“Unbelievable vegan pot pies! These are seriously amazing and taste just like chicken pot pies…seriously a game changer.” Trish Bozeman from Rhubarbarians.
At the risk of tooting my own horn, I am going to agree with Trish. These vegan chicken-style pot pies from my cookbook changed my dinner game. As I pulled these little guys from the oven I realised I could feed my family vegan meals and I didn’t have to turn myself inside-out to do it. These vegan pot pies are simple, inexpensive and wonderfully traditional.
A little over a year ago Page Street Publishing approached me to produce a vegan cookbook that would appeal to both vegans and omnivores. Being that my whole brand is about feeding plant-based meals to committed omnivores it felt like a great fit. Besides being omni-friendly, we decided to try and create a vegan cookbook specifically for families.
For me, that meant two things. Firstly, I wanted to fill my book with recipes that even the busiest of bees would have to time to create so they had to be simple and fuss-free. Secondly, I needed the recipes to be both approachable and affordable.
Birdless Chicken Noodle Soup
Vegan cooking has a reputation for being expensive and I get that. Cashews, super-grains and faux meats are not cheap and they feature heavily in a lot of plant-based recipes. In creating Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family I wanted to move away from that and limit the use of those pricier ingredients. On the whole, I think I did. With recipes like Birdless Chicken Noodle Soup, Eggless Savory French Toast and Portobello Fajitas I am pretty confident my book will help to make vegan meals simpler and more affordable. Maybe “hopeful” is a better word. I hope I have created a a useful and dependable resource for busy and/or fussy families.
Almost Healthy PB&J Muffins
MY GAME CHANGING VEGAN POT PIE RECIPE
Game-changing? Really?
I know, I do love me a little hyperbole BUT these pies are pretty awesome. Made traditionally but with shredded king oyster mushroom in place of chicken, these vegan pot pies taste just like a regular chicken pot pie. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, king oyster mushrooms are the bomb. They are my favourite vegetable meat replacer. If you haven’t tried them, I cannot urge you enough. I buy mine at my local Asian grocer and they come in at around $3.00 for a bag of 4. If you haven’t seen them, they are big so they go a long way. Shredded and then simmered in a vegan stock with vegetables, bay leaves, garlic and thyme these delicate tasting mushrooms are a dead-ringer for tender chicken pieces. This is pure vegan comfort food. Enjoy
Vegan Chicken Pot Pies
Ingredients
- 8 king oyster mushrooms
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp vegan butter spread
- 1 white onion finely diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 thyme sprigs leaves removed and chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup dairy-free milk
- 2 tsp dairy-free milk for brushing the pies
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed
Instructions
- Wipe the king oysters mushrooms down with a clean cloth to remove any grit. Chop 1 inch of the stalk to remove the tough base. Carefully but firmly drag the prongs of a fork down the length of the mushroom to shred the “meat” (this is easier if you lay the mushroom down.) Place in a bowl and gently stir in the tamari, then set aside.
- Melt the vegan butter in a large pan over low to medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for around 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetable stock, thyme, and bay leaves and stir in the milk, pepper, and sea salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the shredded mushrooms and reduce the heat to low. Cook the pie filling for 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to a pie gravy consistency. Remove from the heat, stir in the peas and set side while you prepare the puff pastry.
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F.
- To prepare the pastry, place a ramekin or pie pot upside down on the thawed pastry and cut a circle a half-inch larger than the dish lip. Repeat with other ramekins. Fill each ramekin with pie filling before laying the pastry over the top. Gently press the edges of the pastry to the side of the ramekin and cut a small slit in the center of each pastry top. Brush a small amount of dairy-free milk on top (not the sides) of the pastry and place the pies in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry top is golden
Nutrition
qNice work on updating your site, it’s looking fabulous. I’ll definitely be trying these pies once I can get hold of some king oyster mushrooms – not so common in New Zealand. I wonder if they’d work with another mushroom, like oyster mushrooms? Or is the texture quite unique?
The smaller oyster mushrooms should totally work. They will just make a chunkier style pie – their flavour is delicate just like their big brother making them perfect for taking on all those traditional pie flavours. I am glad you like the new design – I was due for a little nip and tuck. 😉 x