Lentil and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

• 5 tbspolive oil (2 for the filling, 3 for the mash)
• 1large onion, finely chopped
• 2carrots, finely diced
• 2celery sticks, finely diced
• 400gchestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 2 tspdried thyme
• 300gdried green lentils, rinsed
• 1litre vegetable stock
• 1 tspyeast extract (Marmite)
• 1bay leaf
• 1 tbspred wine vinegar
• 150gfrozen peas
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 1.2kgfloury potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbspwholegrain mustard
• 300gspring greens, shredded

Method

1. 1Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and a teaspoon of salt and cook for 8 minutes until soft and just starting to colour.
2. 2Turn the heat up, add the mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes until their liquid has cooked off and they are browning. Stir in the garlic, tomato puree and thyme for 1 minute until the puree darkens; that is where the savoury depth starts.
3. 3Add the lentils, stock, yeast extract and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook with the lid half on for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick enough to hold a spoon trail. Add a splash of water if it dries out before the lentils are done.
4. 4While the lentils cook, put the potatoes in a second pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 18 minutes until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain, leave them in the colander for 2 minutes so they steam dry, then mash with 3 tablespoons of oil, the mustard, 100ml of hot water, salt and pepper until smooth.
5. 5Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Fish out the bay leaf, stir the peas and red wine vinegar into the lentils and taste; it wants to be deeply savoury with a sharp edge, so add salt, pepper or another drop of vinegar. Tip into a baking dish about 30 x 20cm.
6. 6Spoon the mash over in dollops, spread it to the edges to seal the filling in and rough the top with a fork; the ridges are what go crisp. Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
7. 7While the pie bakes, wipe out the lentil pan, add the spring greens with a splash of water and a pinch of salt and cook over a high heat for 4 minutes until wilted and bright green. Let the pie stand for 5 minutes so it holds together when spooned, then serve with the greens.

Per serving

kcal

504

protein

23.2g

fibre

9.7g

carbs

76.8g

fat

13.6g