Vegetarian lentil pot pie
Serve this tasty recipe for dinner on a chilly night and nobody will even think to ask, “Where’s the beef?”
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 3–4
1 cup brown or green lentils
2½ cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, halved and sliced
1 russet potato, diced small
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16-ounce bag frozen peas and carrots
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable stock
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (will cover 4 servings)
Preheat oven to 450 F. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring lentils and stock to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until stock is absorbed and lentils are tender, about 20–25 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, heat olive oil. Cook onions, celery, potatoes and mushrooms until soft, about 6–7 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Stir in frozen vegetables and cook for 4–5 minutes. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Pour in stock and stir. Add salt, pepper, basil, thyme and oregano; stir and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens, and stir in lentils.
Unwrap thawed pastry. If using individual serving dishes, invert dish onto pastry and cut pieces slightly larger than the opening. Fill dishes with the lentil mixture and cover with a piece of the pastry. If using a single 8-by-8-inch casserole dish, fill the dish with the lentil mixture and drape the pastry over the dish. Trim as necessary. Cut slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 10 minutes or until pastry starts to brown. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F and continue to bake until pastry is golden brown, about 20–25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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