Vegetable and lentil pie recipe

You won't miss the meat in this tasty pie with filling lentils and healthy veggies all combined in a nice tomato sauce and topped with smooth creamy mash. It makes a delicious comfort food dinner, full of healthy vitamins and minerals. You can cool, cover and freeze this dish for up to 3 months too, defrost overnight in the fridge and heat through thoroughly at tea time. If you shop carefully you can make this meal for six people for just £1.98 with your store cupboard staples thrown in.

Ingredients

• 150g red split lentils
• 1.2kg potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and diced
• 3 sticks celery, washed, trimmed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 2tbsp tomato paste
• 5tbsp milk
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 3tbsp chives, chopped

Method

1. Put the red split lentils in a pan and cover with boiling, salted water. Simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, until tender.
3. Heat the oven to 200ºC/392ºF/Gas Mark 6. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the stock and tomato paste to the veg and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Drain the potatoes, return to the pan, season, add the milk and olive oil and mash until smooth.
6. Drain any excess liquid from the lentils and stir them into the veg mixture.
7. Tip the vegetables into a large ovenproof dish. Top with large spoonfuls of mashed potato. Put in the oven for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are turning golden.
8. Serve sprinkled with the snipped chives.