Vegan Cottage Pie

A delicious winter warming vegan supper with chestnut mushrooms, leeks, carrots, butter beans and lentils topped with fluffy potato & sweet potato mash with crispy herb & spicy breadcrumbs.  Perfect for winter evenings!

• Difficulty: Easy
• Category: Meat Free Monday, Winter Warmers
• Cuisine: British
• Cooking Method: Oven Baked

Ingredients

For the mash

• 750 g potatoes (peeled & cut into chunks)
• 750 g sweet potatoes (peeled & cut into chunks)
• 40 g vegan butter

For the filling

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion (peeled & finely chopped)
• 1 leek (trimmed, halved & finely sliced)
• 2 carrots (peeled & finely chopped)
• 2 stick celery (finely chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (peeled & crushed)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (finely chopped)
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms (chopped)
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped & 2 tbsp of the oil)
• 2 tbsp marmite
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 100 ml vegan red wine
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• 400 g tin of green lentils
• 400 g tin of butter beans

For the breadcrumb topping

• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 pinch (chilli flakes, optional)
• 1 small garlic clove (peeled & finely chopped)

Instructions

1. Place the potatoes into a large pan of salted cold water, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 -15 minutes. After 5 minutes add the sweet potatoes and cook until tender. Drain and leave to steam dry, then return to the pan with the butter and season to taste. Mash until smooth, then set aside.
2. Heat a large frying pan or oven-proof casserole dish and add the oil, gently fry the onion, leeks, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme, cook for 10 minutes or until softened.
3. Now add the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes & oil, marmite, tomato puree and cook for a further 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas mark 6.
5. Add the wine, vegetable stock, lentils and butter beans, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until slightly thickened and reduced. Season to taste. Place in a baking dish (or if using a casserole dish) spoon the mashed potato on top and rough the surface with a fork.
6. For the breadcrumb topping, add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix through. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and the breadcrumb topping is crisp & golden brown. Enjoy!