One thing I used to get whenever I went to British pubs was chicken pot pie. As a kid, I had frozen pot pies for dinner and they were always delicious, although probably because they were chock-full of salt and preservatives. Salt, why are you so magical and addictive? But anyway, being vegetarian means I can’t have chicken pot pie anymore! Or shepherds pie. Sadness. So I saw some blog posts with vegetarian pot pie and lucky for me, I had all the ingredients! Well, more or less. I couldn’t find any recipes that I liked in particular, so I kind of threw something together. Think of this as Fridge Pot Pie; I took stuff from my fridge and put it in a pie. Nooooms!
I wasn’t sure what spices to put in because normally pot pie is flavoured as a creamy or beefy stew. I wanted neither, so I made almost a chili-like flavouring with tons of paprika. I made lentils for the second time and they were tastier this time because there was more flavouring and I added more stew to it. I think I’ll try to make puff pastry some time this summer too, because it seems pretty easy, I just want to not have to buy the frozen puff pastry. Almost four dollars for two sheets =
If you want to make this pot pie, feel free to experiment with your ingredients. Add celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or even beans to add more substance to the stew. Use whatever broth you want to add more depth of flavour as well. Remember that dried herbs and spices infuse more flavour into the food the longer they sit (that’s why chili is tastier the next day!), whereas fresh peppers and chilis lose their flavour the longer they stew. So if you aren’t happy with it today, it’ll probably be more delicious as leftovers!
Leek and Lentil Pot Pie with Carrots and Mushrooms
Pot pie for the vegetarians out there!
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp salt (it may be better if it were a bit more, but taste as you go. Easier to add than take away =P)
- 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 medium sized carrots, peeled, sliced, then quartered (so you have little pieces)
- 1 cup green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 leek, sliced and thoroughly rinsed
- 2 Portobello mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 cup vegan cheese
- 1 sheet of vegan frozen puff pastry
- 2 tbsp soy milk
Instructions
- Cook the diced onions over medium heat until translucent and then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, chili flakes, pepper, and salt. Stir until the spices are fragrant and then add flour to make a roux.
- Add 2 1/2 cups broth and stir until the spices are incorporated into the liquid. Add the lentils and carrots and bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 20 minutes. The lentils will be tender but not mushy.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan. Cook the mushrooms until browned, then add the leeks. Cook the leeks are soft and have the same texture as translucent yellow onions would have.
- Add the leek and mushroom mixture to the stew, and ladle stew into oven-safe bowls. Stir in some cheese and cover the bowls with a layer of the thawed puff pastry. Poke some holes for the steam to escape.
- Using a pastry brush, wet the tops of the puff pastry with some whole milk. I didn't have egg yolks on hand otherwise I would have used those.
- Bake in the oven at 350F for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and flaky-looking.
Makes about 1 large casserole dish, or about 6 regular servings.
pizzarossa says
Ooooh, they look so good! And I love the little pot with the handle :)
Lisa Mai says
Thanks! That handle is sure handy =P
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
This sounds and looks amazing! You can never go wrong with pie :) Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa Mai says
Thanks for reading!
amloiandy says
Those look delicious. That seems like a lot of garlic, though. I’m not a huge fan of garlic, so I was wondering if it came out especially garlic-y.
Lisa Mai says
Hahah well I love garlic so that’s not an issue. There’s a TON of pie filling though, so the garlic is pretty well dispersed. You can probably bring it down to one or two gloves though
Cindy C. says
This sounds good! Can you tell me what kind of puff pastry you used? Also, did you line the bottom of the bowls with puff pastry or just the top?
Lisa Le says
I just bought the one from my grocery store =P I only lined the top, but it would be delicious on the bottom too?
David Price says
I love carrots and mushroom and you just provided me with the recipe I need. Great job! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Daniel Shields says
This looks so delicious and I bet it tastes amazing! My kids will love this.
I can not wait to try this at home.
This is a great way of introducing healthy foods into their diet. Thank you.
Mark Peterson says
Wow another delicious recipe I have try mushrooms burger so I will try this as well.
Jeff Lebowe says
I made this yesterday for myself my 2 young boys (also added red onion) and it was delicious – not to mention nutritious and plant based to boot! I love adding mushrooms as a protein source and surprisingly the kids enjoy them as well ;) Thanks for sharing Lisa!
Noah Smith says
Wow another recipe added to my list. I love it. I’m sure my family will love this. I’m gonna try this soon. Thank you for sharing!
Parov says
A rainy september day….seems like the perfect time to try this recipe :) thank you for sharing it!
Tom says
I’ve been missing chicken pot pie since becoming a vegan, I think I’m going to try this recipe tonight :)