Vegetarian Cottage Pie with Lentils
This Vegetarian Lentil Cottage Pie is packed with hearty mushrooms and lentils, rather than ground beef, to create a savory filling that's topped with luscious mashed potatoes and baked until crispy.
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Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally defined by using lamb as the protein. It becomes a Cottage Pie when ground beef is used. This is my vegetarian spin on the traditional Irish dish.
Whether you’re looking for a vegetarian St. Patrick’s Day dinner idea or an anytime all-in-one meal, this Vegetarian Cottage Pie with Lentils is hearty enough to stand alone. It relies on the heartiness of mushrooms and lentils, rather than ground meat, to create a savory filling that’s topped with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and baked until crispy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This Vegetarian Cottage Pie with Lentils brings all the cozy comfort of the classic, no meat required. Lentils deliver hearty plant-based protein and satisfying texture, while mushrooms add deep, savory umami to every bite.
A blend of vegetables and aromatic herbs builds rich, homemade flavor, and the creamy mashed potato topping makes it irresistibly comforting. This hearty, flavor-packed dish proves you don’t need meat to create a truly satisfying cottage pie.
Even non-vegetarians will find this version just as hearty and satisfying.
Tips & Substitutions
- Make a batch of Creamy Mashed Potatoes a day in advance to save time when cooking the filling and putting the dish together.
- If you want to make this recipe vegan, swap the milk and butter in the mashed potatoes for plant-based milk and vegan butter. Yukon gold potatoes also will add a natural buttery kick. You will want to use a vegan-friendly alternative to Worcestershire sauce, too. Coconut aminos are a good swap.
- Making the filling in a 3.5-quart cast iron pan is ideal for cleanup, but use whatever pan you have available. Top with a mashed potato layer for a one-pan meal.
- Add a layer of cheese to the top of the filling before spreading on the mashed potatoes. This adds richness and a cheese pull that’s out of this world.
No matter how you put together this Vegetarian Lentil Cottage Pie, it’s sure to become a favorite for family dinners. It’s also great for parties with friends or as a dish to share with neighbors or loved ones for a meal train.
Have leftover mashed potatoes? Make these Crispy Mashed Potato Patties and serve for breakfast with eggs your way.
Vegetarian Lentil Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry lentils, green or brown
- 3½ cups vegetable broth
- ½ white onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 3 cups creamy mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Rinse and separate lentils. Add to a small pot with 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, in a 3.5-quart cast iron pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Once heated, add prepared onion, carrot and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onion is translucent.
- Add in garlic and lower heat, as needed. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes before adding in chopped mushrooms. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes before seasoning with kosher salt, black pepper and dried thyme.
- Once everything is cooked and mushrooms have released water, add in 1 tablespoon flour. Stir until everything is coated. Add in lentils and the remaining stock from the pan and stir. If additional ½ cup of broth is needed, add it now.
- Stir in worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and frozen peas. Cook for a few minutes, until everything has come together. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley. Use the back of a wooden spoon to evenly layer out the cottage pie filling.
- Add prepared mashed potatoes to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (optional), and pipe to cover the top of the cottage pie.
- Bake in preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the top of the potatoes are starting to brown and crisp up. You can switch the oven to broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes to ensure crispiness.
Notes
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