Unbelievable Vegan Chicken Pot Pies

Last updated on December 21st, 2022 at 08:20 am

 This vegan chicken pot pie recipe is a game-changer. I know, big words, but hand on my heart, these vegan pies might be the best I've tried.

They are comforting and nostalgic with all those familiar chicken pie flavours. But better, because they're vegan.

This recipe was originally published in my cookbook Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family (Page Street Publishing) and posted here with updated instructions, process images and ingredient substitutions on November 24, 2022.

Why You'll Love This Vegan Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

"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 pot pies 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 chicken pot pies are :

• simple
• inexpensive
• wonderfully traditional
• easy enough for a mid-week dinner but elegant enough to serve at dinner parties
• naturally vegan and best of all
• lick the spoon good.

Ingredients & Substitutions

OK, so I don't want you to be overwhelmed by the ingredients list. Most of foods here you'll already have in your pantry and none of them are super hard to find.

Mirepoix. The combination of diced onion, celery and carrot is called "mirepoix" - it adds a strong base to casseroles and soups. Take your time cooking the vegetables to ensure you get all the flavour.

King Oyster Mushrooms are usually available at Asian grocers and they are well worth hunting out. These delicate shrooms have the uncanny ability to mimic the taste and texture of chicken - they are perfect for vegan chicken pot pies!

If you can't get your mitts on the King variety, you can swap them for regular oyster mushrooms.

Tamari or soy. Lending umami to our "chicken" a spoon of tamari or soy goes a long way.

Puff pastry. Thankfully, so many brands of store-bought puff pastry are vegan. Choose your favourite making sure it's not made with butter.

Garlic. Always. Having said that, if you don't like it, go ahead and omit it. We are packing plenty of flavour into this pie so it will be fine without it.

Dairy-free milk. I generally use soy milk in my cooking but you can use oat or almond here. I don't recommend coconut milk - its flavour is a bit overpowering.

Bay leaves and thyme. Leaning on tradition, these herbs lend their delicate aromatics. You could swap thyme for sage if you prefer or even a little oregano although you will change the flavour a touch.

Peas. So traditional! And who doesn't love sneaking in some added veggies. Peas add vibrancy to our pies - look at that green! - and a different texture. You could swap them for chopped green beens or asparagus spears when in season.

Flour. Just plain old all-purpose flour, nothing fancy. If you need to make a gluten-free gravy, you could use a tablespoon or two of cornflour.

Rather than adding the flour at the beginning of the cook, remove a quarter cup of the reduced cooking liquid in a cup and stir in the cornflour to make a slurry. Add it back into the pot and stir until the liquid has thickened to a gravy. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes to make sure the cornflours dissolves properly. No-one wants a grainy gravy.

How to Make the Best Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

OK, so yes, there are a lot of pictures. But, they are really simple steps but for the sake of clarity, I've photographed each one.

Are you ready? Here we go.

For the Pie Filling

Step 1. Wipe the king oysters mushrooms down with a clean cloth to remove any grit. Chop 1-inch of the bottom to remove the gnarly base-thing. Carefully but firmly drag the fork prongs down the length of each mushroom to shred the “meat” (this is easier if you lay the mushroom down.) Set them aside. Break up any bits of the mushrooms that doesn't shred. It's all good.

Step 2. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pan over low to medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery. Cook for around 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and then toss in the garlic for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Step 3 and 4. Stir in the flour and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Step 5. Add the vegetable stock, thyme, and bay leaves and then stir in the milk, soy sauce/tamari, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture up to a simmer. 

Step 6. 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.

NB: If your pie mixture needs more gravy, you can add an extra cup of stock to your pot. Just make sure to taste the gravy and add more seasoning if needed and cook it down to your desired consistency.

Steps 6 and 7. Stir in the peas and cook for another minute before removing the pot from the heat to cool. You might want to go ahead and remove the bay leaves here.

For the Pastry Top

Remove your pastry from the freezer and let it thaw for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). 

Step 1. Fill each ramekin with vegan chicken pot pie filling. Don't be stingy - fill those puppies up.

Step 2. To prepare the pastry, place a plate about 2-3 cm wider than your ramekin down on the thawed pastry and trace around it to cut a circle . Repeat with other ramekins. 

Gently press the edges of the pastry to the side of the ramekin

Brush a small amount of dairy-free milk on top (not the sides).

Step 3. Cut a small slit in the pastry on each pie to allow steam to release during cooking.

Step 4. Place the pies in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry top is golden

These vegan pot pies. Serve with a side of crispy smashed potatoes with garlic and a green salad and you'll be in food heaven. Enjoy, x.

Recipe Tips

Leave the puff pastry out for around 30-minutes only. When left at room temperature too long, puff pastry’s main ingredient butter or margarine starts to soften. The dough ends up sticky making it hard to work with and may result in the pastry not holding its shape while baking. 

Tip. If the pastry you’re working with gets too soft, pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up.

Cool filling before topping with puff pastry. A hot filling melts butter/margarine in the pastry that creates layers. The butter helps create the puff - melt the butter, lose your puff.

Remove the bay leaves before filling the pies. Been there, done that.

FAQs

Need more comfort food? I got you.

Hungry for More Plant-Based Goodness?  Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest news and updates. If you like this recipe, please check out my cookbook. Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family is full of simple, carnivore-approved family recipes.