Vegetarian Cottage Pie with Porcini and Lentils
A hearty vegetarian cottage pie made with porcini, lentils, and herbs, finished with a golden mashed potato topping. Comforting, simple to prepare, and ideal for autumn and winter cooking.
This vegetarian cottage pie with porcini leans into deep, earthy flavour, using dried porcini, lentils, and a splash of red wine to build a savoury base that tastes slow-cooked with very little effort. The mashed potato topping bakes into crisp, golden peaks that sit over the rich filling beneath.
Cottage pie is a traditional English “meat and potatoes” dish that I grew up eating. The classic version is made with beef mince, while its sibling, shepherd’s pie, uses lamb. I love the flavours of both, but as I no longer eat meat, I wanted to adapt the recipe so I could still enjoy that same kind of winter comfort food. This plant-based version keeps the depth and warmth of the original, but keeps the meat out of it.
It’s simple to put together and extremely satisfying to eat — a warming dish that’s ideal for cold autumn and winter evenings. With just a couple of small ingredient swaps, it can also be made completely vegan.
Ingredients Breakdown
Dried porcinis (ceps)
They provide deep, earthy umami and help create a more savoury base than lentils alone. A mix of dried mushrooms also works if porcini aren’t available. You don’t need many—just enough to add the depth and roundness that lentils on their own can’t achieve.
Lentils (green, brown, or a mix of both)
They give the filling structure and substance without falling apart during cooking. Using a 50/50 mix works well: the green lentils cook slightly faster and start to break down, helping to bind the mixture, while the brown lentils stay firmer and add texture. Avoid using red lentils as they fall apart really quickly.
Red wine
Adds acidity and depth, helping the vegetables and mushrooms develop a fuller, more rounded flavour. If you don’t like cooking with alcohol, you will need to replace the liquid with more stock, but it obviously wont taste the same.
Tomato paste
Concentrates the savoury notes and helps thicken the sauce. A teaspoon of miso can be used alongside it for extra umami.
Soy sauce and Worcester sauce
These add salinity and complexity, replacing the depth usually provided by beef. Use vegan Worcester sauce as traditional Worcester sauce recipes are made using anchovy.
Onion and carrots
They form the aromatic base of the filling and provide sweetness and structure. The onion is finely chopped so it melts into the sauce, while the diced carrots stay a little firmer and add texture.
Mashed potatoes
A cottage pie wouldn’t be a cottage pie without a thick layer of creamy mashed potato. Just plain mashed potatoes are boring and dry, so we need to add butter and milk. Both of these can be swapped for vegan alternatives with no loss of quality.
Whenever I make mashed potato, I always add a spoon of mustard to it. It just brings it to the next level. Wholegrain is best as you get little bursts of mustard grain, but here I added Dijon because I wanted it to be evenly distributed throughout the mash. It’s completely optional, but I rarely make mashed potatoes without mustard.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Soak the porcini
Place the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 15–20 minutes until softened. Strain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and pour the liquid through a fine sieve or coffee filter to remove grit. Then finely chop the rehydrated ceps and save them for later use.
Cook the lentils
Rinse the lentils under cold water. Add them to a medium saucepan with enough vegetable stock to cover by a few centimetres. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, or until tender but still holding their shape. Drain, reserving 200 ml of the cooking liquid.
Chop the vegetables
Finely chop the onion so it melts into the sauce during cooking. Dice the carrots into small, even cubes so they soften consistently while keeping a bit of texture. Keep everything roughly the same size for even cooking.
Strip the thyme and rosemary leaves from their stems and chop them finely.
Peel the potatoes and cut into equal size for making the mash later. Pop them straight into a pan and submerge in water so they don’t go brown.
Build the base
Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, and smoked paprika, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Deglaze with red wine
Pour in the red wine and stir, scraping up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble for 2–3 minutes until the alcohol smell fades and most of the liquid has reduced.
Combine the filling
Stir in the chopped porcini, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, cooked lentils, 150 ml of the porcini soaking liquid, and about 200 ml of the lentil cooking liquid. Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and looks cohesive rather than brothy. If it’s too loose, continue simmering; if it becomes too thick, add a splash of the reserved liquid.
Prepare the mash
Add the potatoes to a large saucepan, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 12–15 minutes, or until a knife slides in easily and the potato falls off when you try and lift the knife. Then drain and let the potatoes steam dry for a couple of minutes, and then mash them with the butter and milk until smooth and creamy. Then season and stir through the mustard if using.
Assemble the pie
Spread the filling into a large ovenproof dish (around 2 litres capacity). Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, starting at the edges to stop the filling rising up. Rough the surface with a fork so it browns more evenly.
Bake
Bake at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the edges are lightly bubbling. For extra colour, finish under the grill for 2–3 minutes.
Serve
Serve the cottage pie hot with simple green vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, or peas. It also pairs well with braised red cabbage and a rich vegan gravy for a fuller, more comforting plate.
Make-ahead and Storage
Vegetarian Cottage Pie with Porcini is ideal for preparing ahead. The best way to store it—whether for the fridge or freezer—is to assemble the pie but wait to bake it. This keeps the mashed potato light and the filling from overcooking, and you’ll get a freshly baked top when you’re ready to eat.
If storing in the fridge, assemble the pie, let it cool, cover tightly, and keep for up to 2 days. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 5–10 minutes to the cooking time.
If freezing, assemble and cool the pie fully before wrapping well. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 180°C fan for 45–60 minutes, or thaw overnight for a shorter bake time.
Reheating
Leftover cottage pie reheats well. For the best texture, warm it in the oven at 180°C (fan) for 20–25 minutes, or until the filling is hot all the way through and the topping has regained a little colour. Cover the dish with foil for the entire reheating time to prevent the mash from drying out.
Vegetarian Cottage Pie with Porcini and Lentils
Ingredients
For the filling
- 30 g dried porcini mushrooms ceps
- 350 ml boiling water for soaking the porcini
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1,5 tbsp tomato puree
- 150 ml red wine
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
- 1.5 tsp fresh thyme leaves or ¾ tsp dried
- 1.5 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika optional
- 225 g dried green or brown lentils or a 50/50 mix
- 700 ml vegetable stock
For the topping
- 1.1 kg 1.1 potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 60 g butter or vegan alternative
- 80 ml milk or vegan alternative
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard optional
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the dried porcini in boiling water for 15–20 minutes, then strain, reserving the liquid. Filter the soaking liquid to remove grit and finely chop the porcini.
- Rinse the lentils and add them to a saucepan with enough vegetable stock to cover. Simmer for about 25 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and reserve 200 ml of the cooking liquid.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 8–10 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, and smoked paprika, and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the red wine and simmer for 2–3 minutes, scraping the pan, until the liquid reduces.
- Add the chopped porcini, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, cooked lentils, 150 ml of the porcini soaking liquid, and about 200 ml of the lentil liquid. Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens. Season to taste.
- Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for 12–15 minutes, until tender. Drain, allow to steam dry briefly, then mash with the butter and milk until smooth. Season and stir in the Dijon mustard if using.
- Spoon the filling into a 2-litre oven dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, starting at the edges, and roughen the surface with a fork.
- Bake at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the edges are bubbling. Grill for 2–3 minutes at the end if you want extra colour.
Notes
Use dried mixed mushrooms or sautéed fresh mushrooms. If using fresh, cook them until they release their moisture so the filling doesn’t become watery. For a richer mash
Stir grated cheddar or a spoon of cream cheese into the mashed potatoes. For a lighter option, use olive oil instead of butter. Storage and freezing
The assembled but unbaked pie keeps in the fridge for up to two days. It also freezes well for up to three months; bake from frozen or thaw overnight for a shorter bake time.
