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.
PrintVegan Pot Pie with Cauliflower and Puff Pastry
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed* (see note below)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into half-moons
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, Italian seasoning, or poultry seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup vegetable or mushroom broth
- One 13-ounce can “light” unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons white miso or 1 tablespoon Yondu
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small bits (about 5 cups)
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- If your pastry dough is frozen, take it out of the freezer and leave at room temp while you make the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add all the ingredients from the onion through black pepper. Cook until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook for about 1 minute. Then add 3/4 cup broth and stir to deglaze the pot (i.e. scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot).
- Add the can of coconut milk and 2 tablespoons miso. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened to a consistency of pancake batter, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat off and adjust the seasonings if needed. (It’s okay if the sauce tastes too salty, since it will season the cauliflower.)
- Stir the cauliflower and 1 cup peas into the sauce, then transfer to a 9×13” casserole dish.
- When the dough has thawed, roll it out so it is large enough to cover the top of the pie (see tips below). Transfer the dough onto the pie and fold the edges over if needed. Cut about 8 X’s into the dough at evenly-spaced intervals to let steam escape during baking.
- Immediately place the pie in the oven. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- 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.
- If the dough is cracking, it means it is still too cold to roll out and needs more time to thaw. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin or counter, sprinkle it lightly with flour. If the dough is wet/slimy, it has gotten too warm and should be refrigerated for a few minutes to firm up again. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a bottle of wine/vinegar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 355
- Protein: 5.9 g
Keywords: vegan, pot pie, cauliflower, thanksgiving, puff pastry
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