If you’re wondering what to serve with your Shepherds pie, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 51 of the most popular side dishes for Shepherds pie

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best side dishes to serve with shepherd’s pie are Irish soda bread, mushy peas, green salad, and green beans. For classic British dishes try British baked beans or cauliflower cheese. For unusual but tasty options, try coleslaw, cloud bread, or cauliflower steaks.

These will also work as sides for cottage pie!

Irish soda bread

A slice of crusty bread is one of the best accompaniments for shepherd’s pie.

My go-to is Irish soda bread because it’s easy to make and doesn’t involve yeast.

And no yeast = no proofing!

Its dense crumb is perfect for soaking up all the goodness from your saucy filling.

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Irish soda bread
Make it fancy
Sourdough country loaf bread
Make it familiar
Garlic parmesan pull-apart rolls

Lemon pepper mushy peas

Mushy peas are a classic British side dish that pairs brilliantly with shepherd’s pie (they’re not just for fish and chips!).

And don’t worry, this homemade version is miles better than the canned stuff.

It’s not watery, and the addition of lemon and pepper brightens up the peas right up.

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Lemon pepper mushy peas
Keep it simple
Minted peas
Preheat the oven
Brown butter and garlic roasted peas

Tossed green salad

Shepherd’s pie already has the meat and potatoes, so you can definitely get away with serving a simple salad on the side.

With crisp ingredients like sunflower seeds and bacon, this salad will bring some texture to an otherwise pretty soft meal.

But if you prefer to keep it low key, all you need is a few lettuce leaves!

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Tossed green salad
Go Greek
Greek lettuce salad (maroulosalata)
Make it spicy
Arugula salad

Skillet green beans

Looking for a straightforward but delicious side dish for your shepherd’s pie?

Try these skillet green beans.

They’re cooked in chicken broth and other seasonings like garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes making them extra tasty.

And they’re finished with a spritz of lemon juice for a touch of brightness.

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Skillet green beans
Add more veggies
Steam-fried green beans and mushrooms
Make it creamy
Haricot verts in dijon mustard cream sauce

Air fryer potato chips

If you’re a potato lover, you’ll love pairing your shepherd’s pie with a basket of freshly made crispy potato chips.

They’re not too filling, and you can use them to scoop up any leftover meat at the end of the meal.

Making them is easy too, especially if you have a mandolin and an air fryer.

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Air fryer potato chips
Make it low-carb
Baked zucchini chips
Make it unique
Baked lotus chips

Massaged kale salad

Kale gets a bad rep for being tough and bitter.

But it’s easy to remedy. This recipe fixes it by massaging the chopped kale leaves with an apple cider vinaigrette.

This infuses the greens with a tangy taste and helps break down the kale’s fibers to give it a tender texture.

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Massaged kale salad
Make it hearty
Quinoa kale salad with lemon dressing
Add a sweet bite
Kale apple salad

Cauliflower cheese

Make your indulgent shepherd’s pie meal more decadent with a generous helping of cauliflower cheese on the side.

The secret to a rich, gooey cauliflower cheese?

Roasting the cauliflower instead of boiling it to stop it from watering down the sauce.

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Cauliflower cheese
Make it crispy
Parmesan roasted cauliflower
Add leafy greens
Kale and cauliflower au gratin

British baked beans

Make your shepherd’s pie into the ultimate comfort food meal with a serving of homemade British baked beans on the side.

It’s more effort than using a tin, but they have way more depth of flavor.

And when the tomato sauce mixes in with the meat and mash… it’s heaven!

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British baked beans
Go Greek
Greek butter beans
Make it familiar
Southern baked beans

Asparagus and pea salad

If you’re not a fan of leafy green salads, try this one instead.

Instead of the usual lettuce or arugula, this salad is loaded with blanched asparagus, peas, sugar snap peas, shallots, and fresh mint leaves.

Then everything is tied together with a red wine vinaigrette.

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Asparagus and pea salad
Make it creamy
Classic pea salad
Make it different
Loaded broccoli salad

Cauliflower mash

This isn’t technically a side dish.

But if you’re in the mood for a lighter shepherd’s pie, swap out the mashed potato topping and use mashed cauliflower instead.

It’s just as velvety, but with a lot less carbs (and it’s only 50 calories per serving).

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Cauliflower mash
Another low-carb option
Mashed rutabaga
Make a classic
Traditional colcannon

Greek yogurt coleslaw

This may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a partner for shepherd’s pie, but it actually goes really well.

The coleslaw has a cooling effect.

And this recipe features a Greek yogurt-based dressing which is lighter than the traditional mayonnaise, so the meal doesn’t feel too heavy.

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Greek yogurt coleslaw
Add a fruity note
Granny smith apple slaw
Ditch the dairy
Apple cider vinegar slaw

Fried cabbage

Transform a basic cabbage into a delicious side dish with bacon, paprika, onions, and the (not so) secret ingredient… brown sugar.

Psst… remember not to overcook your cabbage. You want it to still have some bite, not be a soggy, mushy mess.

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Fried cabbage
Make it tangy
Quick pickled cabbage
Go German
Braised German red cabbage (rotkohl)

Buttered vegetables

Give your shepherds pie a nourishing boost with a serving of these buttered vegetables.

This recipe uses carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, but you can use whatever you have in your fridge.

Psst… no access to fresh veggies?

Don’t worry, the frozen ones are just as nutritious and will work well.

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Buttered vegetables
Preheat the oven
Balsamic roasted vegetables
Make it French-inspired
Classic ratatouille

Boiled corn

Love corn on the cob but can’t be bothered to fire up your grill?

Boil your corn in a butter bath instead.

There’s no need to faff about trying to smother the corn in butter after it’s cooking – because the flavor is fully infused into each kernel!

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Boiled corn
Make it trendy
Air fryer corn ribs
Keep it simple
Honey butter skillet corn

Grilled chipotle lime cauliflower steaks

Cauliflower’s versatility knows no end. You can mash it, steam it, roast it, and even make rice with it.

But one really unique thing to do with cauliflower is to make ‘steaks’.’

Serve your steak with a spoonful of shepherds pie on top for an elegant and interesting dinner.

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Grilled chipotle lime cauliflower steaks
Keep it simple
Parmesan crusted cauliflower steaks
Make it crunchy
Cauliflower nuggets

Spicy honey roasted parsnips

Roasted parsnips are an excellent side dish to have with shepherd’s pie, especially around the festive season.

Their sweet, nutty flavor is a tasty complement to the savory, meaty filling.

And the chili-honey glaze in this recipe is finger-lickingly good.

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Roasted parsnips with chili honey butter
Make it indulgent
Sweet potato parsnip gratin
Make a starter
Carrot and parsnip soup

Cloud bread

Craving a bready side but don’t want all the extra carbs?

Cloud bread is an excellent (keto) alternative to regular bread rolls and crusty bread.

And the best part?

You only need three easily accessible ingredients to make it – eggs, cream cheese, and salt.

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Cloud bread
Make it familiar
Keto rolls
Make a favorite
Rosemary focaccia with almond flour

The best side dishes to serve with shepherds pie

Irish soda bread
Lemon pepper mushy peas
Tossed green salad
Skillet green beans
Air fryer potato chips
Massaged kale salad
Cauliflower cheese
British baked beans
Asparagus and pea salad
Cauliflower mash
Greek yogurt coleslaw
Fried cabbage
Buttered vegetables
Boiled corn
Grilled chipotle lime cauliflower steaks
Spicy honey roasted parsnips
Cloud bread