Name: Lentil and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 150g dried green lentils; 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes; 1 onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 1 stick celery, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tsp dried rosemary; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tbsp olive oil; 700g potatoes, peeled and cubed; 50g butter; 2 tbsp milk; to taste salt and black pepper

Lentil and Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie without the lamb sounds wrong, but green lentils have a surprisingly meaty texture and a earthy flavour that works perfectly here. The key is cooking the lentils properly – they need to be tender but not mushy, so they hold their shape in the filling.

This is comfort food that happens to be cheap. At 68p per portion you get a full meal with veg, protein and carbs. The mash on top uses basic potatoes, not anything fancy, and the filling is mostly storecupboard ingredients. If you are trying to cut down on meat or just save money, this is the recipe to start with.

Total cost: £2.70 (£0.68 per portion) – Serves 4 people. Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 35 mins

Lentil and Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

A hearty shepherd's pie using green lentils instead of meat, topped with fluffy mash. Comfort food that costs under 70p per portion.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: british

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

150g dried green lentils
1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 stick celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
700g potatoes, peeled and cubed
50g butter
2 tbsp milk
to taste salt and black pepper

Method

Rinse the green lentils and put them in a pan with 400ml water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until soft. Drain, then mash with the butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 8 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic, tomato puree, rosemary and thyme. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes and the cooked lentils. Simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Season well with salt and pepper.
Transfer the lentil mixture to an ovenproof dish. Spread the mash over the top in an even layer. Fluff with a fork for a crispy finish.
Bake at 200C (180C fan) for 20 minutes until the top is golden.

Tips and Variations

Add a handful of frozen peas to the filling for extra veg. A grating of cheese on top of the mash before baking adds a lovely golden crust. Leftovers are even better the next day – the flavours deepen overnight. Use Maris Piper potatoes for the fluffiest mash.

Is it cheaper to make this from scratch? Use our Cook vs Buy Calculator to compare the real cost of homemade vs shop-bought.