Sharon Palmer RD

Published on June 13, 2026

Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie (Healthy Vegan One-Dish Meal)

This Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie puts a vibrant, plant-based spin on a classic comfort food favorite. A flavorful filling of black beans, tomatoes, corn, peas, celery, onions, and Southwestern spices is topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes and baked until golden and delicious. Naturally vegan and vegetarian (easily made gluten-free), this colorful one-dish meal is packed with nutrition, flavor, and cozy satisfaction.

Plant-based comfort food dishes which serve as a meal-in-one, such as this hearty sweet potato shepherd’s pie, are wonderful any night of the week. One of my favorite vegan meals is a classic shepherd’s pie recipe—a traditional dish comprised of a stew covered with a mashed potato topping. I mixed it up by using rich sweet potatoes as the topping over a Southwestern-flavored plant-based filling of black beans, peas, corn, and carrots, with a Southwest spice profile in this vegan shepherd’s pie recipe. This Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is even better the next day, as the flavors start to meld! Rich in protein, fiber, slow-digesting carbs, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, this is a balanced meal your whole family will enjoy. Just pair it with a crisp green salad to round out your meal. It’s really good packed away for lunch the next day, as the leftovers are great. You can make it in individual bowls too. Double up on the recipe if you’re feeding a big crowd.

The recipe is simple, calling upon pantry and freezer staples, such as canned beans and tomato paste, onions, dried spices, and frozen vegetables. I love to bring this recipe to potlucks and parties. The bright, cheery color of sweet potatoes really calls out! If you want to make this Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie gluten-free, just swap out cornstarch for the flour. You can also mix it up a little by swapping a different type of bean for the black beans, such as kidney beans or pinto beans, and different types of vegetables for the corn and peas, such as green beans, cauliflower, and zucchini. I promise this shepherd’s pie will become one of your classic, go-to recipes.

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Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

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Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie is a healthy vegan comfort food recipe featuring black beans, tomatoes, corn, peas, celery, onions, and spices topped with creamy mashed sweet potatoes. Can easily be made gluten-free, plus it’s colorful, hearty, and perfect for family dinners and meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale

Sweet Potato Topping:

3 medium (8 ounces each) sweet potatoes, peeled, slicked into chunks
1 tablespoon vegan margarine or butter (i.e., Earth Balance or Miyoko’s)
3-5 tablespoons plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Black Bean Vegetable Filling:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium (about 3 ounces each) carrots, sliced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste (optional)

Garnish (optional):

1 green onion, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced

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Instructions

To Make Sweet Potato Topping:

Place sweet potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water over medium heat. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Drain liquid from pot, add vegan margarine and 3 tablespoons plant-based milk. Mash with a potato masher (or whip with an electric mixer for best results) until smooth and creamy. Add additional plant-based milk if needed to achieve a smooth, spreadable texture. Season as desired with salt (optional) and pepper. Set aside.

To Make Black Bean Vegetable Filling:

While sweet potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet.
Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots and sauté for 8 minutes.
Add paprika, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, beans, peas, and corn and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until vegetables are just tender.
Add flour to pan and stir well.
Add broth, tomato paste and lemon juice and stir well, heating for an additional 2-3 minutes. Season with salt if desired (optional).
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Pour the vegetable mixture into a medium casserole dish or baking dish (about 9 x 9-inches in diameter and 3-inches deep).
Place in the oven uncovered on top rack and cook for 15-20 minutes, until top is slightly golden brown and mixture is bubbly.
Remove from oven and garnish with sliced green onions and cilantro, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.

Notes

To make this recipe gluten-free substitute cornstarch for flour.

You can also make this recipe into individual pies by dividing the filling into 6-8 oven-proof soup bowls (depending on size) and topping with mashed sweet potatoes and baking for the same length of time.

Double this recipe and place in a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish to serve 12 or more.