Vegan cottage pie with sweet potato mash

This classic, comforting family supper bursting with delicate vegetables is also delicious the next day (if there are leftovers!)

Vegan cottage pie with sweet potato mash

SERVES

6

PEOPLE

PREP TIME

20

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

40

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots or parsnips

  • 100g green beans 

  • 3 tins of cooked Puy lentils, or other green or brown lentils 

  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme 

  • 2 bay leaves a pinch of salt 

  • 3 tablespoons tamari/soy sauce 

  • 750ml veg stock 

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 

  • For the mash:

  • 750g sweet potatoes 

  • 250g potatoes 

  • 1 tsp salt 

  • 100ml milk 

  • a pinch of ground black pepper 

  • For the coriander cream:

  • 100g cashew nuts 

  • 65ml water 

  • 15g fresh coriander 

  • 1⁄3 teaspoon garlic powder 

  • ½ teaspoon salt 

  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan/200°C.

  2. Put the cashew nuts into a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

  3. Chop the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes into uniform bite-size pieces so that they will cook evenly. Put them into a medium pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and cook until soft, about 20–25 minutes.

  4. Grate the carrots or parsnips. Trim the green beans and cut them in half.

  5. Drain and rinse the lentils. Pick the leaves off the thyme sprigs.

  6. Put another medium pan on a high heat and add the grated carrot or parsnip. Add the thyme leaves, bay leaves and a pinch of salt, mix well, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained lentils and the tamari/soy sauce, then slowly add the veg stock. Add the black pepper, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, letting the stock slowly evaporate for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  7. Meanwhile, make the coriander cream. Drain and rinse the soaked cashew nuts. Put them into a blender with the rest of the coriander cream ingredients (reserving a few coriander leaves for garnish) and blend until nice and smooth.

  8. If the lentil mixture is dry once it has thickened, add 2 tablespoons of water and ½ tablespoon of tamari/soy sauce and season. Add the green beans and stir them through the hot lentil mixture, letting them cook for a minute or two. Remove from the heat and set aside.

  9. Drain the potatoes, then put them back into the pan and add 1 teaspoon of salt and the milk. Mash it all together until lovely and smooth.

  10. Remove the bay leaves from the lentil and veg mixture, then spoon into a 28cm x 20cm baking dish. Drizzle over half the coriander cream, and distribute the sweet potato mash evenly on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until the top crisps.

  11. Before serving, drizzle over the rest of the coriander cream and garnish with the reserved coriander leaves.
    The Happy Health Plan by David and Stephen Flynn (The Happy Pear) is published by Penguin Life and is out now.

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