I’ve gone bonkers for potatoes lately, enjoying them most days in one way shape or form. Have rather bizarrely gone almost completely off grains at the moment. A temporary potato obsession perhaps ha ha. Enter lentil cottage pie and I’ve found the ultimate feel-good potato topped dinner.

I am chuffed to know that potatoes contain double the amount of B vitamins than pasta and 6 times more than in rice. That’s a super B vitamin kick-start. Would you also believe that potatoes also contain a whopping 60% more vitamin C than blueberries and 80% more potassium than bananas? Oh my goodness, who knew that!

Honestly I think the real reason I am into potatoes so much at the moment is because they make me feel full, satiated and they just feel so good!

Feel good potato lentil cottage pie topping

What better way to enjoy potatoes than in the form of a cottage pie? Boil ’em, mash ’em and smooth them on top. Then we bake until we get that nice, delightful gently crispy topping. Yum.

I almost always serve cottage pie on retreats at some point. It goes down well with just about everyone. It’s the perfect food to serve if you have a bunch of people coming around for dinner, especially if they have a mixed variety of eating preferences. Cottage pie seems to keep everyone happy whether vegan, herbivore, omnivore or carnivore!

It’s tasty, filling, nourishing all rolled into one.

Which lentils are best for a vegan lentil cottage pie?

In this version I am using puy lentils (also called french lentils). Puy lentils get their name from the Le Puy region in france where they are from. They also have other names like ‘dark speckled’ lentil, or french lentils, or french green lentils.

I like to use them in this recipe because they hold their shape really well (unlike some lentils that turn to mush on cooking).

If you can’t get puy lentils, then you could substitute for black beluga lentils or even green or brown lentils (just don’t use red, because they’ll turn to mush on cooking).

OK, so here’s how you make it (printed recipe and ingredients a bit further down the page)…

Chop the mushrooms and leek into small pieces. Crush the garlic. Sauté the leek, mushroom and garlic gently for a few minutes in the oil. Add all other ingredients for the ‘main part’ into the pan. Bring the contents to the boil and then allow to simmer in the pot, stirring regularly for about 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook for about 20 minutes and then just leave it for a few hours once you’ve turned off the heat, in which case it will continue to cook in its own heat (I often like to do this and come back to it later). In the meantime chop the potatoes into small cubes and boil for about 15 minutes (or until you can easily pierce with a fork. Mash the potatoes with all other ‘potato topping’ ingredients. Put the main ‘lentil’ part, that you previously cooked, into a casserole dish. Add the mashed potato topping and smooth down with a knife, spoon or fork. Pop in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes on gas mark 6 or 7 (200C/400F or 220C/425F).

This Lentil Cottage Pie is from by book ‘The Kind Earth Coobook’…

If you enjoy this please consider getting the book for lots more delicious plant-based recipes

The Kind Earth Cookbook

Lentil Cottage Pie... gluten-free, vegan, feel-good comfort food Yield: 4 portions Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes A delicious lentil, vegan cottage pie, with a mashed potato topping. Naturally gluten-free, super healthy, filling and nutritious. Print Ingredients Main part 250g mushrooms

1 leek (medium sized)

2 cloves garlic

Dash of coconut oil (or olive oil)

200g puy lentils (french lentils)

500ml water

2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu

Big twist of black pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon

400ml passata (or 1 tin tomatoes)

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

2 heaped teaspoons onion powder Potato topping 600g potatoes

1 tablespoon onion powder

Twist black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

125ml rice milk Instructions Chop the mushrooms and leek into small pieces. Crush the garlic. Sauté the leek, mushroom and garlic gently for a few minutes in the oil. Add all other ingredients for the 'main part'. Bring the contents to the boil and then allow to simmer in the pot, stirring regularly for about 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook for about 20 minutes and then just leave it for a few hours once you've turned off the heat, in which case it will continue to cook in its own heat (I often like to do this and come back to it later). In the meantime chop the potatoes into small cubes and boil for about 15 minutes (or until you can easily pierce with a fork. Mash the potatoes with all other 'potato topping' ingredients. Put the main 'lentil' part (that you previously cooked) into a casserole dish. Add the mashed potato topping on top and smooth down with a knife, spoon or fork. Pop in the over and cook for about 45 minutes on gas mark 6 or 7 (200C/400F or 220C/425F).

Pin lentil cottage pie for later…

Here’s another one you’ll love…

For an ALTERNATIVE potato pie, check out this black bean shepherds pie…