March 14, 2017
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Croquettes with Red Wine Gravy
I’m not Irish, but I have to admit, I love St. Patrick’s Day
I mean, any holiday that requires you to wear shamrocks, drink green beers, and eat delicious Irish food is a great fuckin’ holiday in my book.
With all the liquor I’m sure you’ll be consuming this St. Patrick’s Day, we know you’ll need some amazing Irish food to absorb it all. Ya feel me?
Before going vegan, Shepherd’s Pie used to be me and Ashlee’s all time favorite St. Paddy’s Day meal. Since I’ve seen a million and one vegan Shepherd’s Pie recipes online, I decided to step it up a few notches.
My friends, I present to you, our Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Croquettes. Imagine shepherd’s pie rolled in vegan parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, then fried to a perfect crisp.
Our vegan shepherd’s pie croquettes are a crunchy, creamy, savory, cheesy Irish goodness all in one bite…but that’s not all. I topped it off with a red wine gravy. FUCK YES.
We hope you guys love our vegan shepherd’s pie croquettes as much as we do! A little tip, you can make the croquettes the night before and bread them as well. Keep them in the refrigerator or freezer so all you have to do it fry them the day of!!!
If you make this recipe, take a photo and tag us on Instagram at @Eat_Figs_Not_Pigs. We love seeing your recreations!
Have a safe and fun St. Patrick’s Day!!! Til next time, guys!!!
XOXO
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 4 TBS all purpose flour
- 1½ cups vegan dry red wine, such as Hahn Merlot
- 1 cup water + 1 'Not Beef' bouillon cube
- 4 heaping TBS full fat coconut milk (in the can)
- 1 full sprig Rosemary
- 2-3 sprigs Thyme
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 ‘Not Chikn’ bouillon cube
- 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 small white onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)
- 1 cup baby carrots, chopped into small pieces
- 4 ½ teaspoons egg replacer, plus 6 tablespoons warm water (we used Ener-G egg replacer)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ TBS full fat coconut milk (in the can)
- 2 ½ TBS vegan butter
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 TBS vegan worcestershire sauce
- 2 TBS tomato paste
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese (we used Follow Your Heart)
- 1 cup original, unsweetened almond milk
- In small saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil
- Stir in flour, whisking constantly, about 2-3 minutes
- Add wine and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, about 5-6 minutes
- Add water, bouillon cube, coconut milk, rosemary, thyme, and smashed garlic
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, whisking often
- Keep warm on low, whisking often, until ready to serve with croquettes
- Before serving, strain gravy through a fine mesh strainer to remove garlic and herbs
- Season with pepper and drizzle over warm croquettes
- In a bowl, add dried TVP
- In a small saucepan, boil water with bouillon cube
- Add boiling, seasoned water to TVP, mix to combine, and set aside to rehydrate for 10-15 minutes
- While your TVP is rehydrating, make your mashed potatoes
- In a large pot on high heat, add enough water so the potatoes are fully submerged
- Add potatoes to boiling water and cook until tender, about 15 minutes
- Strain potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl with coconut milk and vegan butter
- With a potato masher or electric mixer, mash potatoes until creamy, making sure the butter and coconut milk are fully incorporated. Set aside
- In a pot on medium heat, add ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Once vegetable oil is hot, add onions and carrots. Cook until the carrots are slightly soft and the onions are translucent, about 6-7 minutes
- Add minced garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add rehydrated TVP, mixing to combine all the ingredients in the pot
- Add frozen peas, tomato paste, vegan worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme. Mix to combine. Cook until the mixture and frozen peas are completely heated through, about 6-8 minutes on medium-low heat
- Combine TVP mixture to the mashed potatoes. Add egg replacer and bread crumbs, mix thoroughly
- Season with salt and pepper if you prefer
- Set mixture in the refrigerator to cool, about 20-30 minutes
- Once your shepherd’s pie mixture is cool, you can begin forming your croquettes
- Using about 2 tablespoons of the shepherd’s pie mixture, form oval or oblong shaped croquettes using your hands. This mixture should make about 12-16 croquettes
- Place croquettes on a parchment paper lined plate and place in the freezer to solidify, about 10-15 minutes
- While your croquettes are cooling, set up your dredging station
- In one large bowl, add cornstarch and flour, mixing to combine
- In another large bowl, add panko bread crumbs and vegan parmesan cheese, stirring to combine
- In a third bowl, add almond milk
- Make sure each croquette is fully coated
- In a shallow pan on medium high heat, fry croquettes until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side
- Transfer cooked croquettes to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm with red wine gravy
- ENJOY
2. We also buy our ‘Not Chikn’ bouillon cubes from Sprouts or Whole Foods. If you are not able to find these, you can substitute for vegetable bouillon or vegetarian chicken stock. If using stock instead of the cubes, replace water with ¾ cup stock.
3. I buy our egg replacer at Sprouts or Whole Foods. There are several brands, but Ener-G happens to be our personal favorite. If using another brand, make sure to use the equivalent to 3 eggs.
4. Not all wines are vegan!!! Be sure to check Barnivore.com to ensure the wine you are using is veg-friendly 🙂
5. Make sure to cook the croquettes in small batches to ensure they have enough room while frying and do not fall apart
