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Introducing this delicious Lentil Cottage Pie! It’s incredibly easy to make and both gluten-free & vegan! Above all, it’s super comforting and the perfect family-friendly dinner you’ll make time and time again!
Recipe Difficulty – Easy
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
This easy and comforting vegetarian cottage pie is one that everyone will totally fall in LOVE with! It’s great for those colder fall and winter months. It couldn’t be easier to make either! Serve this up in the middle of the family table and you’ll be very popular. It takes a little more time, but is much better than a ready meal!
One of the best parts about this veggie cottage pie is that you can use whatever vegetables you like or have. It also has a “meaty” texture and flavour, great for those who are vegan or trying to eat more healthy plant-based dinners.
This was inspired by my Awesome Aubergine Bake, and pairs well with this amazing Roasted Root Veg recipe or Mixed Bean Salad.
If you’re looking for more comforting dishes then do try my Salmon Pie, Vegan Moussaka or Pasta Bake.
Ingredients to make Lentil Cottage Pie
Potato Mash
- Potatoes – make a super easy mash and add a real delicious, comforting creaminess to this vegan pie.
- Vegan Butter – helps to cream the potatoes and adds a great flavour.
- Milk – This helps to make the mash creamy. I use vegan milk to make this a dairy free cottage pie but you could use any milk.
- Salt and Pepper – are used to season the mash.
Lentil Pie
- Olive Oil – cooks the vegetables.
- Carrots – should be chopped and add a great crunch.
- Can of Sweetcorn – should be drained before adding.
- Frozen Peas – do not need to be defrosted prior to using. If you have some spare then try my Mashed Peas.
- Red Onion – is my favourite type of onion for most recipes. It should be roughly chopped for this recipe.
- Garlic Cloves – is always a great go-to. Crush it for this vegan cottage pie.
- Dried Oregano – adds a great, earthy flavour.
- Bay Leaves – add a delicious, subtle flavour.
- Vegan Gravy Granules – Make sure they’re gluten free if that’s a concern for you!
- Tamari – is a gluten free form of soy sauce.
- Tin of Chopped Tomatoes – are a fabulous addition to the lentil pie.
- Cans of Cooked Lentils – are an excellent meat replacement.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Potatoes – Parsnips or sweet potato mash will also work great.
- Vegan Butter – You could use regular butter or even olive oil in place of vegan butter.
- Vegetables – Feel free to use different varieties or types of vegetables to mix up this vegetable cottage pie.
- Tamari – You can use soy sauce or liquid aminos in place of Tamari.
Variations
- Spicy – add some chilli powder and cumin to this easy cottage pie if you like more of a kick to your meals.
- Deluxe – sprinkle some cheese and/or fresh herbs on top for a nice touch. Broil/grill it at the end to get it the perfect golden brown.
- Kid friendly – have kids help with making this and let them pick their favourite vegetables to use to help ensure they love it! Make a cheesy mash on the top and you’re good to go!
See this Mushroom Pie version of this recipe on my website!
How to make Lentil Cottage Pie
Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 200C. Roughly chop the potatoes and put them in a pot of water, bringing to a boil.
Step 2: Now, finely dice the onion, garlic, carrots.
Step 3: Heat a large pot with oil, onion, garlic, carrots, oregano, bay leaves and fry together.
Step 4: Add the peas, sweetcorn, tamari, gravy granules, lentils, tinned tomatoes and fry together for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Drain the potatoes, place back in the pot and mash with the milk, butter and salt.
Step 6: Add the lentil pie mixture to a large baking dish, top with the mash potato and bake for 30 minutes.
Leftovers
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to two days in an airtight container. They can also be frozen before or after baking.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, cottage pie is made of meat and vegetable and topped with mashed potatoes. My Vegan Lentil Cottage Pie replaces the meat with lentils and is just as delicious!
Yes! It can be frozen before or after. If freezing before, increase the baking time. If frozen after cooking, defrost in the fridge before repeating.
Absolutely! I focus on vegan recipes, so I use lentils to replace my meat in my cottage pie. And let me tell you, it is absolutely delicious – whether or not you’re vegan!
It is! The majority of the pie is made up of vegetables! You can’t get much healthier than that!
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Lentil Cottage Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potato
- 750 g white potatoes, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 50 ml milk, (I used vegan)
Lentil Pie
- 1 red onion, roughly diced
- 3 carrots , chopped
- 1 can sweetcorn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp vegetable gravy granules
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2x 400g cans of cooked lentils, drained & rinsed
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 200C. Roughly chop the potatoes (no need to peel them) and add to boiling water to boil for 12 minutes.
- Now finely dice the onion, garlic, carrots.
- Heat a large pot with a glug of olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, oregano and bay leaves and fry together until the onion and carrots softens.
- Now add the peas, sweetcorn, tamari, gravy granules, drained lentils, tinned tomatoes and mix. Fry together for 5 minutes to develop flavour.
- Drain the potatoes, place back into the pot they boiled in along with butter, milk and a generous pinch of salt & pepper and roughly mash.
- Add all the lentil pie mixture to a large baking dish and simply top with the mash. Bake at 200C for 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Another fabulous and easy recipe which is very tasty. Thank you.
Thanks Jen 🙂
Delicious. A tasty and easy meal whenever I don’t have much time to cook. Friends always ask for the recipe.
I made this meal and it was so tasty and looked good too. It went down so well I am planning to make it for guests!
Thanks Karen 🙂
I love this cottage pie recipe it is so tasty and filling.
Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world, my body really appreciates it.
Thanks so much Jules 🙂
This was delicious. Such a quick easy cook. I had several portions so have some in my freezer. Didn’t have Tamari but put Hendo’s (GF lea n perins) in. Yummy
Thanks so much Johanna 🙂
Thank you for such wonderful recipes!
Thanks for the support Beth 🙂