Vegan Cottage Pie
For anyone who doesn't know - traditionally in the UK we have 2 very famous national dishes (with a very important distinction that some Brits will fight you over). A cottage pie. which is made with beef, and a shepherd's pie which is made with lamb - sorry to break that to you F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
I grew up eating cottage pie and shepherd's pie, they are a staple and usually very simple to make - but of course a few years ago I went vegan which means that the distinction has been lost for me. It doesn't however stop me craving the one thing that both of these dishes represent: warm, comforting, stodgy, delicious, savory, wonderful food.
Without a doubt one of the nicest things I have made in a LONG time and y'know it was actually super cheap. The cost for all of the ingredients is staggeringly low because it just uses cheap vegetables, and if you replace the red wine with stock instead it'll be even cheaper! Make this on a Sunday or Monday night and it can easily last out the week. You could even serve it with other vegetables and get more portions out of it and it'll still feel rich, warming and indulgent!
Vegan Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 1 large Red Onion, finely diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3-4 large carrots, finely diced
- 3 large parsnips, finely diced
- 4 large Portobello Mushrooms (or 8/9 Chestnut Mushrooms), roughly chopped
- 100ml Vegan Red Wine (if making alcohol free, swap in 100-150ml of Mushroom or Vegetable Stock)
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 heaped tsp English (Yellow) Mustard
- 5 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tsp Mixed Herbs
- 1 tsp Garlic Granules
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce (or Tamari for Gluten Free)
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 2 tins Green Lentils (drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1-2 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (to preference - i went with a couple of "glugs")
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 handfuls Garden Green Peas (Optional)
- 6 medium-large potatoes, quartered
- 5-6 tbsp Plant Milk of your choosing
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Garlic Granules
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Mixed Herbs
- 1 tsp English (Yellow) Mustard
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 200C fan or 220C conventional and separately bring enough water for the potatoes to the boil
- In a non-stick pan on a medium-high heat cook the red onion (if needed add a tbsp of water to help fry) - cook for approx. 4-5 minutes until it starts to brown
- Whilst this is cooking, salt the water and add the potatoes, allow to cook for 15 minutes
- Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips, garlic granules, salt, paprika, herbs, pepper and cumin to the onion and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so that nothing burns / sticks to the pan
- Add the maple syrup, cider vinegar and soy sauce (or tamari) and cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom of the pan is de-glazed and you have a nice steam going on
- Transfer the mixture to a heavy bottom pot or big pan on a low heat, adding the mushrooms, lentils, red wine, mustard, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stirring until all incorporated together
- Put the lid on the pan and allow to cook in the pot for 15 minutes on low until most of the liquid has been cooked off, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent sticking - taste half way and add additional salt/pepper/wine/mustard/Worcestershire sauce as required
- Meanwhile, drain the potatoes and add the ingredients for the mash, using a strong potato masher to get as creamy a consistency as possible, if needed add extra plant milk for more "fluff"
- If adding green peas, add into the mixture now and stir through, allowing to cook for an additional minute
- Into a large dish tip the mixture and flatten out, then top with the mash potato - I like to put dollops of potato around the top of the mixture so as not to weigh it down, then use a palette knife to spread
- Bake the vegan "pie" for 20-25 minutes in the center of your oven until a nice golden crust has formed on top of the potato
- Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving
Buon Appetito!
