Lentil & Vegetable Cottage Pie

65 minutes

Easy

This is a full meal built from low-cost staples. The key idea is structure: a thick, savoury lentil base topped with soft mash and baked until golden. Green or brown lentils hold their shape, giving the filling texture rather than turning soft like red lentils would. The same base appears in other recipes in the book, so learning it here unlocks multiple meals.

Nut-free

Vegetarian

Egg free

Ingredients

200 g dried green or brown lentils
1 litre water
1 kg potatoes
1 onion
2 carrots
2 × 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp sunflower oil
400 ml vegetable stock
Salt

Method

Step 1

Add 200 g lentils to a saucepan with 1 litre water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25–30 minutes until tender. Drain if needed.
Step 2

Peel and chop 1 kg potatoes. Boil in salted water for 15–20 minutes until soft. Drain and mash.
Step 3

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C).
Step 4

Chop 1 onion and 2 carrots.
Step 5

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and cook onion and carrots for 8–10 minutes.
Step 6

Add tomatoes and 400 ml stock. Simmer.
Step 7

Add lentils and cook for 10–15 minutes until thickened. Season.
Step 8

Transfer to a dish, top with mash and bake for 25–30 minutes until golden.

Tips

Cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
When draining the potatoes, let the sit and steam for a few minutes to draw out moisture.