Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoons harissa spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ras el hanout
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups french green lentils (puy lentils, 400 g)
- 2 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces (400-500g)
- 2 cups vegetable broth (500 ml)
- ½ cup water (125 ml)
- 1 x 400 g can cherry tomatoes (Mutti brand)
- 2 generous handful spinach leaves, stems trimmed
- 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 x 280 g roll fresh puff pastry (ca. 24 x 40 cm)
- 1 egg, beaten lightly
- nigella seeds (black cumin), to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof or cast-iron skillet over medium heat; cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the spices and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the lentils, sweet potato, broth and the water; bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, until lentils are al dente and sweet potato is tender.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, plus a little water to rinse can (50 ml) and return to a simmer, cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C (180° fan-assisted).
- Carefully place the puff pastry over the top of the skillet and fold over any long edges, then, working quickly, tuck and fold in the edges of the pastry so it sits just inside the rim of the skillet, to create a rough border. Alternatively, cut the puff pastry in half, then layered it diagonally on top of each other so that it covers most of the pan (see pictures).
- Brush the pastry with egg wash, garnich with nigella seeds (optional) and carefully score the top with a few slits to allow air to escape during baking.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven (middle rack) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- I use a Ø 28 cm cast iron skillet for this vegetarian lentil pot pie recipe.
- Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven at 350°F / 175°C for 10-15 minutes or until the middle is warm.
- Caring for cast-iron skillets: In recipes that include some acid ingredients, it’s important to season your skillet with oil after use to protect the patina. This recipe is a little bit acidic since there are some tomatoes in it, so it definitely shouldn’t be skipped. It’s a good habit to get into anyhow, as seasoning is something your pan with love every time. When I prepare dishes that are primarily cooked in a tomato sauce, I use a different type of skillet. For more tips on how to care for cast-iron check our my article: Cooking with Cast Iron — Caring, Cleaning & Seasoning
- Find more recipe tips above.