This creamy Shepherd’s Pie Soup is made with traditional Shepherd’s Pie ingredients, including mashed potatoes, cheese, ground beef, and vegetables! You’ll love watching this classic comfort food transform into a delicious soup with creamy broth that your family will love.

Be sure to try my Broccoli Cheese Soup and Baked Potato Soup recipes next!

A spoon in a white bowl full of creamy Shepherd's Pie Soup.

Shepherd’s Pie Soup

And just like that, a star is born. Shepherd’s Pie Soup might not be something that we hear about every day, but once you try it, you’ll be hooked for life.

Ever since I started making my Baked Potato Soup recipe, I’ve been obsessed with the thick and creamy potato-based broth. I started wondering what modifications I could make to transform it into a completely different recipe, while holding on to that potato flavor that I love so much.

This soup has all of the components of Shepherd’s Pie: Creamy mashed potatoes, ground beef, vegetables, and cheese. And believe it or not, it makes a truly comforting and delicious soup. (And if you’re tempted to mention that this is actually cottage pie soup, please read my wikipedia definition below regarding the evolution of this dish and it’s ingredients.)

I absolutely love to blend the mashed potatoes right into the broth. Not only does it thicken the soup, but it makes it perfectly freezer friendly, without worry of the potatoes falling apart when they are reheated.

Check out how to make it, my PRO tips, and more- let’s do it!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain grease. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Gently boil the potatoes in salted water until very fork tender. Drain, then gently mash with butter and sour cream. Set aside.

A pot of cooked ground beef next to a pot of diced potatoes in water.

Cook the onions in butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Whisk in flour, use a silicone spatula to stir as the flour cooks for 1 full minute to remove the raw flour taste.

Add the chicken broth. Use a silicone spatula to loosen any beef remnants from the bottom of the pot, this will add flavor.

Diced onions tossed with flour with chicken broth being added.

Add the half and half, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Half and half being added to a pot of chicken broth and brought to a boil.

Stir in the potatoes until well-combined into the broth. If possible, use an immersion blender to blend until creamy. (See product link in PRO TIPS section below.) You can also transfer it to a blender in batches.

Adding mashed potatoes to broth and blending to make sheperds pie soup.

Add the ground beef and frozen vegetables and allow them to heat through, about 5 minutes.

Adding ground beef to a pot of soup with frozen vegetables for shepherds pie soup.

Remove from heat. Gradually sprinkle with shredded cheese and stir until combined. Make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot or the cheese won’t melt creamy and smooth. The soup will continue to thicken as it sits.

Taste, season with salt/pepper if desired and serve!

Adding cheese to shepherd's pie soup until creamy and combined.

Low Carb Version

  • Substitute all or half of the potatoes with cauliflower for less carbs!

Pro Tips

  • Shred the cheese from a block so that it melts well. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose which prevents it from melting well. Heluva Good Orange Sharp Cheddar is my brand of choice as it melts really well and has great flavor.
  • Make sure the soup isn’t too hot when you add the cheese. Otherwise the fat from the cheese will separate and you’ll have a grainy consistency.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • Kitchen Scale – This is handy to weigh the potatoes, I use it all the time.
  • This is the immersion blender I use for SO many soups and sauces, it makes it really easy to blend right in the pot without having to transfer a hot liquid to a blender.
  • A 3.5 quart dutch oven is perfect for making this soup.

What To Serve With Shepherd’s Pie Soup

Shepherd’s Pie vs. Cottage Pie

Shepherd’s Pie originated in 1849 and contained sliced meat as opposed to minced. It’s important to note that the type of meat in the original dish (beef, lamb, etc.) was not specified. It’s signature characteristic was sliced meat topped with mashed potatoes and baked.

The dish has since evolved to include different varieties of minced meat, those varieties depend greatly on the region it’s being prepared in.

Countries outside of the US commonly prepare Shepherds Pie with lamb, while the US often prepares it with ground beef. While Cottage Pie is used to describe this dish as being prepared with ground beef, it’s also common to hear it referred to as Shepherd’s Pie in the US.

Per Wikipedia:

“Shepherd’s pie, cottage pie, or hachis Parmentier is a ground meat pie with a crust or topping of mashed potato of English origin. The recipe has many variations, but the defining ingredients are ground red meat cooked in a gravy or sauce with onions, and topped with a layer of mashed potato before it is baked”

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze and reheat well.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)

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A wooden spoon scooping Shepherd's Pie Soup from a soup pot.

Shepherds Pie Soup in a white bowl with beef, vegetables, and a creamy potato broth.

Shepherd's Pie Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
4.93 from 97 ratings
Servings: 12 cups
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This creamy Shepherd's Pie Soup is made with traditional Shepherd's Pie ingredients, including mashed potatoes, cheese, ground beef, and vegetables! You'll love watching a classic comfort food transform into a delicious soup with creamy broth that your family will love.

Ingredients

  • 4 large russet potatoes, equal to 2 lbs.
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 lb. Ground Beef, 85% lean
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter, divided
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 4 cups Chicken broth
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 ½ cups mixed frozen vegetables
  • Salt/Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Prep Work: Shred the cheese from a block, measure out the sour cream and half and half. Let them all sit out at room temperature.
  • Cook the Beef: Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain grease. Remove the ground beef from the pot and set aside.
  • Boil & Mashed Potatoes: While the meat cooks, peel the potatoes and cut them into thirds. Add to a stock pot and cover the potatoes with 1 inch of water. Add the salt and boil gently for 10-15 minutes or until very fork tender. Drain, then gently mash. Add the sour cream and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Set aside.
  • Prepare the broth: Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Whisk in flour, use a silicone spatula to stir as the flour cooks for 1 full minute to remove the raw flour taste.
  • Add the chicken broth in splashes, stirring continuously. Use a silicone spatula to loosen any beef remnants from the bottom of the pot, this will add flavor.
  • Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, and sage. Slowly add the half and half. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Stir in the potatoes until well-combined into the broth. If possible, use an immersion blender to blend until creamy. You can also transfer it to a blender in batches.
  • Add the ground beef and frozen vegetables and allow them to heat through, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Gradually sprinkle with shredded cheese and stir until combined. Make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot or the cheese won’t melt creamy and smooth. The soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
  • Taste, season with salt/pepper if desired and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

  • Shred the cheese from a block so that it melts well. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose which prevents it from melting well. Heluva Good Orange Sharp Cheddar is my brand of choice as it melts really well and has great flavor.
Tools For This Recipe (Amazon Affiliate Links)
  • Kitchen Scale - This is handy to weigh the potatoes, I use it all the time.
  • This is the immersion blender I use for SO many soups and sauces, it makes it really easy to blend right in the pot without having to transfer a hot liquid to a blender.
  • A 3.5 quart dutch oven is perfect for making this soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 619mg, Potassium: 601mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1672IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 223mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie

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