Everyone loves the nostalgic classic, vegetable pot pie. Many VegKitchen readers have let us know that this mild dish of hearty veggies enclosed in pie crust is on their regular cool-weather meal rotation; it's also a crowd-pleasing vegan option for a Thanksgiving or Christmas menu.
Using prepared whole-grain pie crusts makes pot pies a snap to prepare. We like to take them out of the tins they come in, and place them in a similar-sized pie pan. Adapted from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas. This recipe makes two pies, for at least 12 servings. For a smaller crowd, to make one pie, halve the recipe. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky
Recipe
Hearty Vegetable Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 8 medium potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion quartered and finely chopped
- 3 cups diced vegetables of your choice choose 3 or 4 from among cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, leeks, peas, corn kernels, zucchini, yellow summer squash, mushrooms, kale, etc.
- 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
- 1 cup vegetable stock homemade or store bought
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast optional but highly recommended
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose seasoning blend such as Frontier or Mrs. Dash
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Two 9-inch prepared good-quality pie crusts preferably whole grain
- 1 cup fine whole grain bread crumbs
- Paprika for topping
Instructions
- Cook or microwave the potatoes in their skins until done. When cool enough to handle, peel them. Dice four of them and mash the other four coarsely. Set aside until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the vegetables of your choice, layering quicker-cooking vegetables like peas, corn, and zucchini over longer cooking ones like cauliflower, broccoli, and leeks. Add a bit of water; cover and cook until the vegetables are tender but not overdone, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour into the skillet, then pour in the stock. Add the optional nutritional yeast. Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. until the liquid thickens.
- Stir in both the diced and mashed potatoes. Heat through gently. Stir in the seasoning blend, thyme, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and pat in.
- Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over each pie, then top with a sprinkling of paprika.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let the pies stand at room temperature for 10 minutes or so, then cut into wedges and serve.
Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)
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Nutrition Information:
Per Serving (with broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots): 179 calories; 3.4g fat; 34.5g carbs; 4.8g fiber; 4.5g protein; 107mg sodium
- Browse more of VegKitchen's vegan casserole recipes.
- Explore A Colorful Vegan Christmas (Vegetarians Welcome!) for a complete listing of holiday dinner recipes, menus, and desserts.
- Here are more recipes for plannin a Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Thanksgiving.
Carol says
This is an excellent, and very delicious savory treat!
Valeen says
This was a very good meal. It also makes great leftovers for lunches!
First let me say I'm not a very experienced cook, but here are my thoughts...
This took 2 - 3 hours to prepare and cook. So I prepared all of the veggies and cooked my potatoes one night and then the next night I started on "Heat the oil in a large skillet...".
In my oven it took 45 minutes to bake and I could have left it in longer.
I used only 6 potatoes, instead of 8.
Next time I plan on doubling the broth and increasing the seasonings.
Hope this helps! Happy cooking!!
Nava says
Valeen, it's likely that if you make this again it won't take you as much time. Also, ovens are notoriously varied in their temperature accuracy, which is why I say to leave the pie in until the crust is golden. But I'm glad you enjoyed the dish and thank you for your comment!
Suzanne says
I am slightly confused about the nutritional yeast ingredient. I have nutritional yeast and would like to use it in this dish, but the recipe instructions makes no mention of it.
I'm sure it was just forgotten.
Thanks
Nava says
Sorry about that; I added it to the instructions. Thanks for the catch!
Jayme says
This recipe is far to much for my family, but I was wondering if this would freeze well? That way I could put the second pie in the freezer and save ti for a later date.
Nava says
Jayme, I double the dish so it could serve as holiday fare, but you can cut the recipe in half. I've never tried freezing it, but I don't think it could hurt!
Jayme says
Nava,
Thanks for the recipe! I'm trying to introduce more veggies into my step-kids' diet, and I'm happy to sassy that this one was a hit! I halved the recipe this time, but I plan to try freezing one to see how it works out.
charlee says
Umm, this looks so yummy, but I have never baked a pie and it's been eons before I baked anything. What baking utilities would I need (I know I need the oven, obviously, lol)?
Nava says
Charlee, this recipe uses the shortcut of a good-quality whole-grain crust, so you don't need anything but a skillet and an oven! Just follow the easy directions carefully and you should have no problem. Enjoy!
Deborah says
Loved this! I have missed pot pies and don't really care for the frozen veggie ones. This is yummy. Non-veg hubby liked it too. It would be an excellent dish for a holiday meal. Thanks. I would give it 5 stars if I could figure out how.
Nava says
Hi Deborah. Glad you and your hubby enjoyed this! If you really do want to give it 5 stars, you just need to click the 5th star up above the post! Otherwise, simply enjoy the dish and happy holidays ...
Hareen says
Hi I am only 12 but I intend to surprise my family with this dish. The only problem is that we don't have seaoning blend, vegetable stock, thyme, and pie crusts at our house. Any idea on how I could make vegetable stock, seasoning blend, and pie crusts.
Nava says
Hareen, that's so commendable that you'd like to make this for your family. Without these shortcuts, it's going to be a bit of extra work! But let's see if we can make this do-able. For the vegetable stock you can substitute a cup of hot water with a dissolved bouillon cube. But if you don't have that, simply use a cup of nondairy milk like rice milk, or regular milk if you're family isn't vegan. For the seasoning blend, just combine a few dried herbs and spices to make up 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Use seasonings whose flavors you enjoy. Taste the whole mixture once everything is stirred together and just make sure it has enough salt and pepper not to be bland.
I have to admit that pie crust is something I've never been good at, but there are lots of recipes for pie crust out there, if you'd like to make it from scratch. Google "pie crust recipe." If your family is vegan, substitute Earth Balance or other nonhydrogenated margarine, used very cold, for butter. Good luck! Please tell me how it goes.
Hareen says
Thank You Very Very Much because I just know that my family will love this. Thank You Thank You Thank You
Jessica says
Hi, so I'm vegetarian, but the rest of my family isn't, so I was wondering if this recipe could be made in smaller individual pies? Would I have to edit the recipe at all to do this?
Nava says
Jessica, would you make your own pie crust and put it in some kind of smaller baking dish? I suppose that would work, but maybe better would be to make the pie and see if your family would enjoy it as a side dish with whatever else they are eating (thus introducing them to yummy veg food!), or else just making the whole pie and then freezing half. Half a pie could be good for two night's dinner for you. I think that would be easier than making individual pies.
Katie says
I was curious about the nutritional facts about this dish. Is it pretty low calorie?
Nava says
Katie, according to an analysis of a similar recipe in my book, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, each generous wedge (1/6 of the pie) has about 300 calories.
Hareen says
Hi! Tommorrow I am going on a school skii day and I was wondering if you had some really easy trail mix recipes consisting of just a few ingredients.
Thank You
Nava says
Hareen, go to this post: http://www.vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes/healthy-snacks --the fourth one down is Trail Mix; you don't even need a specific recipe. It's basically half dried fruit and half nuts; be creative and use whatever you have on hand! and be careful on those skis!
Hareen says
Thanks! I think I missed it or something.
Nava says
Actually I just added it for you — I should have had it there to begin with so thanks for giving me the hint that VegKitchen should include a simple formula for making trail mix.
Nic says
Just made this for my family. As a Mum to a 3 year old it can sometimes be tricky to get her to eat vegetables! This was an instant hit, so much so that my daughter licked the spoon for the pie filling once I was finished!
The vegetables I used were carrots, cauliflower, peas, potatoes and creamed corn. I added the creamed corn at the end and let it simmer a bit so it wasn't too thin. Of course this make it non-vegan with cream in it. I also added an extra stock cube to the pie mixture and mixed it all in before putting it in the oven.
Nava says
So glad you and your daughter enjoyed this! Being a mom myself I remember how challenging it could be to get the kids to eat well when they were little. So I'm happy when I can pave the way a bit for others .... please check out our Veg Kid and Teens page for lots more child-friendly fare: http://www.vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes/
Cait says
Can you post some really easy recipes for vegetarian teens to cook?
Nava says
Cait, there are several categories of easy teen-friendly recipe on VegKitchen's Veg Kids and Teens page, especially in the first group of topics, Easy, Healthy Recipes for Kids and Teens: http://www.vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes/
Raven says
Yummy! I bet the nutritional yeast is great for a cheesy flavor! I am going to have to take this recommendation and use in my pot pie recipe, thanks!
http://www.cookeatdelicious.com/vegetables-recipes/vegetable-pot-pie-recipe.html
jade says
Hi I love this recipe as I need to make something for my mother in law who is a vegetarian and also highly allergic to garlic but my problem is I have no idea what the yeast is u have listed or the Mrs dash or spike is as I'm Australian so could u please inform me what I could change these to in order to make this for Xmas day any help would b awesome cheers jade
Nava says
Jade, this will be easy to adapt to your needs. Simply leave out the nutritional yeast, which is optional. The seasoning blend is what it implies — a bunch of seasonings in single spice jar. You can just add whatever spices you want, or if you have some sort of seasoned salt, that would be good, too, but then leave out the regular salt at the end. I hope that helps, and that your family likes it!
Emily says
I've recently became a vegan, and never have I ever tried nutritional yeast, what is it? and does it really taste like cheese? Also, i'm hoping my family will like this, considering most of them are carnivores, figuritvely speaking of course. lol
jade says
Thanks so much hun I'll give it a test run soon with any luck I can pull it off then make it for Xmas day
Cheers again jade
Nava says
Emily, nutritional yeast is a type of de-activated yeast (so it wouldn't make bread rise, for instance). It is not bitter like brewer's yeast. The reason that vegans like it is because it's such a good source of B vitamins, especially B 12, which is typically not found in vegan foods. This recipe calls for so little of it that you can skip it if you'd like. does it really taste like cheese? In my opinion, not that much but I do like its mildly fermented flavor.
Andrea says
This came out a bit dry, in my opinion. When reheating the leftovers I microwaved them in almond milk and it came out delicious! I would definitely recommend adding significantly more fluid to the filling, such as adding almond milk
Joanne says
Could you make the vegetable pot pies as small individual pies? Would you cook it the same amount of time?
Nava says
Joanne, I think this recipe would be quite charming as individual pies. I would start checking after 25 minutes of baking time. The only thing that really needs to get done in a sense is the crust. If it is smaller and thinner, it will probably bake through more quickly. Perhaps not as little as 25 minutes, but since I've never tried this that's when I'd start checking. Perhaps you can let us know what you do to alter this recipe and how it turns out, as it is a great idea!
Carol-Anne says
I can't wait to make this for Chrisrmas dinner. My entire family are meat eaters (I am vegan) and they are all coming to my house for dinner. If I were to prepare it the day before and bake it the day befor, will the pie crust go soggy in the fridge?
Nava says
Hi Carol-Anne, I do believe I've made this and have had leftovers, and I don't recall the pie crust going soggy. As long as you can reheat it in a 350-degree F. oven for a short time just before serving (maybe 15 min.), you should be OK. Hope your family enjoys it!
Char says
Love this recipe!! I made this for Christmas dinner for myself as everyone else in my family had turkey! I did have leftovers and I can tell you with some assurance that the crust does not get soggy when held over and the flavors do meld together creating a wondeful taste sensation!! I sent a couple pie wedges to my sister's house for her try and she is now asking for the recipe. It was a hit there as well!! I've used many of your recipes Nava and have enjoyed them! 🙂
Char says
I forgot to vote before my post!! Definately five stars!!
CJ says
My new favorite comfort food - I love this!
CJ says
I intended to vote 5 stars!
Nava says
It was such a favorite when my kids were growing up -- a great way to get both kids and adults to eat their veggies! Glad you enjoyed it.
Hareen Seerha says
Hi,
I was looking at your recipes for special occasions, but I noticed that you did not have any forth of july ones! ALso know as Independence day, could you help me out and tell me what recipes to make for my family on this day! They can be super hard, considering I made this pot pie and own crust in an hour for Christmas so, I can handle difficult!
Nava says
Hi Hareen -- sorry it wasn't more clear where to find the recipes for this occasion. You'll find vegan barbecue recipes here: http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/vegetarian-barbecue/ and vegan potluck recipes especially for summer entertaining here: http://www.vegkitchen.com/tips/vegan-potluck-recipes-especially-for-summer/ And I tend to go for super easy rather than super hard, but find it impressive that you made this pie and its crust in an hour! And please join VK's facebook page, as we're always posting recipes and ideas perfect for everyday meals as well as special occasions: http://www.facebook.com/VegKitchen — Hope you're having a great day!
Deb says
I made this for Thanksgiving for two years, this year I made something different and my son said, "Hey, where 's the veggie pie? That's my favorite." Guess what I'm making today?
Ruth says
This is absolutely the best pot pie I've ever made. Making it right now for the second time! Thank you, Nava!!
Nava says
So glad you enjoy this, Ruth! It's definitely an oldie but goody in our family ...
Nava says
Deb, I'm so glad your young man enjoyed this; that's a real vote of confidence! And sorry for the delayed response ...
Mahima says
Hi. 5 stars for this recipe!! I wanted to know how to reheat this pie if it was made about 5-6 hours before the meal. Do reply. Thanks a lot!
Nava says
Thank you, Mahima! To reheat it, put it back in a 350 degree F. oven covered in foil for about 15 minutes, more or less, until well heated through. Enjoy!
Kelly says
This was simply delicious! I used mushrooms, broccoli, peas and zucchini, and it was one of the best vegan main dishes I have made since going vegan almost a year ago. I am going to try to freeze the second pie!
Brenda Anderton says
I want to make individual pot pies. What would you recommend for the dough?
Nava says
Brenda, that sounds wonderful. I'm very lazy about making pie crust, so you might look online for a pastry crust using whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour. I hope these come out well for you!
Chrysla says
Made this tonight. It was wonderful! My veggie combination was celery, purple onion, leaks, broccoli, and mushrooms. I did use the mashed potatoes but I left out the cubed ones as I did not want an overly starchy pot pie. I also used a generous amount of herbs de Provence instead of Mrs. Dash. I used another pie crust to top instead of bread crumbs. I made a little too much for one pie so I was happy to eat this for dinner while the pie cooked. My non-vegan husband kept nibbling out of my bowl until he finally declared that this dish be put in the regular rotation for the boys and himself. Yet another score on my list of vegan tasty dishes for our family. Thank you!
Nava says
Hi Chrysla — so glad this worked so well for you and your family, and I love the tweaks that made this recipe your own!
Heather says
Hi, I wanted to make this for vegan guests for the holidays. I was wondering if you had suggestions on how to make this gluten free?
Nava says
Hi Heather — if you google "gluten-free vegan pie crust recipe" you'll get some results. If you don't include the term vegan they'll be different, they'll include butter and sometimes even egg. This one looks good, and very easy (scroll way, way down for the crust recipe (and of course, skip the pumpkin pie filling; or on second thought, make that as well!): http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-pumpkin-pie/ Perhaps you could even find a ready-made one with a deeper search if you'd prefer. And of course, substitute arrowroot or cornstarch for the unbleached four used to thicken the base (use a little less of those, perhaps 1 tablespoon), and use GF breadcrumbs for the topping. Good luck!
Ellen says
I'm thinking you could add some cooked lentils or black beans to up the protein and fiber. Or some tofu or tempeh. Maybe halve the amount of potatoes to make room? Going to have to try this!
Nava says
Ellen, that's a good idea. Lentils would work well. Somehow with these flavors I'd favor chickpeas or white beans over black beans, but use what you've got! Chopped up tempeh, lightly sautéed would be good, too. If you use beans, maybe pulse them in a food processor or mash them lightly, which would help the pies hold together (that's basically the function of the potatoes!). Enjoy!
Chen says
Hi Nava. If using frozen pie crusts, do I need to blind bake them first? TIA!
Nava says
Hi Chen — you can thaw them out first, but you need not blind bake them.
Gwendolyn Lewis says
Hi Nava! These pot pies are always a winner! Thanks again for sharing the recipe.
Eileen says
This was the best vegetable pot pie recipe I have tried.
Patty church says
I need to freeze and bake another day. Has anyone done this? Do I bake then freeze or freeze it first and then bake? Thanks!
Nava says
Hi Patty, I've never tried freezing this; I'm always leery of freezing potato dishes, because they tend to get watery. You can make this a couple of days before you need it; underbake by a few minutes; then reheat as needed with foil on top.
Danielle says
When using frozen vegetables, do i need to precook them on the stove still? Using frozen peas and carrots. Also, using potatoes and broccoli, if i cut them small enough, can i avoid boiling first?
Mary says
Does this recipe make one pie or two pies? My daughter is vegetarian, and I wanted to make this for her for her Christmas dinner. If it makes 2, then I could cut the recipe in half to make one, correct?
Nava says
That's correct, Mary — this makes two pies. It's easy to cut the recipe in half for just one pie.I hope your daughter enjoys it! Perhaps she'll let you have some ... 🙂
Nicole says
I made this for Christmas today. It was a fail 🙁 there was way too much potato and there whole thing was too bland and starchy. I would not recommend this recipe.
Yarm says
I made this with Christmas dinner! There is NONE left! You will love it! Thank you for the recipe! I did freeze one for another time!
Krysta says
Wanting to make this for 25 people. Can it be used in large dishes for a single pan?
Nava says
Krysta, this would be difficult to make in a large pan, since you do need a crust for each pie. Of course, you could double the recipe and make 4 separate pies, but that would be 24 servings, a bit short of what you need. Or you could make 5 of them. You might also consider a casserole that doesn't require such precise cutting into wedges, like this this one: http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/black-bean-and-zucchini-chilaquiles/ — if you're making other things, then tripling it should work. If I were feeding a crowd, I'd consider A Big Pot of Really Good Chili (you'd need to double this, or a little more, for your crowd) — http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/a-big-pot-of-really-good-chili/ and cornbread. Good luck!!
josephineray says
Hai Nava,
Recipe looks beautiful and all ingredients are very healthy. Last night I made it and my granny really like it and its good for her health. Me and my granny wait for your next healthy recipe. Because after eat it, she make a big fan of you. Thanks for sharing this healthy recipes with us.
CP says
Hi Nava - came across this recipe and made it today. I would like to post on IG and tag you or the recipe on it. Are you on IG
Nava says
Hi — you probably mean Instagram? Yes, I'm on it but rarely use it. I think it's just #navaatlas. Thanks for asking!
Michelle says
Has anyone tried freezing these yet? I've made this recipe twice and we absolutely love it! I have to bring it to Thanksgiving dinner in VT (2 1/2 hours drive) for myself (vegan) and my vegan daughter. I am afraid I wont have time to make it the night before...would really love to make and freeze it this weekend...but afraid it wont taste as yummy. Any ideas
Nava says
Hi Michelle — I'm so glad you love this recipe! I haven't tried freezing it because I'm concerned that potatoes get watery when frozen and thawed. I'd welcome any input by other readers who might come to this recipe between now and the weekend.
Jayde Lanning says
I am excited to try this recipe!! I don't have a microwave so when you say "cook" the potatoes, do you mean boil?
Nava says
Hi Jayde — I guess I should have been more specific. You can simmer them whole in their skins if not large potatoes, or peel, dice and simmer in just enough water to cover, until tender.
Jayde Lanning says
Thank you!! It turned out beautifully and my non-vegan family LOVED it too. I made a simple vegan gravy (vegan "butter", flour, crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, pepper and veggie stock) and ladled it over the sliced pie. PERFECT!
Michelle Giroux says
Do you think k it could be baked in a cast iron pan?
Nava says
That's an interesting thought, Michelle. I don't see why not, if the pan is lightly oiled. Let us know how it works out!
Mimi Dake says
I made this for Thanksgiving last year and it was loved so much that my Vegan mom asked me to make it for Easter. So I made one with Carrots, Peas, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Mushrooms, and Asparagus for the veggies. (Thanksgiving was Broccoli instead of Asparagus.)
Only variation was I added some 2 day slow roasted beef to one of the pies for the non-vegans (They're teenage boys as they say "I have to have my meat Auntie!"). The boys also added shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top when it was finished cookie but just for their pie!
I'm old fashioned in that I don't like to microwave things so I peeled and boiled/par-boiled my potatoes and I only had traditional bread crumbs on hand. I also upped the spices until it was to my/our tastes. Other then that every was exactly as stated! It is a much loved recipe for our family get togethers now.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Maneesh Singh says
Thank you for thia amazing recipe, my family loved it.