Heart-Warming Lentil Cottage Pie

Whether you call it shepherd’s pie or cottage pie, this pie is heart-warming! Intensely flavorful, this creamy potato filling is sure to put a smile on your face.

While this dish is traditionally made with meat, the lentils will be just as delicious in this recipe. This timeless classic, now veganized, will hit the mark! You’ll do it again and again.

The Best Lentil Pie

Unlike Cottage Pie or Shepherd’s Pie, this lentil pie doesn’t have a particular name or mysterious history. However, it’s profoundly tasty, and it has nothing to envy to his meat counterpart.

Especially since it’s high in protein.

It’s not difficult to make this dish. Of course, there are a few steps to take, but you can prepare it in several stages. In short, you make the lentils mixture, then the mashed potatoes, you assemble everything in a baking dish, and you put it in the oven.

I find the easiest way to prepare this dish is to get started in advance. So you can cook either the lentil mixture, the mashed potatoes, or the whole thing earlier.

In the third case, cover the dish and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. The taste will be just as divine.

When I tasted it, I was floored. The mashed potatoes, velvety and buttery, enveloped my tongue pleasantly, and when my teeth split the first layer, the smell of lentils streamed to my nostrils. Their meaty texture made me moan with pleasure so much that my eyes slowly grew heavy. 

Fortunately, I had a bit of strength in my neck. Otherwise, I’d have been found face first in the dish’s white cottony cushion.

What unspeakable and memorable comfort!

Answers to Your Pressing Questions

What Goes in this Vegan Cottage Pie?

Main ingredients

• Russet potatoes – These have white flesh and are high in starches. If you can’t find any, you can replace them with Yukon or yellow-fleshed potatoes.

• Lentils – They can be green or brown. As a source of protein, they will replace minced meat. Soak them the night before in salted water if you want to make them more digestible.

• Carrots – I took the usual orange carrots. But don’t hesitate to use other colors for variation.

• Fresh or frozen corn kernels – You can make this dish without corn, but you would remove the dish’s sweetness spikes.

• Fresh or frozen peas – You can also make a cottage pie without peas. But it’s worth keeping them to boost your protein intake.

Shortcut! You can buy a bag of frozen mixed vegetables to speed up your preparation. However, you won’t have the delicious concentrated taste of the sautéed carrots.

• Oat flour – Normally, flour is used to thicken the sauce that results from the meat preparation. However, in our case, we’ll do it to tighten and slightly thicken the softened lentils from the previous cooking. You can get it by just grinding oat flakes in a spice mill. For a gluten-free recipe, select a product without it. If you don’t have any, we’ll follow the original recipe and use all-purpose flour.

• Concentrated vegetable broth – This will give a depth of flavor and amplify the umami of the lentils. Choose it in liquid form, powder (put 1 teaspoon of powder in a cup of water), or cubes (put 1 cube in 1 cup of water).

• Plant-based half-and-half – Usually, this ingredient is made from whole milk and cream in equal proportions, hence its name. To make it vegan, we’ll simply mix coconut cream and plant-based milk. 

Here, I opted for cashew milk for its high-fat content, which increases the mash’s creaminess. If you prefer convenience, you can get a store-bought product. However, keep in mind that if it contains almonds, it will carry that taste to the potatoes.

Optional ingredients

• Soy Lecithin – In the traditional dish, we put an egg yolk to produce a very creamy consistency. I thought about replacing it with soy lecithin. Thick and golden, this liquid consists of phospholipids extracted from soybean oil. 

It’s used to emulsify or homogenize the fats and recreate the same result as the egg yolk (usually 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of the volume). As the heading indicates, this ingredient is completely optional. The mashed potatoes will also be creamy without (but a little less).

Seasonings

• Red onion – This variety of onions gives more flavor, and its red color indicates its richness in nutrients, hence my favorite onion.

• Garlic – It will enhance the taste of the lentils.

• Tomato Paste – This ingredient adds a bit of acidity and another dimension of umami.

• Vegan Worcestershire Sauce – This condiment brings umami. To my surprise, I found a vegan version at the local grocery store, i.e., without anchovies. This is essentially composed of various acidic sauces with soy sauce, molasses, agave nectar, and a mix of spices.

• Herbs – Rosemary and thyme are fresh.

• Salt and pepper – I used kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

How to Make this Lentil Pie Step by Step

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients. Like I said earlier, you can get started in advance. You can cook the lentil mixture one day, then the mashed potatoes another day. There’s also the plant-based cream called half-and-half, which you can also prepare earlier if you want to make it from scratch rather than get the store-bought product.

Of course, it’s possible to cook everything on the same day. You just need to be well organized and prepare for the downtime. When you’re ready, assemble everything in a baking dish and put it in the oven.

1a, b / Boil the lentils and diced potatoes simultaneously.

2 / Mash the potatoes.

3 / Incorporate the fats (butter and cream), seasonings, and optional soy lecithin.

4 / Sauté the onion, carrots, then the garlic.

5 / Combine the lentils, seasonings, and flour.

6 / Add the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh herbs.

7 / Add the corn kernels and peas.

8a, b / Transfer the fillings to a baking dish.

9 / Bake in the oven.

The Keys to Success: My Top Tips

Cool the lentil filling before covering it with the potato: it thickens, makes it easier to spread the mash on top, and prevents it from flowing into it.

Make sure you have very creamy mashed potatoes: a very firm, dry mash is not really pleasant. When the puree is smooth, it’s easier to spread and gives a better palatable experience. When you break up the mash, you want it to collapse rather than cut it cleanly like a cake.

Choose the right baking dish: the size of it will determine the thickness of the fillings. It’s recommended to take a baking dish measuring 11 in x 7 in (or 27.94 x 17.78 cm) for this recipe. You can probably exceed these dimensions by 1 in (2 cm), but not more than that. 

Don’t cook your dish too early: I find it best to cook it within 3 days of preparation.

When you’re ready to cook it, take it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature. Uncover it and bake it.

Other variations

There are several variations of this comforting dish. Prepare :

• A lentil shepherd’s pie, spreading puréed corn on the lentils layer;
• A lentil Hachis Parmentier (French take), removing the vegetables from the lentils, replacing the tomato paste with fresh tomatoes, and sprinkling grated vegan cheese on top.

Serve this Recipe with

When it comes to choosing sides, try roasted carrots or maybe sautéed garlic spinach. Afterward, enjoy your dish with a good glass of red wine in a warm place.

Make this Lentil Pie Now

When you crave classic comfort food that’s tasty and meaty, cook a lentil pie reminiscent of cottage pie or shepherd’s pie.

Hearty, this tourte is an excellent recipe to stock up on vegetables.

The preparation has several steps, but don’t be intimidated by it. In reality, you only have four to six to go through: cooking the lentils and the potatoes (simultaneous or separate; that’s two steps), their respective mixing (that’s two), the assembly (ridiculously simple), and baking (here you can start sipping your glass of wine).

You’ll see, even with lentils, nothing else can dethrone this dish.

It’ll stay at the top of the most comforting dishes there is.

Lentil Cottage Pie Recipe

Inspired by Alton Brown of the Food Network

Print Recipe

5 from 13 votes

Lentil Cottage Pie

This lentil cottage pie is a rich dish, buttery and creamy on the top and super tasty on the bottom. The mashed potatoes are thus spread on a layer of lentils mixed with vegetables. The flavor of the lentils is deep and complex. Best served while still hot, this vegan cottage pie is also utterly delicious the next day—it’s the ultimate cold-weather comfort food.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 15 mins

Resting Time15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: gluten-free, vegetable broth, savory pie, russet potatoes, vegan butter, lentils, red onion, carrots, garlic, oat flour, tomato paste

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 2 pounds Russet potatoes (about 900 g) (Notes)
• ¼ cup plant-based half-and-half (Notes)
• 2 ounces vegan unsalted butter (about ¼ cup)
• ¼ teaspoon salt kosher
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon soy lecithin (Optional)

For the filling

• 1 ½ cup lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced (Notes)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons oat flour or all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup vegetable broth concentrate (Notes)
• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• ½ cup fresh or frozen peas

Instructions

• Cook the lentils in a pot of salted boiling water (they should be covered with 1 ¼ inch / 3 cm of water) 20 to 30 min, or until tender. Drain the lentils in a colander and set aside.
• Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and dice them about ½ inch (7 mm). Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Put on high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. When boiled, uncover, reduce heat to maintain a boil, and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place half-and-half and butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe container and heat until heated through, about 1 min on the stovetop or 35 seconds in the microwave. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the pot. Mash the potatoes, then add the half-and-half, butter, salt, and pepper and continue mashing until smooth. Optionally stir in soy lecithin until well combined.
• Preheat the oven to 400 ° F (200 ° C).
• Prepare the filling. Place olive oil in a 12-in (30 cm) sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is sparkling, add the onion and carrots and sauté until they begin to take color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lentils, a pinch of salt, and black pepper and cook for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the lentils with flour and toss to coat evenly, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, vegetable broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 5 to 6 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
• Add the corn and peas to the lentil mixture and divide evenly in an 11 x 7-inch (27.94 x 17.78 cm) glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting at the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place a sprig of rosemary on top. Place on a half baking sheet lined with parchment paper on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Let sit on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Lentils: if you do decide to soak the lentils in salted water the day before, do not add salt to the boiling water.
• Soy lecithin: thick golden liquid made up of phospholipids extracted from soybean oil, it is used to emulsify or homogenize the fats and in the same way as an egg yolk made in the original recipe (in general, we put 1 teaspoon for 1 cup of the volume).
• Vegetables: you could put 4 cups of mixed frozen vegetables, including corn and peas to save time. 
• Plant-based half-and-half: liquid made from vegetable milk and coconut cream (1: 1). Do it yourself if you can.
• Vegetable Broth Concentrate: Take it in liquid form, powder (put 1 teaspoon of powder in a cup of water), or in cubes (put 1 cube in 1 cup of water).
• Cool the lentil filling before covering it with the potato: it thickens, makes it easier to spread the mash on top, and prevents it from flowing into it;
• Ensure you have very creamy mashed potatoes: a very firm, dry mash is not really pleasant. When the puree is smooth, it is easier to spread and gives a better taste experience. When you break the mash, you want it to collapse to the limit, rather than being able to cut it cleanly like a cake.
• Choose the right baking dish: the size of it will determine the thickness of the toppings. It’s recommended to take a baking dish measuring 11 in x 7 in (or 27.94 x 17.78 cm) for this recipe. You can probably exceed the dimensions by 1 inch (2cm), but no more than that.
• Don’t cook your dish too early: I find it best to cook it within 3 days of preparation. When you’re ready to cook it, take it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature. Uncover it and bake it.
• Kept in an airtight container, this pie will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen.

Naïby Jacques

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I’m on a mission to help you eat nutrient-dense, easy, and mouth-watering plant-based meals so you can feel energized, well-equipped, and confident to eat and cook better.