Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks
• thinly sliced
• 1 medium leek
• cut into roughly 5mm/¼in slices
• 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms
• sliced or halved
• depending on size
• 1 medium courgette
• chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 2 carrots
• chopped
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 x 400g tins lentils
• drained and rinsed
• 100ml/3½fl oz red wine (vegan-friendly) or water
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp yeast extract
• such as Marmite
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• sea salt and ground black pepper
• 1kg/2lb 4oz floury potatoes
• ideally Maris Piper
• peeled and cut into roughly 5cm/2in chunks
• 100ml/3½fl oz plant-based milk
• such as almond or soya
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

Directions

• To make the filling
• heat the oil in a large
• wide-based non-stick saucepan or sauté pan and gently fry the onion
• celery and leek for 5 minutes
• stirring regularly. Add the mushrooms and courgette and cook for a further 5 minutes
• or until softened and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few seconds more.
• Add the carrots
• tomatoes
• drained lentils
• 300ml/10fl oz water
• wine (or extra water)
• tomato purée
• yeast extract
• mixed herbs and crumbled stock cube. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cook for 30 minutes
• or until thick. Stir occasionally at the beginning and more regularly towards the end of the cooking time so that it doesn’t stick. Add a little extra water if necessary; it should look nice and saucy
• but thick enough to support the weight of the potatoes. Adjust the seasoning to taste
• making sure you are generous with the black pepper.
• While the vegetables are simmering
• make the mash. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat slightly and cook for 15 minutes or until very soft.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander then return to the pan and mash with the almond milk
• oil and nutritional yeast. Add a little more milk if necessary
• so that the potatoes are really light and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the lentil mixture carefully into a 2.5 litre/4½ pints ovenproof dish – a lasagne dish is ideal. Spoon the potatoes gently onto the filling and fluff up the surface with the back of a spoon.
• Bake for 30 minutes
• or until pale golden-brown and bubbling. If the topping doesn’t go brown enough
• pop under a hot grill for a couple of minutes. Serve hot.