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–+ servings
vegetarian cottage pie lentil pie musaca de cartofi cu linte

Vegetarian Cottage Pie

A hearty meatless take on the classic English cottage pie: a rich lentil, tomato and root-vegetable filling tucked under a golden layer of cheesy mashed potatoes. It comes together in about 50 minutes and is comforting enough that nobody will miss the meat.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Choose Serving Size 6

Ingredients 

For the lentil filling:


  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or water
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 carrots finely chopped
  • 2 spring onions finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes canned
  • 2 tomatoes ripe, cubed
  • 1 sweet potato chopped
  • 1 tsp basil chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme dried
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the mashed potatoes:

  • 5 potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 2 Tbsp cheese grated; vegan or regular

Instructions

  • In a skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil, add the onion and sauté until translucent.
  • Add the garlic and sauté for one minute, then add the carrots, sweet potato and spring onions.
  • Cook until the carrots are softened.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, the basil and the thyme.
  • Stir in the tomato paste.
  • Add the cubed tomatoes, the lentils and the vegetable stock.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the nutritional yeast.

Prepare the mashed potatoes:

  • Boil the potatoes until soft.
  • Drain them well.
  • Mash the potatoes until smooth, then stir in the olive oil (or butter) and the grated cheese.
  • Spread the lentil filling into a baking dish in an even layer.
  • Spread the mashed potatoes over the lentils in a second layer.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.

Notes

For a vegan version, use olive oil or vegan butter and vegan cheese in the mash. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat well in the oven; you can also assemble the pie a day ahead and bake it just before serving.