Warm up this autumn with my Vegan Cheesy Vegetable Pie. Get the recipe below.
The humble pie
This recipe is for a simple Cheesey Vegetable Pie made suitable for vegans. I raided my fridge and freezer for leeks, carrots, mushrooms and peas and enrobed them in a cheese sauce before topping it all off with a puff pastry lid.
Cheese and pastry may not immediately scream vegan but with some simple substitutes you can make a plant based cheesy vegetable pie in no time.
Let me show you how.
The filling
This Cheesy Vegetable Pie is packed full of vegetables that you probably already have to hand or can easily purchase. Leeks, carrots, mushrooms and peas make up the substance of this pie. They are diced to ensure they all cook at the same time.
If you don’t have a leek, swap it out for white onion. In fact you can swap any of these veggies out for your favourites. Maybe you want to include some peppers or potatoes (par boil these before adding). But avoid adding leafy greens that will leak water and make the sauce too thin.
If you want to add some protein to the sauce consider adding chickpeas or cubed tofu. Both taste great and work texturally.
Vegan cheese sauce
A vegan cheese sauce brings the pie filling together. If you’ve made a cheese sauce with dairy you’ll be pleased to know the techniques are the same, all you need is vegan cheese and butter as well as a plant milk. For creamy sauces I like to use soy milk.
If you’ve not made a cheese sauce before you need to follow these steps:
- Melt vegan butter in a pan
- Add flour and stir until you have a smooth paste
- Slowly add your milk, whisking well to ensure you have no lumps
- Bring up to a simmer and add in your grated cheese
- Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce
- Season with the black pepper, mustard and nutmeg
Once the sauce is made it’s a case of pouring over the vegetables in a pie dish, topping with puff pastry and baking for roughly 45 minutes.
The pie lid
Vegan pastry
A pie wouldn’t be a pie without pastry. There’s debate over whether or not a pie is a pie if it only has a pastry lid (no base or sides) but I say it is and that’s the type of pie we’re cooking today. Pies can be topped with shortcrust or puff pastry but this pie is quite indulgent so I prefer to use puff.
Now puff pastry is not all that easy to make. It’s a real labour of love and if not done currently can result in something limp, lifeless and tasteless rather than something crisp, flaky and buttery.
The good news is that you don’t have to make it. There are a number of brands on the market that sell either blocks or sheets of puff pastry ready to use. And the best news of all is that many of these are vegan. Just take a quick look at the back of the packet.
Of course if you do want to make your own vegan puff pastry I’ve got you covered! Just check out my how to make vegan puff pastry post here.
To get a nice colour on top of your pastry (regardless of whether it’s homemade or store bought) just brush over a little soy milk before baking.
The recipe
Vegan Cheesy Vegetable Pie
Ingredients
For the vegetable filling
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 leek sliced into half moons
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 carrots diced
- 0.5 cauliflower chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 250 grams chestnut mushrooms diced
- 1 cup peas frozen
For the cheese sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon plain flour
- 250 ml soy milk or another plant milk of your choosing
- 150 grams vegan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 pinch black pepper ground
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
For the pastry lid
- 300 grams puff pastry
- 1 tablespoon soy milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C / 356F / gas mark 4.
- In a sauce pan, melt the butter in the olive oil on a low heat before adding the sliced leek and the salt then cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced carrot and cauliflower then cook for another 5-8 minutes until the carrots, cauliflower and leeks have started to soften.
- Add the mushrooms and crushed garlic to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes.
- In a separate pan, melt another tablespoon of butter and add the plain flour. Stir until the butter has created a paste with the flour.
- Pour in the milk and mix well so that the flour dissolves in the milk creating a thick sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer gently before adding the cheese, nutritional yeast, black pepper and mustard.
- Once the cheese has melted add in the frozen peas and pour over the rest of the vegetables.
- Cook until the peas have thawed and the cheese sauce has thickened.
- While the vegetables are cooking in the sauce, roll out your pastry and cut out a lid, exactly the same size as the top of your oven dish.
- (If you wish) Cut out "say cheese" and other shapes using alphabet cutters from the leftover puff pastry.
- Spoon the cheesy vegetable mix into your pie dish.
- Place the pastry lid on top of the vegetables and press the edges down using a fork.
- Brush the pastry with the soy milk and stick the "say cheese" letters and other shapes on top.
- Place into the centre of your oven and cook for 45 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
Nutrition
More dinner recipes
If you're looking for more hearty dinner recipes then check out the dinner recipe collection.
Lucy Parissi says
This a great comfort food dish that can be knocked up so easily from standard ingredients and it is sure to please the whole family. I do like your fun styling of this pie.
Emma Walton says
Thanks Lucy 😀 I try to keep things as simple as possible!
Claudia Lamascolo says
how creative this is, I would never have the patience to do this fun food art but would love to be eating this right now!
Emma Walton says
Thanks Claudia. It's really easy if you have some mini letter cutters - I use ones from Wilton!
Urvashee says
How fun and cute with the lettering. I hear you on not making your own puff pastry! This is so much easier.
Emma Walton says
Glad I'm not the only one who can't be bothered to make their own haha
Carmy says
This is so cute! I love that you put the lettering on the top of the pie. I'll have to give it a try!
Emma Walton says
It's so easy to do. I use Wilton letter cutters
Jacqueline Debono says
Love the idea of this pie. I'm totally addicted to cheese and love to cook with it! Def one to try!
Emma Walton says
Thanks Jacqueline 😀
Kavita Favelle says
Love it and yes agree, life is too short to make puff pastry, I buy a good butter one too! Love the cheesy veg filling, looks great.
Helen @ family-friends-food.com says
I love this! Such a fun way to decorate the pie!
My Mum used to make something similar but with mashed potato on top. I love your puff pastry version though. Fab.
Sisley White says
This pie makes me so happy! It's such a cute and lovely bake and definitely one to try for the weekend!
Bhanwareen Bains says
Very easy and very tasty! We had it with mash. My fussy eater loved it too. Will definitely be adding this to my list of go to food. xx
Emma Walton says
So pleased you all enjoyed it!
George says
Really appreciate. Thanks for sharing.
April says
This was just lovely. Thanks!
Emma Walton says
Hi April
The cooking temp is 180C. Hoe that helps! All the best
Emma