It’s a great dish to assemble in advance for a family meal and the celeriac and butterbean mash topping is so comforting. With three types of pulses and six types of vegetables in this one recipe, it’s absolutely bursting with plant-based goodness too.
DETAILS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large red onions, finely chopped
- 1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 259g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 250g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
- 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 400g can green lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 100g baby spinach leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
For the mash topping:
- 1 large celeriac, chopped
- 2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Splash of unsweetened almond milk (or soya or oat)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
- Put the chopped celeriac in a large pan of boiling water and cook for around 15 minutes until a knife easily slides into the chunks, although don’t allow it to get too mushy or you’ll end up with soggy mash. When cooked, drain and squeeze over the lemon juice to prevent discolouration, and put to one side.
- In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and gently cook the chopped red onions and fennel on a medium heat until starting to go golden and translucent.
- Add in the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring regularly for 3-4 minutes. Add the fresh cherry or baby plum tomatoes, tinned tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, paprika and thyme. Simmer for around 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened. Stir through the baby spinach leaves and cook until wilted. Season to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
- Pour the tomato mixture into a baking dish and set aside.
- You can make the mash by hand with a potato masher for a chunkier textured result, or pop into a food processor for a smoother finish. Place the cooled celeriac, drained butter beans, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and a splash of almond milk into the bowl or processor and mash or blitz until you achieve the desired texture. Add a little more milk if it looks too thick. Taste and add seasoning, mash/blitz again.
- Spread the mash evenly across the top of the tomato mixture in the baking dish and use a fork to score decorative lines across the top, or leave natural and rustic – whichever you prefer.
- Pop the cottage pie into the oven and bake for around 30 minutes until the filling is bubbling hot and the topping is slightly crisp and lightly browned. Leave to stand for a few minutes and serve with green vegetables or salad
Cook’s tip
This is a great make-ahead dish. Simply assemble, cover and keep in the fridge until ready to cook (you may need to add some extra oven baking time if you are cooking it cold from the fridge). It also freezes well – cover the baking dish and pop in the freezer. Defrost it in the fridge during the day and it will be ready to bake in the evening.