Vegan Pot Pie

The vegan pot pie recipe is a comfort food classic. You'll love the flaky crust and delicious filling that's so cozy and nourishing. Perfect for Thanksgiving and family meals.

Table of Contents

• Ingredient tips
• Step by step pictures
• Substitutions
• Serving and storing
• More Thanksgiving recipes
• 📖 Recipe

The whole family will love this vegan 'chicken' pot pie. Its hearty filling is made with seasoned tofu and plenty of veggies in a thick creamy sauce.

The homemade pie crust is wonderfully flaky, buttery - and surprisingly easy to make!

Another thing I love about this vegan pot pie is that it's got it all. It just doesn't really need anything else to serve on the side!

Between the crust and the filling, this dish has a good range of textures. Along with all the beautiful flavors and nutrients - carbs, protein, and veggies - this pot pie is a complete, comforting, and nourishing meal for any occasion!

While making a pot pie might seem like a lengthy process, you'll be impressed with this streamlined recipe. No chilling of the filling, no blind baking! And because the time the pastry needs chilling is used efficiently to make the filling, there's no unnecessary waiting... except of course for when the pot pie is in the oven!

We'll show you step-by-step how to make this tasty vegan pot pie. You'll also get our top tips on ingredients, substitutions, and more.

Ingredient tips

Although you could use storebought vegan pie crusts if you're in a pinch, it's really easy and so much tastier to make your own! Here's what you need for the pie crust:

All-purpose flour or plain flour

Vegan butter - you'll want a block or stick type vegan butter.

Salt - a little will go a long way, omit if your vegan butter is salted.

Cold water - icy water is best as it keeps the pastry cool. To make icy water, simply add several ice cubes to a small glass or cup of water and stir well for a few seconds.

Tofu is our go-to stand-in for chicken. From souvlaki skewers to katsu curry and our favorite sticky lemon tofu - plain old tofu can taste so amazing when seasoned and prepared the right way. Here's what we do for this recipe:

Firm tofu - the block type (not silken). Plain tofu works fine, but smoked tofu is great too if you can get it!

Soy sauce - always great with tofu for some umami

Salt and black pepper

Nutritional yeast flakes - 'Nooch', as we call it, adds that fried chicken flavor when fried.

Vegetable oil - for frying

And for the creamy filling:

Vegan butter - its richness is perfect for the creamy pot pie filling.

Onion and garlic - the magic savory duo

Flour - to make a roux, which is what makes the sauce thick.

Onion powder - adds some extra savory, umami flavor.

Vegetable broth or stock, and almond milk - to make a creamy and tasty sauce.

Nutritional yeast - adds a wonderful, slightly cheesy creamy note.

Salt and pepper

Celery, carrots, and potato - the bulk of the filling to add nutritional value and bite.

Peas and sweetcorn - We use them frozen, but canned works too. Fresh, sweet peas are even better!

Thyme - Its characteristic, deeply herby flavor is so beautiful in this hearty pot pie. We prefer the fresh type, but dried thyme is fine.

Step by step pictures

You'll find the full recipe for vegan pot pie with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here's our helpful visual step-by-step guide.

Pie crust

Step 1 - Combine all-purpose flour with the salt and use a pastry cutter to cut in the vegan butter until no big lumps remain.

Step 2 - Add the icy water and combine into a dough until all the flour is incorporated. Don't overmix!

Step 3 - Divide the pie dough into two equal parts, vaguely shape them into fat disks, cover in plastic wrap or place in a bowl with a lid and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Step 4 - When it's time to assemble the pot pie, roll the disks of dough out on a floured work surface or wooden board.

Filling

Step 1 - Press and shred or cube the tofu, then season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir in the nutritional yeast.

Step 2 - Fry the tofu in some vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat, until golden brown. Set aside.

Step 3 - In a saucepan, saute the onion in melted vegan butter on medium heat until soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.

Step 4 - Combine flour and onion powder, add to the pan and stir for one minute over medium heat.

Step 5 - Stir or whisk in half of the vegetable broth to form a thick paste. Let bubble up then whisk in the other half. Repeat with the almond milk.

Step 6 - Add the veggies, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast and simmer for five minutes.

Step 7 - Add the peas, sweetcorn, and fresh thyme, and briefly bring to a simmer again.

Step 8 - Finally, add the fried tofu to the filling.

Pot pie assembly

Step 1 - Place one of the rolled-out pie crusts in the bottom of the pie dish - don't cut the edge yet - and add the hot pie filling.

Step 2 - Cover up the pie with the second pie crust and cut both crusts together, leaving about half an inch of overhang around the dish.

Step 3 - Fold the edges under themselves lining up with the dish, then crimp or flute the edges with your fingers or a fork.

Step 4 - Cut a few slits in the top pie crust to vent off steam, and bake the pot pie for 40 minutes at 200℃ / 390℉.

Pie crimping tips

Crimping a pie crust refers to sealing or pressing down the edge of a pie crust or pasty, sometimes using a fork or other metal tool. This also helps seal two layers of pastry together.

Fluting adds another decorative element, using the fingers to shape the edge of the pie. This creates a beautiful wave-like ridge pattern that gives your pie a professional look.

This fluting technique works perfectly in this recipe, sealing the edge of the two pie crusts together, and keeping both the pastry and filling in place while cooking. And once you know how to do this, it's easy as pie.

First, make sure you've got a bit of an overhang on both pie crusts that you can then fold over. We use scissors to cut both pie crusts together at the same time, leaving about a half-inch margin around the pie dish.

Next, fold both sheets under themselves, working your way around the pie a section at a time. The aim is to line up the folded edge with the rim of the pie dish.

Finally, it's time for the actual fluting. Place the thumb and index finger of one hand on the inside, and the index finger of the other hand on the outside of the edge of the crust. Gently press the pastry together from both sides to seal the edge and create the typical wave pattern. Repeat this all around the pie. Et voila!

Substitutions

For an easy vegan pot pie crust, you can use storebought vegan pie crusts or shortcrust pastry. You can also use puff pastry, however, we only recommend it for a top crust. Puff pastry creates a soggier texture if used as a bottom crust.

Instead of tofu, you can use your favorite vegan chicken pieces.

You can also omit the tofu and add more vegetables to make a veggie pot pie. If you want to add more different veggies, try green beans, sweet potato, mushrooms, or cauliflower. A tin of cooked beans, rinsed and drained, can add back some extra protein.

Serving and storing

This beautiful vegan pot pie is an all-in-one dish. The crust and the potatoes as well as the creamy filling make any need for a carby side dish or gravy obsolete.

The vegan recipe already contains plenty of veggies. To fill the plate and add color, stir-fried greens, green beans or salad would make a nice side.

Store leftover pot pie in the fridge for up to three days.

Reheat in the oven for best results, or microwave for convenience.

While the vegan pot pie is best served warm, it can be eaten cold as a snack or packed lunch. You can eat cold pot pie with your hands as the filling is firm when cold.

📖 Recipe