If you love traditional shepherd’s pie, you’ll love homemade Shepherd’s Pie Soup! It’s filled with ground beef, potatoes, veggies, and more. This creamy soup is made for chilly nights because each bowl is hearty, cozy, and comforting.

overhead image of shepherd's pie soup in a white bowl

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What’s in Shepherd’s Pie Soup

This soup tastes just as delicious and comforting as a traditional Shepherd’s Pie. And soups are always easy to throw together!

  • Meat: I used 80/20 ground beef, but any kind works. Try ground chicken, turkey, or lamb if you like.
  • Carrots: Instead of fresh carrots, substitute a frozen carrot, corn, and pea mix. If using the frozen vegetable mix, add 1 ½ cups of it in step 7 when you would add the other frozen vegetables.
  • Broth: Chicken broth is the base of the soup. Vegetable broth would also be delicious.
  • Potatoes: Instead of baby red potatoes, use your favorite or whatever you have on hand – Yukon gold, russet, and fingerling potatoes are all wonderful options.
  • Sage: Ground sage is an easy way to add herby flavor to the soup. Instead of ground sage, use ½ teaspoon of freshly minced sage.
  • Cheese: Be sure to use freshly shredded cheddar cheese. It melts more smoothly into the soup than pre-shredded cheese.
  • Cornstarch: Thickens the broth to create a rich and creamy soup.
  • Half and Half: This adds a creamy texture to the soup.

Can I make this soup vegetarian?

Yes, you can definitely make a meatless version of this shepherd’s pie soup if you prefer. Simply omit the ground beef, or use plant-based meat crumbles. You can also replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

step by step photos for how to make shepherd's pie soup
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What is shepherd’s pie?

Classic Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty and comforting casserole-style dish made with meat, potatoes, gravy, and vegetables.

Can I double this soup recipe?

If you’re serving a crowd, I highly recommend making a double batch of this soup recipe – just make sure your pot is big enough! You can also combine 2 individual batches and keep the soup warm in a crockpot.

Should I brown the meat before adding it to the soup?

Yes! As you’ll see in the recipe card, you should brown the ground beef (about 5-7 minutes) before adding it into the soup. This ensures that it is fully cooked.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing, because this soup contains potatoes and cream, which will get grainy when frozen.

Reheat gently on the stove, stirring in more half and half if you like.

What to Serve with Shepherd’s Pie Soup

I always add some hearty, crusty slices of bread to go with this soup! You could also serve it with cheddar bay biscuits, skillet bread, or rosemary focaccia.

hand holding a spoon in a bowl of shepherd's pie soup

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Recipe Card

Shepherd’s Pie Soup Recipe

4.66 from 47 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Becky Hardin
featured shepherd's pie soup
This creamy soup is filled with ground beef, vegetables, potatoes, and more. It's so easy and cozy!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 ½ cups diced potato
  • ½ teaspoon ground sage
  • ½ cup frozen corn
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions 

  • Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to break up the meat and stir it occasionally.
    1 pound ground beef
    ground beef in a pot
  • Line a plate with paper towel and set aside. Once the beef is browned, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and place it on the paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but one tablespoon of grease from the pan.
  • Add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
    1 onion, 2 carrots
    chopped carrots, onion, and garlic in a pot
  • Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
    2 cloves garlic
  • Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan and scrape any browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.
    3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Add the ground beef back to the pot along with the half-and-half, potatoes, and ground sage.
    1 cup half-and-half, ½ teaspoon ground sage, 1 ½ cups diced potato
    shepherd's pie soup in a pot
  • Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the corn and peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
    ½ cup frozen corn, ½ cup frozen peas
  • In a small bowl, mix the cheese and cornstarch together. Slowly add the cheese to the soup, stirring constantly.
    1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Continue stirring until the cheese has fully melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    shepherd's pie soup in a pot
  • Enjoy the soup warm.

Becky’s Tips

Storage: Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Calories: 614kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 33gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 950mgPotassium: 1134mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 5739IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 332mgIron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

More Comforting Soups We Love

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.66 from 47 votes (45 ratings without comment)
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9 Comments
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Linda
Linda
November 6, 2022 5:52 pm

Just made this soup today. We loved it! I left the sage out as we are not fond of it. Soup was really good. Husband had 2 bowls full.5 stars

Colleen Curato
Colleen Curato
February 4, 2022 6:01 pm

My family absolutely loves this soup!
I added extra cup of chicken broth and just used a bag of mixed vegetables absolutely scrumptious!!5 stars

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Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
February 11, 2022 1:59 pm
Reply to  Colleen Curato

Looks great!

Alex
Alex
January 27, 2022 9:47 am

Sure it tastes great, but “if you love traditional shepherd’s pie”, it would be made with lamb. This is a cottage pie soup. Shepherd’s heard sheep, not cows. Not sure why North America call a Cottage pie, a Shepherd’s pie.

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
January 27, 2022 2:50 pm
Reply to  Alex

Everyone is different!

Alex
Alex
January 27, 2022 8:00 pm
Reply to  Becky Hardin

It’s not about everyone being different, it’s about calling a dish the name of another dish. It’s just incorrect.

Colleen Curato
Colleen Curato
February 4, 2022 5:33 pm
Reply to  Alex

Here New England we call it shepherd’s pie and it’s made with ground beef. Never heard of cottage pie in my life. So it is about being different in regards to what a dish is called where you come from🤗

Barb
Barb
February 6, 2022 1:59 pm
Reply to  Alex

It is a great soup! Family loved it. It really doesn’t matter what it’s called. Our country calls it one thing as does yours. Germany may call it something else. Are your knickers in a twist? (As your country might say) We could say “look outside the box”. Germany another. Comments are about the taste of the soup or if you changed anything in the recipe.

Carolyn
Carolyn
February 7, 2022 10:41 am
Reply to  Alex

Get another agenda item to argue about that might change the world