This vegetarian version of a cottage pie is one of those recipes that seriously impressed me from the first go. It’s an involved recipe and it does use several pots and pans, however, it is perfect for a special occasion or a weekend dinner where you’re looking for something incredibly hearty and comforting.
Though it is completely vegetarian (and super easy to make vegan if you make just 2 simple swaps!), it has such a meaty flavour and texture that it can please everyone – both herbivores and carnivores alike!
How to Make a Mushroom and Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
To put the pedants at ease, I’ll address that this pie is technically a cottage pie and not a shepherd’s pie as the latter (apparently) can only be so-called if it uses lamb – hence the term shepherd. So considering that there is no lamb used, a cottage pie this is!
And because this recipe is a little bit complicated and has a few moving parts, it’s important that you read the whole recipe before beginning and make sure that you give yourself enough time to make it!
There are lots of things that can be done in concurrence, but it’s easier to know what if you have a full grasp of all the steps ahead of time.
So without further ado, let’s get cooking! To begin with, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F and begin prepping your mushrooms. To free up stovetop space and also to save some time, I call for browning the mushrooms in the oven – much like I do in my portobello mushroom stew recipe.
But first, we need to grind them up! I like using portobellos for this recipe, but go ahead and use crimini or even button mushrooms if that’s what you can get. The main thing to do – to get a great meaty texture – is to grind them up into small pieces!
I find it easiest to do this in a food processor (though you do need to work in batches) but you can just take a knife to the mushrooms if you’ve got the patience!
Once the mushrooms are ground, add them to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season generously with salt. Spread them over a parchment-lined baking sheet and then move them to the oven. This is exactly the same process I use in my mushroom ragu recipe.
Cook the mushrooms until they’ve reduced significantly in size and are deeply browned – stirring once or twice throughout. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Make sure to reduce the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F once you remove the mushrooms.
While your mushrooms are in the oven, you can get moving on several different tasks – namely, starting the potatoes, cooking the lentils and soaking the porcini mushrooms.
So start with adding some dried porcini mushrooms to a heatproof dish and add some vegetable stock to a small saucepan. Bring the stock to a boil, remove from the heat and pour it over the porcinis. Cover the dish and let them rehydrate and soften for about 15-20 minutes.
Once they’re tender, use your hands to remove them from the soaking liquid and squeeze out as much of the stock from them as possible. Give them a rough chop and make sure to reserve the stock!
In the same saucepan you heated the stock, add some green lentils and cover them with cool water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and let the lentils simmer until tender but still retain some bite, about 10 minutes.
Then, drain the lentils and set aside for later.
Meanwhile, begin cooking your potatoes! Add some peeled and quartered potatoes to a medium saucepan. Cover with cool water and season generously with salt.
Set the potatoes over high heat until the water is boiling, then reduce the heat and allow the water to simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Drain the potatoes and add them back into the saucepan. Add a pat of butter, a splash of milk (use vegan butter and plant-based milk if you want to make this recipe vegan!) and a spoonful of nutritional yeast flakes.
Mash the potatoes until creamy and smooth, cover and set aside until needed. If you don’t have a potato masher, you can use the method I’ve outlined here!
Now, while everything else is cooking, it’s time to put together the filling. In a large saucepan, heat some olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.
Then, add in a diced onion, carrot and celery stalk. Season generously with salt and cook until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
Then, add some tomato paste, miso paste (this adds meaty complexity to the finished cottage pie) and some chopped fresh thyme. Cook until the tomato paste darkens and everything is very fragrant, about 2 more minutes.
Next, deglaze with some dry red wine and a bit of soy sauce (this is also an umami booster!). Stir this into the vegetable mixture and cook until the wine is reduced and jammy and the strong alcoholic smell has cooked off – another few minutes.
Once you’ve reached that stage, it’s time to add the cooked portobello mushrooms. the chopped porcini mushrooms and the cooked lentils!
Stir this to combine and then pour in the reserved porcini soaking liquid. Bring everything up to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for another few minutes.
Now it’s finally time to assemble your pie! Add the filling to a 20cm (8in) square baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Then, top the filling with your mashed potatoes. Use the tines of a fork to gently score the top of the mashed potatoes – this allows for more crispy browning in the oven!
Speaking off, set the pie on top of a baking sheet (this will catch drips) and then transfer to the oven.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the top of the potatoes are beginning to brown and turn crisp! And if you’re after another vegetarian take on a classic, check out my veggie pot pie recipe.
Vegetarian Lentil & Mushroom Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 850 g (1¾ lb) portobello mushrooms stems removed
- 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable stock
- 25 g (¾ cup) dried porcini mushrooms
- 200 g (1 cup) dried green lentils rinsed
- 500 g (1 lb) potatoes peeled and cut into 4cm (1.5in) pieces
- 180 ml (¾ cup) whole milk
- 50 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 1 carrot peeled and finely diced
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 1 tbsp white miso paste
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry red wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Using a food processor (or a sharp chef's knife and some patience) pulse the portobello mushrooms until they are finely ground. You may need to work in batches. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and drizzle over 1 tbsp of oil and ½ tsp of salt. Stir until well combined.
- Spread the mushrooms on a parchment-lined baking sheet and move to the oven. Cook, stirring halfway through, until reduced in size by at least half, a good portion of the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown – about 20-30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F.
- Add the porcini mushrooms to a heatproof bowl. Add the vegetable stock to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and pour the stock over the mushrooms. Cover and allow to rehydrate for at least 15 minutes. Once tender, remove from the soaking liquid (reserve the liquid) and roughly chop the mushrooms. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add the lentils to the same saucepan in which you heated the stock, cover completely with cool water and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender but the lentils still have a bit of bite. Drain and set aside.
- While the lentils are cooking, add the potatoes to a medium saucepan and cover with cool water. Season generously with salt and set over high heat. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
- Pour over about ⅔ of the milk, add the butter and nutritional yeast along with a generous pinch of salt. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy, adding more milk, as needed, to reach a spreadable texture. Cover the pot and set aside until needed.
- While the mushrooms and lentils are still cooking, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion, carrot and celery along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every so often, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown – about 10 minutes.
- Add the miso paste, tomato paste and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant – about 2 more minutes.
- Pour over the red wine & soy sauce and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until the wine has reduced significantly and the strong alcoholic smell has cooked off.
- Add the cooked lentils, ground portobello mushrooms and chopped porcini mushrooms to the pot. Pour over the mushroom soaking liquid and bring to a simmer. Stirring, allow to cook for another few minutes.
- Transfer the filling to a 20cm (8in) square baking dish and spread it out evenly. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top of the mushroom mixture and use the tines of a fork to make light grooves in the top of the mashed potatoes.
- Set the dish atop a baking sheet (to prevent drips) and move to the oven. Cook until the top of the cottage pie is beginning to brown and the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Your veggie cottage pie is now ready to serve and enjoy! Though this recipe is a bit involved, you’re sure to be blown away by just how meaty and hearty this dish is.
Are you looking for a great vegetarian version of shepherd’s pie? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
