The baked pie keeps well refrigerated. The filling will thicken a bit. Reheat and serve.
Video
Notes
Use some uncooked quinoa + lentils for variation Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.












This looks so delicious ! Such a satisfying meal for this time of year 🙂
I’ve made a seitan loaf for years now for Thanksgiving. I’m reconsidering with this recipe. Might just have to do a trial run this weekend!
I’m trying to cook up some of my overflowing CSA bounty this weekend- do you think these would freeze well or do you feel freezing would change the textures?
I think it should freeze well. Make the chickpea mixture and mashed sweet potattoes and layer them. Dont add the garlic breadcrumb topping. add a sprinkle of lemon juice on top of the sweet potatoes and seal the container with a cling wrap. Add the breadcrumb topping fresh and bake.
We made this for a potluck this weekend. Now only if I can stop eating it so others can get some!
Wow, it’s a delicious meal! I just tried it and everybody loved it! I didn’t have celeri neither mushroom or peppers, I used cauliflower instead and it was absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much! 🙂
Awesome! So glad everyone loved it!
Thanks for commenting on the actual recipe results, not just on how it looks or sounds. So much more helpful to readers and recipe creators. That’s my first and last non recipe tested comment. I promise!
I LOVE LOVE this idea! I would absolutely adore using my sweet potatoes this way. Perfect holiday recipe!
Pinned! Now, where did you find those adorable polka-dotted dishes??
worldmarket
Thank you, Richa. Love your recipes!
Definitely going to give this a try! I will use green lentils, I like their earthy flavour and texture which I think will work well with this. My go-to topping at the moment is potato mashed up with celeriac, that might be a variation to try too… ooh the possibilities! Thanks Richa.. X Rusty
Thanks! I like both chickpeas and lentils equally in this one.
So would you substitute 1.5 cups cooked lentils for the chickpeas?
Regards, Jan
yes, start with that and add more if needed.
I must say that this is making my stomach growl right now. I can’t wait to try it!
Oh wow this looks amazing! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe, a definite must try for the cooler months.
Lennae xxx
http://www.lennaesworld.com
thanks!