This savoury vegetable pot pie is the ultimate in vegetarian comfort food. This delicious veggie packed lentil pot pie uses root vegetables as the base in a savoury tomato sauce with fresh thyme and a smidgen of crème fraîche. It’s loaded with pure healthy goodness — sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnip, onions and mushrooms — and then encased in a flaky, golden puff pastry. The whole family loves this recipe, veggies, lentils and all! And I am pretty sure you will too!
The basic methods are simple, but if you are looking for a quick toss it together weeknight recipe, this isn’t a 30-minute meal. But trust me when I tell you that your time in the kitchen will be well worth it. This recipe takes a little more than an hour to prepare, but if you are cooking together then it makes it much more fun, or simple turn on your favourite podcast or Spotify playlist to pass the time!
How to prepare this vegetarian pot pie
A good pot pie starts with the filling. Onions and sweet potatoes are first sautéed in a little oil until softened, before sautéing the rest of the vegetables. But of course, if you want to save time, you could use two skillets and prepare the sweet potatoes and the rest of the vegetables at the same time. This saves about 10 minutes, but also means washing an extra pan. The mixed vegetables are slow cooked in a tomato sauce for 20 minutes before adding the cooked sweet potatoes and lentils and everything get put into a casserole dish, topped with puff pastry and baked in the oven. Cooking the sweet potatoes separately, also gives you the flexibility of switching them out for regular potatoes, if desired.
Tips on how to adapt this lentil and vegetable pot pie
- This recipe works great with root vegetables or other heartier vegetables, but you could also add some green beans or thawed out frozen peas to the mix.
- Celery stalks can be replace by a small amount of celery root.
- Any root vegetables would be good here. Try potatoes instead of sweet potato or a mix.
Leek instead if onion. - Add cooked white beans instead of lentils.
- Instead of puff pastry, you could top this lentil pot pie with mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for a little extra umami magic.
- I use a 8 cup (2 litre) casserole dish for this recipe but you could easily prepare these in individual ramekins and serve this pot pie as a side dish. Otherwise, it makes a light meal for 6, and for those with a little more appetite than feel free to serve a green salad alongside.
What to serve with the pot pies?
A simple mixed green salad tossed in a French vinaigrette goes with everything, and this time of year you could try a winter purslane salad. Or how about serving it with a simple carrot and beet salad?
Looking for other comfort food recipes?
Have you tried my turkey pot pie recipe? It’s pleaser for the home family. Otherwise check out my recipe archive page for other ideas.
Vegetable Pot Pie with Sweet Potato & Lentils
A simple vegetable pot pie recipe made with root vegetables and French green lentils in a delicious and savoury tomato sauce.Topped with flaky puff pastry, this is comfort food pure. And healthy too! Plus this vegetarian dish can easily made vegan.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup French green lentils Puy lentils (100g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped finely
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (ca. 1 ,5 cm)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1 ,5 cm pieces
- 2 stalks celery, trimmed, thinly sliced
- 1 parsnip, peeled, peeled and cut into 1 ,5 cm pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 200 g cremini mushrooms, sliced thickly
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth (250 ml)
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
- 1 roll fresh puff pastry (ca. 25 x 38 cm / 275 g)
Method
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Cook lentils in medium saucepan of water, according to package instructions (until al dente, about 25 minutes); drain.
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Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoon oil in large non-stick skillet (or wok) over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a grind of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate or bowl.
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Add a drizzle more oil, along with the carrot, celery, parsnip and garlic, cook, stirring, until vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
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Add mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme; cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste, broth and tomatoes; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the crème fraiche, and add the sweet potatoes and lentils; cook, stirring, about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste.
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Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
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Spoon lentil mixture into 2-litre (8-cup) ovenproof dish.
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Unfold the puff pastry and place it over the filling, tucking the excess pastry inside the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut 4-5 (2,5 cm) slits in the crust as vents. Bake until the crust is golden-brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Crème fraiche balances out the flavours of the tomato sauce. For a vegan version this can be skipped or make your own replacement using cashews. Just soak them overnight, drain and blend together with a little vegetable broth and a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt. Or try soy yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt.
- I used a baking dish W x H x D approx. 28 x 6 x 19 cm (8 cup/ 2 litre). Alternatively, a large cast iron skillet or pie plate can be used. Or use ramekins for individual servings. Note: if the filling is really brimming to the top, then make sure to place a sheet of parchment paper underneath while baking in case some juices bubble over the edges.
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