Vegetable and Lentil Cottage Pie

By: Deborah

This vegetable and lentil cottage pie recipe is packed with hearty lentils, seasonal vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes. A plant-based twist on the classic comfort food, perfect for cosy dinners!

PREP: 20

COOK: 1 30

TOTAL: 1 50

Course: Main

Cuisine: British

Servings: 6 people

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Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 carrots peeled and diced (approx. 1cm)
200 g (7.1 oz) butternut squash peeled and chopped into cubes (approx. 1cm)
125 g (¾ cups) dried red lentils
400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
350 ml (1 ½ cups) vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
85 g (3 oz) shredded kale hard stalks removed
450 g (1 lb) floury potatoes eg: Maris Piper – peeled and cut into large chunks (approx. 5cm)
450 g (1 lb) sweet potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks (approx. 5cm)
cooking salt
30 g (1.1 oz) butter
75 ml (⅓ cup) semi-skimmed milk
140 g (1 ¼ cups) extra mature cheddar coarsely grated

Instructions

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, non-stick sauté pan or shallow casserole dish. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 8 minutes over a medium to high heat until starting to turn golden, stirring occasionally. Pour the remaining tbsp of oil into the pan, tip in the carrots and butternut squash, and fry for 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the lentils, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, and stock. Season and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes over a low heat, until the carrots and butternut squash are tender and the lentils have softened. While this is cooking, skip to step 4 to get the potatoes on to cook.
Remove from the heat, stir in the kale, and stir while it wilts (approx. 2 minutes). Pour the mixture into a large baking dish (I used a square Pampered Chef stoneware dish – dimensions: 24cm x 24cm x 5cm deep). Leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/400F/Gas 6.
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and add some cooking salt. Simmer for 15 minutes until tender, then drain well. Put the butter and milk in the pan and warm through over a low heat. Remove from the heat, return the potatoes to the pan, and mash with the milk and butter, then whisk until smooth. Check the seasoning – I usually only need to add some pepper - then stir in the cheese
Spread the mash over the filling – use a fork or round-bladed knife to create an attractive, textured effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbling. I turn it at 10/15 minute intervals to get it evenly browned.
Serve with an additional vegetable on the side if you like…and maybe some homemade bread!

Notes

Herbs and spices - add fresh thyme, rosemary or a bay leaf to the lentil filling for aromatic depth. Include smoked paprika or chilli flakes for a touch of heat and smokiness.

Alternative ingredients - I use butternut squash instead of swede, kale instead of spinach, and half Maris Piper, half sweet potatoes instead of all floury potatoes. Feel free to try the combination of vegetables that you prefer - mushrooms and green peas will also work well!

Nutrition

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

KEYWORDS cottage pie recipe, Mary Berry, Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect Step by Step, vegetarian cottage pie recipe, vegetarian pie recipe

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