The Best Vegan Shepherds Pie

My Lentil Shepherds Pie Recipe Notes
​I teamed up with Fresh Start Fauxmage to bring you this Shepherd's Pie recipe, and I'm pumped to share it.  I developed this recipe to utilize their popular "Everything Bagel" Fauxmage. They have a range of vegan cheese products made from quality ingredients. The everything bagel fauxmage is what flavours the mashed potato topping, and let me tell you.... it's SO good.  Creamy cheesy mashed potatoes and a rich, flavourful lentil & mushroom base. I think it's the best Shepherd's pie I've ever had to be honest. I really wanted to develop the rich flavour you'd find in a meat version of Shepherd's Pie and I do think I achieved my goal with this recipe. I did that by trying to build complexity. You might look at the ingredients and think does a tsp of soy sauce really need to be added? It would still be good without I'm sure, but I have always found layering different flavours makes a difference...so that's how I cook. This recipe calls for red wine, a bit of soy sauce, maple, smoked paprika, fresh rosemary and a splash of good quality balsamic vinegar. (A better quality balsamic will have more sweetness, lower quality ones tend to be more acidic) Anyway, onto the recipe...if you make it, make sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the post, I would love to know how you made out!

Can I make this Shepherds pie without Fauxmage?
Yes you can definitely make this shepherds pie and simply make a buttery mashed potato topping instead. The fauxmage is really good though, so if you can get it where you live give it a try! Their products are all over Canada, check their website to see locations. If you go to my red wine braised lentils post, it is essentially the same recipe, except I don't make it into a pie, I just serve the lentils spooned over rich mashed potatoes. 

Lentil Mushroom Mixture

Ingredients

• veg oil for sautéing
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, small dice
• 1 stalk of celery, small dice
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup dried green lentils
• ½ cup frozen green peas
• splash of good balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 4 cups veg stock
• S&P

Method

1.  In a cast iron pan, heat a bit of veg oil. When pan is hot add mushrooms. Cook until golden   brown. Set aside.
2.  In a large pan, sauté onion, carrot & celery in veg oil until softened. Add garlic and cook 3   more minutes. Season with S & P
3. Add tomato paste & smoked paprika. Cook while stirring for 1 minute.
4. Add red wine and browned mushrooms. Let it cook down a bit.
5. Now add dried lentils, rosemary, veg stock and season with more S & P
6. Add maple syrup, balsamic vinegar & soy sauce.
7. Simmer until lentils are cooked. (lentils should be soft but still have some texture)
8. Add vegan butter & frozen peas.
9. Now mix cornstarch & water mixture (slurry) and add to lentil mixture. Simmer while stirring for a few minutes until thickened.
10. Taste and adjust seasoning.
11. Cool completely

Everything Bagel Mashed Potato Topping

Ingredients

• 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 container Fauxmage Everything Bagel cheese
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• ½ cup oat milk, heated
• S&P

 Method

1. Add potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Season with a few good pinches of salt.
2. Boil potatoes until softened.
3. Drain well then add to a bowl along with Fauxmage, vegan butter & oat milk. Mash together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cool completely

Assembly & Baking

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Spoon lentil & mushroom mixture into an 8x8 square (or equivalent) ceramic baking dish.
3. Top with even layer of mashed potato mixture. (don’t try to smooth it down, leave rough/rustic bits so the potatoes can more easily brown.
4. Dot the top with a bit of extra vegan butter.
5. Bake on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes.
6. Broil at the end to brown the topping a bit.
7. Let cool slightly, garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired, then serve.