Thanksgiving shouldn’t just be about the turkey. I immediately knew that I wanted to create a filling, healthy dish with extra firm tofu in the mix, and dreamed up this Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Tofu and a Cauliflower Crust.
If you’re having some veggie friends over for the holidays, or just looking for a new favorite comfort food, try this Shepherd’s Pie out! It is vegetarian, easily made vegan, and gluten free.
More importantly, the flavor is spot on for Thanksgiving with its notes of thyme, vegetable broth, squash, and mushrooms- and the tofu gets to soak up all those wonderful cozy flavors. Swapping the traditional potato crust out for cauliflower mash is a lower carbohydrate and lower calorie alternative that isn’t even noticeable for those traditionalists.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large carrots
- 1 white onion
- 16 ounces extra firm tofu
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ small butternut squash
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- ¼ cup water, divided
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat a large pot on medium heat with olive oil. Dice carrots, onion, and drained tofu into small cubes and add to the pot along with the ground thyme. Sautee for 5-7 minutes.
- In the meantime, dice the ½ of a butternut squash into slightly larger cubes (about 3 cups total). Add the diced squash to the pot with the vegetable broth and mushrooms and let it simmer together for 10-12 minutes, avoiding a hard boil but allowing some liquid to evaporate. Turn off the heat when the butternut squash can be pierced with a fork.
- While the butternut squash is cooking, add the cauliflower florets and 2 tablespoons of water into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 6 minutes. Stir and microwave for another 6 minutes until soft.
- Puree the cauliflower in a food processor until creamy, adding the grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast for flavor. Set aside.
- Stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth, and add to the main pot of filling. Stir for a few minutes until thickened and taste, adding salt and pepper as desired.
- Ladle the filling mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Carefully spread the pureed cauliflower mixture on top of the filling along with salt and pepper.
- Bake the shepherd's pie for 30 minutes, until bubbling (slide a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch any spills). Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve the dish in bowls, alongside your favorite green salad or green beans for a tasty winter meal. This dish reheats beautifully for leftovers as well!
Are you planning on cooking a turkey for the holiday? I love surprising my vegetarian friends with a main dish option so they don’t have to just fill up on sides!
Marisa
Alanna says
This looks delicious and just screams comfort!! That crust looks amazing 🙂
Marisa says
Thanks Alanna!
Julia says
Brilliant! I LOVE Shepher’s Pie and your cauliflower crust idea is making me drool! Love that this is packed with nothing but healthy ingredients – so light, yet so satisfying! A perfect Thanksgiving dish!
Marisa says
You know I’m all about packing in the veggies!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I have seen so many Shepard’s Pie recipes lately! I need to make one! I never have, nor have I ever even eaten one :O
Farrah says
I love shepherd’s pie! <3 Can't wait to try this one out!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
Yum! What a great idea to use tofu + cauliflower crust to make sheperd’s pie!! Such a great way to sneak on more vegetables on turkey day!
Marisa says
Exactly! Hoping I can get everyone at our Thanksgiving table to forget about the turkey 😉
Alex @ DelishKnowledge says
What a great idea! I love Shepard’s Pie and love the idea of adding a cauliflower crust for a healthier version. Yum!
Cassie says
I’m soooo late to this post but I think I’m going to try and make this for my dinners this week so I come home and eat something that isn’t a turkey sandwich 🙂
Marisa says
That would be awesome – let me know if you end up making it! I love when you send me photos of your version of my recipe 🙂 Enjoy Thanksgiving!