Frumpy veg pie | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

DifficultyNot too tricky

1. Place a large casserole pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pick in the leaves from the rosemary and fry until crisp, then remove to a plate, leaving the fragrant oil behind.
2. Wash, scrub and trim all the root veg (bar the onion), then remove the purple skin from the top of the swede, leaving the rest unpeeled. Chop into 1cm chunks, transfer to the pan and season with a pinch of sea salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Fry for 10 minutes, or until golden.
3. Peel and roughly chop the onion, halve and wash the leeks, then slice them into 2cm chunks. Stir into the pan, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
4. Crumble the stock cube into a jug, pour in 500ml of hot water, mixing until dissolved, then stir in the yeast extract and tomato purée. Stir the stock into the veg, scraping up any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan, then simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Tip in the lentils (juice and all), along with ½ a tin’s worth of water, stir and then leave to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the veg is tender.
6. Scrub, finely slice and arrange the potatoes over the stew in one even layer, so they’re slightly overlapping. Use a spatula to lightly push down on the potatoes, so the gravy coats them, then cover and cook for 15 minutes on a low heat, or until the potatoes are tender.
7. Preheat the grill to high. Uncover the pan and place it under the grill for 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
8. Meanwhile, holding the cabbage stalk-side down, slice into six wedges, keeping it intact at the base (it’ll open out like a flower as it cooks). Place it in a bowl with a large splash of water, then microwave on high for 10 minutes. It will open out once cooked, then drizzle it with 1 teaspoon of oil, season and finish with a drizzle of Worcestershire sauce.
9. Divide the veg pie between plates, sprinkle over the crispy rosemary and serve with the cabbage wedges.

Tips

EASY SWAPS
— The topping is super flexible and can be whatever you like – mashed potato, sweet potato, pastry…
— Swap the lentils for any tinned pulse you’ve got in your cupboard – think red kidney or cannellini beans, or black-eyed peas.
— When it comes to herbs, use any woody herbs you’ve got: rosemary, thyme, bay, sage, or even a pinch of dried herbs.
— Use any root veg in the filling, or the topping.
— This recipe celebrates beautiful veg, but you could add 250g of veggie mince into the mix, if you’ve got it. Or, to make it meaty, add beef, pork or lamb mince.

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