Vegan Mushroom & Lentil Burns Night Pie

This is the perfect recipe for someone who wants all the flavours and comfort of haggis on Burns Night who maybe isn’t so keen on eating offal!  

It’s got all the peppery spicing you are after and topped with the neeps and tatties, its a vegan Burns Night one stop shop, enough to impress anyone!  The mixtures can be made in advance or the whole completed pie will live in your fridge for 2-3 days before cooking!  It also freezes really well.  If you don’t fancy the washing up, you can also cook the swede and potatoes in the same pan!

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

For The Base:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, Finely Diced

2 Medium Carrots, Finely Diced

4 Sprigs Thyme, Leaves removed and roughly chopped

3 Smoked Garlic Cloves (Normal Garlic works fine)

250g Chestnut Mushrooms, Finely Diced

30g Dried Mushrooms 

600ml Vegetable Stock

1 Tin Green Lentils in Water, drained and rinsed (any cooked puy, green or brown lentils will work)

100g Porridge Oats

50g Sunflower Seeds

1 Dsp Marmite

2 Tsp Cornflour (and a splash of water)

1/4 Nutmeg, freshly grated

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds

1/2 Tsp Ground White Pepper

Pinch Droitwich Salt Charcoal Salt

For The Neeps & Tatties:

300g Swede

300g Potatoes

4 Tbsp Vegan Butter/Spread

Pinch Pure Salt

Pinch Ground White Pepper

METHOD:

  1. For the base, heat the olive oil in a large based pan on a medium-low heat.

  2. Add the chopped onion, carrot, thyme leaves and a pinch of charcoal salt.  Cook and sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes until softened.

  3. Meanwhile, heat or make the vegetable stock, add the dried mushrooms, remove from the heat and leave to steep/soak.

  4. Once the onions and carrots are soft, add the chopped chestnut mushrooms and increase the heat to medium.

  5. Fry the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.

  6. Strain the vegetable stock into the pan, then roughly chop the soaked dried mushrooms into smaller pieces before adding to the pan.

  7. Add the drained green lentils, the porridge oats, sunflower seeds, the marmite, freshly grated nutmeg, coriander seeds and ground white pepper.

  8. Bring to a simmer, add another pinch of charcoal salt and cook for 10-15 minutes.  You want the liquid to reduce slightly but not have a completely dry mix.  Add another splash of veg stock if needed.

  9. Meanwhile, peel and chop the swede into small pieces, add to a saucepan and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt and boil until soft, 10-15 minutes.

  10. In a separate pan, peel and chop the potatoes into small pieces, cover with water and add a pinch of salt.  Boil until soft, 10-15 minutes.

  11. Drain the cooked swede, return to the pan, add 2 tbsp vegan butter, a pinch of white pepper and mash.  Taste and adjust the seasoning and set aside.

  12. Keeping the potatoes in their separate pan, repeat as above with the potatoes.

  13. Once the lentil and mushroom mix has simmered, stir the cornflour in a small amount of water, add to the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  

  14. Simmer and cook out the cornflour for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

  15. Taste and adjust the seasoning with charcoal salt, turn off the heat and set aside.

  16. Assemble the pie by spooning the lentil mix into the bottom of a roasting dish or tray, top with alternating spoons of mashed potatoes and swede until the entire mix is covered.

  17. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 25-30 minutes.