Vegetarian cottage pie with lentils

This vegetarian cottage pie with lentils is a hearty, satiating meal, and the perfect option for a meatless dinner. We make a lovely lentil stew, and top it with fluffy mashed potatoes before cooking it in the oven until it's perfectly golden. Cottage pie is a very traditional dinner in the UK, and this vegetarian version is an excellent alternative

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The ingredients

We use the best savoury ingredients to make sure that nothing is missing from this delicious vegetarian cottage pie.

• Good quality potatoes for mashing; I prefer Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes.
• Cooked green lentils (cook them yourself with my Instant Pot Lentils recipe)
• Vegetable stock or vegetarian beef stock
• Timato paste
• Onion
• Garlic
• Celery sticks
• Carrots
• Worcestershire sauce

Cottage pie vs shepherd's pie

Cottage pie and shepherd's pie are similar in that they are casseroles consisting of a meat based sauce, covered with a layer of mashed potatoes. The difference is that shepherd's pie is made using minced lamb, and cottage pie uses minced beef. In this recipe we have removed the mince altogether, and opted for a vegetarian sauce based on cooked geen lentils. This vegetarian version has sometimes been called shepherdess pie.

How to make cottage pie with lentils

Preheat the oven to 210°C / 200°C fan oven / 410°F.

Saute finely chopped onion and garlic in a pan until it's soft and translucent. Add finely chopped carrots and celery, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and stock, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, stir it all to combine, then transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.

Meanwhile, peel and dice potatoes, and boil them until soft. Drain off the water, and use a potato masher to mash them together. Add butter, salt and nutmeg, and optionally grated cheese. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the lentil mix, and bake it in the oven until the top of the mashed potatoes are golden on the edges.

What to serve with a vegetarian cottage pie

Cottage pie is often served as is. If you want to add a side dish, I can recommend roasted green beans or brussels sprouts with bacon. A simple green side salad will also suit cottage pie perfectly.

Can you freeze leftover cottage pie?

Cottage pie with lentils can be frozen for up for 3 months. I like to freeze it in portion sizes for easy dinners at a later point. You can also store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the cottage pie in the microwave or oven until piping hot throughout.

More hearty casserole dishes you'll love

• Cauliflower rice and chicken casserole
• Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
• Chicken and Chorizo Pie
• Egg and sausage casserole {Keto}
• Skinny Mexican casserole

Recipe