This healthy and hearty cottage pie is a delicious plant-based twist on a classic British meal. Made from lentils, seasoned with Indian-inspired spices, and topped with sweet potato mash. A high protein, affordable meal that’s perfect for winter.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is a delicious, modern, veggie packed and mildly-spiced Indian twist on a classic English dinner. Plus it’s completely vegan.
- Comforting and hearty, perfect for cold winter nights, this cottage pie is the ultimate wholesome comfort food. It’s filling and balanced, with lentils as a source of protein and sweet potatoes for carbohydrates.
- Freezer-friendly and reheats well. This is a great vegan-friendly recipe that keeps for up to 3 months in the freezer and can be reheated easily in the microwave or in the oven.
- Budget friendly, made with canned lentils and hard vegetables like sweet potato and onion, this is a generous and hearty dinner to feed the family affordably.
Ingredients
Made mostly from pantry staples, this cottage pie is a simple and affordable recipe that’s straightforward to make. Don’t be put off by the length of the ingredients list – it’s mostly spices and comes together quickly. You can find all the exact measurements for each ingredient in the recipe card at the bottom of this post:
- Olive oil
- Onions (yellow)
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Brown lentils (canned)
- Soy sauce
- Tomato paste
- Vegetable stock
- Chopped tomatoes (canned)
- Sweet potatoes
- Vegan margarine
- Miso paste
- Nutritional yeast
- Milk (I use soy)
Spices
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Ground coriander
- Garam masala
- Salt
Instructions
Making this Vegan Cottage Pie is very straightforward and similar to how you’d make a traditional cottage pie, but with some extra spices and using lentils for protein. Here’s how to make it:
Step One: Sauté onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil until softened. Add garlic, cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, and cook until fragrant.
Step Two: Add lentils, tomato paste, and soy sauce, then chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock.
Step Three: Simmer until reduced and sauce has thickened.
Step Four: While cooking the lentil filling, prepare the topping. Boil sweet potatoes until tender.
Step Five: Drain, then mash with vegan margarine, miso paste, nutritional yeast, and plant-based milk. Season with salt to taste.
Step Six: Transfer the lentil mixture to an ovenproof dish, or keep in the same pan if oven-safe.
Step Seven: Top with sweet potato mash, smooth it down, and fluff the surface with a fork.
Step Eight: Bake until the top is golden and bubbling. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.
Substitutions
Lentils: If you’re not a fan of lentils, you could use a plant-based mince meat substitute or rehydrated textured vegetable protein.
Sweet Potatoes: If you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes, you could use regular potatoes instead.
White Miso Paste: Miso paste adds a delicious umami and slightly cheesy flavor to the sweet potato mash. You can find it in most major supermarkets in Australia, but depending on where you live you may need to go to your local Asian grocer or order it online. If you can’t find miso though, you can omit it from the recipe and add extra salt to taste. It won’t have quite as rich a flavor but will still be tasty.
Variation
If you’re making this on a weekend and have some extra time on your hands, try roasting the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them. This concentrates their natural sweetness and gives the mash a richer taste. Halve the sweet potatoes before roasting, coat in a light drizzle of olive oil and roast cut side down for 30-40 minutes until tender. Scoop out the roasted flesh, then mash with the other ingredients as usual.
Storage
Refrigeration: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
Freezing: This cottage pie freezes really well. After baking, let it cool completely, then slice into pieces and transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or on the defrost setting in the microwave, then reheat completely in the microwave or in the oven.
FAQs
Yes! You can make it up to two days in advance, then bake when ready to eat. You may need to extend the baking time by an extra 5 minutes if baking from chilled.
Absolutely! Once baked, let the pie cool completely, then slices into pieces and transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave on the defrost setting before reheating.
As written, the recipe is not gluten free because it is made with miso paste and soy sauce which both contain gluten. If you omit the miso paste and swap the soy sauce for tamari, you could make it gluten free.
Serving Suggestions and More Recipes
I love to eat this Cottage Pie with some simple greens on the side, like steamed peas, green beans or even a leafy salad.
If you’re looking for more hearty vegan dinner recipes, then you should try my Cauliflower Korma (it’s made in just one tray in the oven – so easy!), or my cheesy baked Cannellini Bean Gratin. For something a little different but just as comforting, my Stuffed Pumpkin is a flavor-packed option that’s great for sharing. And if you’re looking for more budget friendly meals to feed a family or a crowd, then my Egyptian Koshari with Lentils is another delicious, mildly spiced choice.
I hope you enjoy this recipe – I have tried so many casseroles since going vegan, and this is one of the most delicious and hearty. You can leave a star rating and comment below the recipe to let me know what you think, or you can tag me in your photos on Instagram @glowdiaries___. I would love to see how it turned out for you and if you tried any variations.
Spiced Vegan Cottage Pie with Sweet Potato Mash
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil approx. 42g
- 4 medium yellow onions diced; approx. 600g
- 4 stalks celery finely sliced; approx. 280g
- 4 medium carrots peeled and diced; approx. 400g
- 6 cloves garlic minced; approx. 18g
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 14 oz cans brown lentils drained and rinsed approx. 800g total (480g drained)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste approx. 30g
- 2 tbsp soy sauce approx. 30mL
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth approx. 830mL
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes approx. 800g total
Sweet Potato Mash:
- 3.3 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and chopped; approx. 1.5kg
- 3 tbsp vegan margarine approx. 42g
- 2 tbsp white miso paste approx. 30g
- ½ cup nutritional yeast approx. 20g
- ¼ cup unsweetened soy milk approx. 60mL
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 360°F (regular bake, not fan-forced). If you’re using a fan-assisted oven, reduce to 340°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and garam masala. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Stir in the drained lentils, tomato paste, and soy sauce. Cook for 1–2 minutes to coat the lentils in the spices.
- Add the hot vegetable broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and reduces.
- Meanwhile, place the chopped sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, then cook for about 10–12 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain well.
- Return sweet potatoes to the pot and mash with vegan margarine, miso paste, nutritional yeast, and soy milk. Season to taste with salt. Mash until smooth and creamy.
- If using a Dutch oven, spread the sweet potato mash directly over the lentil filling. If you used a skillet, transfer the lentil mixture to a large oven-safe baking dish, then top with the mash. Smooth the top with a spatula, then run a fork across to create texture.
- Drizzle or spray a little olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
- Let sit for 5–10 minutes before serving. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you’re looking for another classic English meal then make sure to try my friends Dan and Jess’ Vegan Coronation Chicken with Jackfruit recipe.
Janet k. says
Delicious
sarah says
sarahsmith2021678@gmail.com
Hong Nguyen says
Gonna try this, looks awesome!