Recipes · Plant Based Dinners

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie and Vegetarian French Onion Soup: A Cold Weather Dinner Built on Lentils and Slow Onions

One dish hides its vegetables under a cloud of buttery mashed potatoes. The other turns plain onions into something dark, sweet and almost meaty. Both prove that winter comfort food doesn’t need meat.

Cold nights. Hot oven. Good plan.

The temperature drops, the light goes early, and the kitchen suddenly feels like the best room in the house. Two recipes from the Food with Feeling kitchen suit that mood perfectly, and they pair well enough to serve on the same table: a lentil shepherd’s pie baked under a golden roof of mashed potatoes, and a vegetarian French onion soup finished under a bubbling cap of toasted bread and cheese. Together they make up the Sustainable Action Now vegan shepherd’s pie with French onion soup guide, a full meatless menu with every measurement, swap and storage tip in one place.

The Shepherd’s Pie That Doesn’t Miss the Meat

Traditional shepherd’s pie is a British and Irish classic, a savory minced lamb filling sealed under mashed potato and baked until the peaks brown. This version swaps the meat for cooked lentils and leans on vegetables for body. Diced parsnips, carrots and onion go into the skillet first, followed by sweet corn and peas, then a gravy built from vegetable broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme. The lentils are folded in gently at the end so they hold their shape instead of dissolving into paste.

The result is hearty without being heavy. Parsnips lend a quiet sweetness, tomato paste adds depth, and the herbs give the whole thing a smell that fills the house within minutes of going into the oven. The topping does the rest. Russet potatoes mashed with vegan butter and a splash of plant milk turn creamy, with a few small lumps left in for texture, then get raked into peaks with a fork so the edges crisp as they bake. Its creator, Brita Britnell, calls it ridiculously comforting, and it’s hard to argue.

Why Lentils, and Which Ones

Lentils are a smart stand-in for ground meat. They bring protein and fiber, they absorb the flavors around them, and they have just enough bite to feel substantial under a mound of potatoes. Green or brown lentils work best because they stay intact in a saucy filling. Red lentils will work in a pinch, but they break down and make the filling softer and mushier. Cooks who want a different texture can use plant based ground beef in place of the lentils, and any of the vegetables can be swapped for whatever is already in the refrigerator.

The recipe is plant based when the butter, milk and Worcestershire sauce are vegan, and that last item deserves a glance at the label, since many traditional brands contain anchovies. The dish is also naturally gluten free as written, provided the vegetable broth and Worcestershire are gluten free too. Yukon Gold or sweet potatoes can stand in for russets, and olive oil can replace the butter in the skillet.

Rake the potatoes with a fork. Those little peaks are where the crunch lives.

French Onion Soup Without the Beef

French onion soup is a lesson in patience. The classic version gets its savory depth from beef stock, and a vegetarian version has to earn that depth some other way. Here, the work is done by the onions themselves, three pounds of them, sliced into half moons and cooked slowly in olive oil, then butter, then sugar and salt, until they turn the color of strong tea. Red wine, vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and thyme fill in the rest. The wine also supplies the dark color that vegetable broth alone can’t.

Brita Britnell describes the recipe as one that took little effort to make vegetarian, and she’s right that the substitution is mostly a matter of finding the flavor and color beef stock would have provided. It takes about an hour and 25 minutes from start to table, most of which is the unhurried caramelization of the onions. That time can’t be rushed, and it’s the reason the soup tastes the way it does.

Making It Vegan, and Other Swaps

The soup bends easily. Use vegan butter, leave off the cheese or replace it with a vegan one, and it becomes fully vegan. The author suggests a vegan Parmesan style cheese, and any melty cheese such as Swiss or fontina works if you aren’t avoiding dairy. If you’d rather skip the wine, use extra vegetable broth plus a small splash of soy sauce. A good baguette is non negotiable, because the toast has to hold its shape against the broth. And as with the pie, check the Worcestershire sauce, since some versions contain fish.

Serving Them Together

As a pairing, the two dishes make sense. The soup is bright, brothy and savory, and the pie is rich and filling, so a small bowl of one can open a meal built around the other. The soup recipe serves four generous portions, but it stretches to six if you serve it as an appetizer or side. The pie serves six. Add a green salad with something sharp in the dressing and you have dinner for a crowd with almost no meat anywhere near the stove.

Make Ahead, Store, Freeze

The shepherd’s pie is a natural make ahead dish. Assemble it the night before, cover and refrigerate, then bake when you’re ready. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to five days, and single servings reheat in the microwave in 30 second bursts, covered, until warm. For longer storage, cool the pie fully, wrap it tightly in plastic and then foil, and freeze it for up to about three months, then bake from frozen at 350°F for about an hour. The soup can be made through the simmering stage ahead of time, with the toasting and broiling saved for serving.

About the Recipe Creator

Both recipes come from Brita Britnell, the author of Food with Feeling, a vegetarian food blog. She develops easy, approachable recipes aimed at encouraging more people to try meat free meals, and these two are good examples of the approach: familiar dishes, ordinary ingredients, and results that don’t announce what’s missing.

Recipes · Plant Based Desserts

Vegan Peach Cobbler: An Oil Free, Dairy Free Dessert With a Whole Grain Topping

Tender peaches, a soft golden crown, and not a drop of butter, oil, eggs or dairy. This is the cobbler you can serve warm to anyone at the table.

Warm fruit. Soft batter. Done.

A good cobbler has always been a humble dish, fruit under a blanket of batter, baked until the juices bubble at the edges. This version keeps the comfort and strips out what many home cooks are trying to avoid. The filling is sweetened by ripe peaches and a little maple syrup. The topping uses whole wheat and oat flours instead of white flour and butter. There is no oil in it anywhere, and nothing that comes from a cow. It is a Sustainable Action Now vegan peach cobbler recipe built for people who want dessert to taste like dessert and still sit lightly on a plant based table.

Where This Recipe Comes From

The cobbler was developed by the niece of the EatPlant-Based creator, who tested it twice with small adjustments before it reached the site. Peach season is the natural time to make it, when local produce stands and grocery stores are stacked with fruit that smells like summer, but frozen peaches work well too, so the dessert does not have to wait for July. The same kitchen also publishes a refined sugar free apple crumble and dairy free sweet potato muffins for readers who want to keep going down the dessert list.

Why It Works

Four ideas hold the recipe together. First, the sweetness is natural. Peaches and maple syrup carry the filling and the batter, with only a spoonful of brown sugar in the topping. Second, it is free of oil, butter, eggs and dairy, which makes it friendly to vegan, dairy free and egg free guests without announcing itself as a substitute. Third, the flours do real work. Whole wheat gives the topping structure and a faintly nutty flavor, while oat flour keeps it soft and adds a gentle sweetness. Fourth, it adapts to the season, since the same dish is just as good served warm in June or reheated in January.

What Goes Into It

Fresh peaches are the star. Choose fruit that smells fragrant and gives slightly under a gentle squeeze, because ripe peaches soften as they bake and release the juice that becomes the filling. Maple syrup sweetens both the fruit and the batter. Whole wheat flour and oat flour make up the topping, and unsweetened almond milk, or another plant milk, keeps the batter moist. Cornstarch thickens the juices, lemon brightens the fruit, and vanilla and cinnamon round out the flavor. Peeling is optional, since the skins soften in the oven, though peeled peaches give a smoother filling.

The complete recipe card, with exact measurements, numbered instructions and notes, follows the article.

How to Make It

Begin with the filling. Slice the peaches and put them in a nonstick, oven safe skillet or pot with the vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, lemon juice, water and cornstarch, then stir. Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fruit is soft and tender but not mushy. Ripeness changes the timing, so judge by texture, not the clock.

While the fruit cooks, make the batter in a mixing bowl. Combine the whole wheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, salt, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup, and stir only until the mixture is smooth. Stop there. Overmixing develops the gluten in the whole wheat flour and turns a tender topping tough.

Heat the oven to 400°F. When the peaches are ready, the filling should look thick and syrupy but still a little loose, since it will tighten as it bakes. If it seems too thick, stir in up to ¼ cup of extra water. Drop spoonfuls of batter over the warm fruit with a spoon or an ice cream scoop, leaving a few gaps for the rustic look a cobbler is supposed to have. Scatter the brown sugar and rolled oats on top.

Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 350°F and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the topping is cooked through and lightly golden. A toothpick pushed into the batter should come out clean, with no wet crumbs. Then wait. Resting the cobbler for 15 to 20 minutes lets the filling thicken, and that pause is the difference between a spoonable dessert and a puddle.

• Step 1, 25 minutesSimmer the peaches with vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, lemon, water and cornstarch.
• Step 2, while the fruit cooksStir the batter just until smooth.
• Step 3, 400°FPreheat, check the filling, and add water if it is too thick.
• Step 4Spoon the batter over the fruit and sprinkle on the brown sugar and oats.
• Step 5, 10 minutes at 400°F, then 5 to 10 at 350°FBake until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Step 6, 15 to 20 minutesRest, then serve warm.

Warm peaches under a soft golden topping, with a cold scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream melting on top.

Why Two Flours

The topping leans on a pairing. Whole wheat flour gives the batter body and a mild nutty flavor, helping it hold together in the oven. Oat flour has a naturally gentle sweetness and keeps the crumb soft. Together they land between dense and crumbly. You can use one flour alone, but the results change. All whole wheat makes a heavier topping, and all oat flour makes a more delicate, crumbly one. If you only have all purpose flour, it can replace the whole wheat in equal amounts, and the topping will come out lighter. Keep the oat flour either way.

Oat flour is easy to make at home. Blend about ¾ cup of old fashioned rolled oats for 30 to 60 seconds, until the oats are fine and powdery, scraping the sides if needed, then measure out the ½ cup the recipe calls for. Store any extra in an airtight container. For a gluten free version, start with certified gluten free oats. The recipe’s author has not tested a fully gluten free cobbler, but suggests a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend that contains xanthan gum, together with certified gluten free oat flour. Expect the texture to differ.

Tips for a Better Cobbler

Buy ripe fruit, since peach flavor is the whole point. Do not skip the cornstarch, which turns the juices that peaches release into a syrupy filling and prevents a watery dish. Mix the batter gently. If you use frozen peaches, use them without thawing, cut the water to half a cup, and expect more liquid and a few extra minutes in the oven. Serve it warm, because the filling and topping taste best that way, and consider a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream or nice cream. The warm and cold contrast is hard to beat.

The Numbers

According to the original recipe, a serving provides about 225 calories, with 49 grams of carbohydrates, 4.3 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, 3.2 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fat and 330 milligrams of sodium. Those figures are estimates, and the listed serving size of one cup may not match the six serving yield, so use them as a rough guide and recalculate with your own ingredients if you track closely.

Peach cobbler works for summer gatherings, holiday tables and quiet evenings at home, and this one does it without butter, oil, eggs or dairy. Make it once with fresh fruit and once with frozen, and you will know it by heart.