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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!

Lentil Cottage Pie served on a plate.

Recipe Difficulty – Easy

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

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

chopped potatoes in a pot with water.

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.

frying the vegetables in a large pot.

Step 3: Heat a large pot with oil, onion, garlic, carrots, oregano, bay leaves and fry together.

adding more vegetables in the pot.

Step 4: Add the peas, sweetcorn, tamari, gravy granules, lentils, tinned tomatoes and fry together for 5 minutes.

mashed potatoes in a pot.

Step 5: Drain the potatoes, place back in the pot and mash with the milk, butter and salt.

lentil pie mixture topped with mashed potatoes.

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

What is traditional cottage pie made of?

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!

Can you freeze lentil cottage pie?

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.

Can you put lentils in cottage pie?

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!

Is lentil cottage pie healthy?

It is! The majority of the pie is made up of vegetables! You can’t get much healthier than that!

cottage pie with lentils topped with mashed potatoes.

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4.74 from 23 votes

Lentil Cottage Pie

Comforting Lentil Cottage Pie that is gluten free & vegan and incredibly easy to make!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 People
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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

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.
Substitutions & Variations: I have included a list of these in the post above.
To Store: In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pot/pan over a low heat until piping hot or in the microwave or oven. 
To Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Defrost before cooking.
Tip 1: If you are using a larger dish size, you may need more potato mash to cover the top.
Tip 2: There are a lot of vegetables in this recipe, so it is helpful to cut and chop them ahead of time so they are ready to go when it’s time to throw them in!
Tip 3: You can use beef in place of lentils in this recipe if you aren’t vegan or vegetarian. If you are vegan/vegetarian you could add tofu if you wished.

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g
Did you make this recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @HealthyLivingJames on Instagram and use #HealthyLivingJames!
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About James Wythe

Hey, I'm James! A fully qualified health coach, cookbook author, full time food blogger and new dad with over 1 million followers. I started this journey after a sudden illness left me bed bound for 2 years and housebound for 4 years! I’m here to help you make healthy and delicious food for you and your family in less time!

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. There’s no mention of parsnips in the ingredient’s ist or method… I imagine it’s just swapping the use of potatoes but it is a bit misleading. Please update as I’d love to make this! Thanks

    1. Hey Nikki, you just came at the wrong time as the recipe is currently going through a few tweaks over the next few days. I have swapped the parsnips mash for potato mash. But you can still use parsnips if you wish just swap out the potatoes. Enjoy 🙂

  2. Do steps 3,4 and 5 happen together or do you fry the onions for some time (the recipe doesn’t indicate). Thanks

    Looks like a great concept

  3. 5 stars
    And I’ve just read your instructions at the end – that it can be kept in the fridge for 2 days and it can be frozen 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    I bought reduced parsnips this morning, looked online for ideas how to use them and came across this delicious looking recipe. This looks like you could prepare the mash and the lentil mixture ahead of time, leave in the fridge and then put in the oven when needed. Just wanted to check if this is correct? Also, I guess you could put it in the fridge and use the next day? Can you freeze the dish? Thanks again.

    1. Welcome Fiona! Yes you could definitely prep the mash and the lentil mix before hand and then just bake when you’re ready! Enjoy 🙂

  5. Think you need to be more specific re the baking dish size – I used a large one but not that deep, and there wasn’t nearly enough parsnip mash to cover the top, plus I didn’t add as much extra veg to the filling!

      1. Hi there, do you have a suggestion for a gravy granules substitute? I can’t get them where I live (in Austria). Thanks!

  6. 5 stars
    This is a fantastic recipe. Thank you for the inspiration, very delicious. We used broccoli and spinach in the main part.

  7. 5 stars
    What an amazing recipe! We loved the parsnip mash, lentil pie. We had broccoli and spinach in the main part. Very impressed and would absolutely have this again. Thank you for the inspiration and this dish!

  8. 5 stars
    Loved this! I needed an easy meal to make that would be suitable for both vegan and gluten free diets and this was the perfect choice. We made it with sweet potato mash and it was really delicious. All the plates were cleared and that includes 3 kids too! Perfect family meal, thanks for the recipe