Vegetarian mains
Mushroom & lentil cottage pie with winter green topping
A veggie version of a cottage pie with lentils providing the protein and the mushrooms adding their distinctive texture and depth. The topping Is a transformative tweak to normal mash to get even more goodness and greens into the dish.
Cook's notes
Mash loves dairy in all forms but if you want to keep things vegan, try using plant-based milks and cheeses, and olive oil in place of butter.
Ingredients
main
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 400g Portobello or wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 200ml red wine
- 1 x 400g tin cooked puy lentils, drained
- 200g chopped tomatoes – approx. half a tin.
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 200ml vegetable stock
For the topping:
- 1kg floury potatoes
- 2 leeks
- 100g kale, roughly chopped
- 20g parsley, finely chopped
- butter
- salt & pepper
- 2 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard – optional
- handful of grated cheddar cheese – optional
Method
For the topping:
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Step 1
Peel your spuds and cut them into even-sized pieces. Place them in a pan of cold, generously salted water. Bring up to a boil and cook for 15-20 mins or until completely tender.
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Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a little butter in a saucepan. Add the leeks and cook for 8-10 minutes over a gentle heat until starting to soften. Next, add the chopped kale and cook for about 3 minutes, until it has started to wilt. Remove from the heat and keep to one side.
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Step 3
Drain the spuds and let them dry a little in the colander before mashing or passing through a potato ricer (our preferred method). Add a generous knob of butter and then fold in the leeks and kale along with the parsley. Taste and tweak the seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking. You can add mustard and/or cheese to your liking if you are feeling extravagant.
For the filling:
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Step 1
Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions, celery and carrots with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes, over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes until they have started to darken and soften.
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Step 2
Add the garlic, rosemary, bay and red wine. Let the wine bubble away and reduce by half, this will only take a few minutes. Tip in the lentils, tomatoes, tamari and stock. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until everything is warmed through, tender and has the desired consistency.
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Step 3
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to an oven/pie dish - approx. 25cm by 25cm and level out with the back of a spoon. Top with your mash, grate over a little extra cheese and then bake at 200°c/Gas 6 for 20 minutes or so, or until the top is golden.