Name: Vegan lentil & sweet potato cottage pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 onions finely chopped; 2 carrots finely chopped; 2 celery sticks finely chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 garlic cloves crushed; 200ml red wine (check the label to ensure it’s vegan if needed); ½ bunch of thyme leaves picked; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tsp caster sugar; 2 tsp red wine vinegar; 2 x 400g cans cooked green lentils drained; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 1kg sweet potatoes peeled and roughly chopped into 3cm pieces; 30g vegan margarine; 2 tsp mustard powder; 2 tbsp plant-based milk (we used oat milk); 2 tsp pumpkin seeds

Vegan lentil & sweet potato cottage pie in a casserole

2 onions
finely chopped
2 carrots
finely chopped
2 celery sticks
finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves
crushed
200ml red wine
(check the label to ensure it’s vegan if needed)
½ bunch of thyme
leaves picked
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 x 400g cans cooked green lentils
drained
400g can chopped tomatoes

For the mash topping

1kg sweet potatoes
peeled and roughly chopped into 3cm pieces
30g vegan margarine
2 tsp mustard powder
2 tbsp plant-based milk
(we used oat milk)
2 tsp pumpkin seeds

Method

step 1
Tip the onions, carrots, celery and olive oil into a large saucepan. Cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins until softened, add the garlic and fry for another minute. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan (scraping up any bits stuck on the bottom), and simmer for 2 mins until most of the wine has evaporated.
step 2
Add the thyme, tomato purée, soy sauce, caster sugar and vinegar to the pan and stir to combine. Tip in the lentils, tomatoes and 100ml water and simmer for 10-12 mins until reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
step 3
Meanwhile, make the mash topping. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the sweet potatoes and simmer for 10-15 mins until cooked all the way through. Drain, then add the dairy-free margarine, mustard powder and milk, and mash until smooth along with plenty of salt and pepper.
step 4
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Season the filling and pour it into a 25cm x 20cm x 7cm casserole dish. Top with the mash, starting with spoonfuls on the outside corners and working your way inwards so the filling doesn’t spill out. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top and bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Once baked and left to cool, the pie will keep frozen for up to three months. Defrost thoroughly overnight, then reheat in the oven until piping hot.