Vegan Cauliflower Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

This vegan pot pie with cauliflower and store-bought puff pastry is a creamy, savory, indulgent comfort food. Perfect for warming up chilly winter nights.

Each November, as I ponder ways to assemble delicious and impressive holiday menus sans meat or dairy, I’m confronted with the idea of the “vegan main”. I don’t attempt to replicate an actual turkey or roast, but do want to create something equally savory and substantial that commands the spotlight.

In years prior, I’ve offered up a sweet potato galette, stuffed portobellos, and meatless cassoulet. This year, allow me to intro you to this vegan pot pie. Cauliflower takes place of the traditional shredded chicken; coconut milk replaces dairy; and flaky, buttery store-bought puff pastry makes the whole thing absolutely irresistible to all types of eaters (vegetarian or otherwise).

The great thing about serving creamy pot pie for Thanksgiving is that it comes with its own built-in gravy (!). Now all you need are some Brussels sprouts and potatoes, and dinner’s ready.

Ingredients for Vegan Pot Pie

• Puff Pastry: This rich, flaky French-style dough creates wonderful things like turnovers, palmiers, and wellingtons. It’s sold in most supermarkets in the freezer section. Pepperidge Farm is vegan, but doesn’t have the best ingredients. DuFour and Trader’s Joe’s brands have “cleaner” ingredients, but are not vegan.
• Onion, Carrot + Celery: For the classic base flavor of pot pie.
• “Light” Coconut Milk + Veg Broth: Create the creamy, savory sauce. I’ve tested this with oat milk instead of coconut, and the sauce broke while the casserole was baking, so I don’t advise making a substitution here.
• All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the filling.
• Miso: Compensates for the umami you’d typically get from chicken in a pot pie. (You can sub with Yondu if you have it.)
• Cauliflower: Be sure to chop it finely so it is small enough to soften while baking in the pie.
• Frozen Peas: A must for pot pie.

Cauliflower Pot Pie Step-by-Step

Start the Filling: (Before anything, take the pastry out of the freezer to let it thaw.) Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme in a large saucepan until softened, about 10 minutes. Then stir in the flour and deglaze with veg broth (i.e. scrape off the browned stuck-on bits at the bottom of the pot).

Simmer the Sauce: Next, add the coconut milk and miso. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened to the consistency of pancake batter, about 8 minutes.

Finish the Filling: Lastly, stir in the cauliflower and peas. Transfer the filling to a casserole dish.

Roll Out the Dough: When your puff pastry is thawed, place it on a lightly floured surface (kitchen counter or large cutting board). Using a rolling pin (or a bottle of wine/vinegar!), roll it out into a rectangle large enough to cover the casserole. Then transfer the dough onto the dish.

Bake the Pot Pie: Lastly, cut a few X’s into the dough with a small knife so that steam can escape the pie as it bakes.

Make-Ahead Tips

Vegan pot pie is best while still warm from the oven – since the puff pastry loses its crispness as it cools. If you wanna get a head start, you can make the filling up to 1 day in advance, cool it, and store it in the fridge. Roll out the dough and cover the casserole right before baking.

More vegan mains…

• Stuffed Portobellos with Farro and Spinach
• Tempeh Shepherd’s Pie
• King Oyster Mushroom “Scallops”
• Tempeh Marsala

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag @thenewbaguette on Instagram with your creation.

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