Veggie Shepherds Pie, with Lentil and Borlotti Bean (Recipe + Tips)

There’s nothing better than a hearty British meal on a autumnal day to keep you warm and cosy. Here is my easy and cheap veggie Shepherds Pie recipe, made with lentils, borlotti beans and sweet potato mash.

This was a total experiment when I first made this and to my surprise, turned out to be one of my favourite dishes to make. Packed with protein, fibre, iron and beta-carotene, have a go at making this for around 50p per portion!

Shepherds pie has always been a go to comfort food for me and is so easy to make, ready in just over an hour. It’s perfect for just you or feeding the whole family. Serving this up on my dining table reminds me of family meals at the dinner table when I was younger – however my shepherds pie is a little different from my mum’s.

To save cost, I have used split red lentils and borlotti beans to replace the minced meat which work a treat – costing about 65p compared to around £3 for minced meat. Mixed with courgettes, onion, carrots, mushrooms and flavoured with garlic, rosemary and thyme, you seriously won’t miss the meat.

For the top, i’ve gone with a rich and butty sweet potato mash. Sweet potatoes are rich in an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A once consumed. Also, unlike white potatoes, around 80g of sweet potato counts as one of your five a day.

Of course, like nearly every meal I make, this is super freezer friendly. It also keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge – so take it along to work for a hearty lunch to get you through the day when it’s cold outside.

You can make this a complete vegetarian dish, by using plant based milk for the mash and using a vegetable stock instead of beef. You can even go fully vegan on this, removing the butter and just using a generous amount of olive oil. And of course, throw in any veggies you want – cooking is all about what to love!

So go ahead, cook up this hearty, delicious meal, all for around 50p per portion and open your mind to meat alternative British classics. Follow the recipe below and remember to leave a comment about your thoughts and rate the recipe!

Note: Price per portion reflect purchasing ingredients from either Aldi or Asda. 

Print Recipe

Heart Warming Lentil and Borlotti Bean Shepherds Pie

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

British

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

35-40 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

Mashed Sweet Potato

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp butter (you can substitute this for olive oil)
• 100 ml milk (dairy or plant based work fine)

Lentil and Borlotti Bean Layer

• 2 cups split red lentils
• 1 tin borlotti beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 courgette (diced)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 2 large flat head mushrooms (diced)
• 2 tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• 350 ml stock (beef or vegetable)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Course Main Dish Cuisine British Prep Time 45 minutes Cook Time 35-40 minutes Servings people Ingredients Mashed Sweet Potato 2 large sweet potatoes 1 tsp salt 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp butter (you can substitute this for olive oil) 100 ml milk (dairy or plant based work fine) Lentil and Borlotti Bean Layer 2 cups split red lentils 1 tin borlotti beans 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion 3 cloves garlic (minced) 1 courgette (diced) 2 carrots (diced) 2 large flat head mushrooms (diced) 2 tbsp thyme 1 tbsp rosemary 350 ml stock (beef or vegetable) Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Mashed Sweet Potato

1. Boil water in a large pot with the salt. Whilst waiting, chop up the sweet potatoes into cubes. When the water is boiled, add the sweet potatoes and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until they're very tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes and place them back into the saucepan. Add the butter, garlic powder and milk and mash the potatoes until smooth.

Lentil and Borlotti Bean layer

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius (fan).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the carrots, courgette and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, and then add thyme, rosemary. Cook for 7-8 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released all of their juices.
3. Add the split red lentils and the stock and mix everything together. Cook on a low heat for around 30-40 minutes.
4. Remove mixture from heat and pour it into a casserole dish. Top it with the sweet potato mash and then gently use a spatula to spread them out over the lentil mixture. Use a fork to create a pattern on stop of the mash.
5. Cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow to sit and cool for a few minutes, then serve.

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