Vegan Pot Pie with Mushrooms and Vegetables

This is in the style of a chicken pot pie, but without any fake meat, seitan, or tofu in the mix. Mushrooms add a meaty flavour and texture while a vegan crème fraîche adds creaminess. White wine does some heavy lifting here but much of the flavour comes from a slow, careful cooking method that extracts the flavours from the mushrooms, onions, and carrots.

While we’ll sometimes make a pie for a weekend dinner, this is more likely to be a holiday meal. It’s a great vegan centrepiece dish. Serve with traditional sides like mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes and a green salad for a low-stress special occasion meal or go all out with side dishes. We always serve with lingonberry sauce too.

This is adapted from my mushroom pot pie and is a similar recipe, but there’s less focus on the mushrooms and the filling has a higher cream ratio. It’s a more classic vegetable pot pie. Even if you’ve never made a savoury pie before, you can make this! Read through the instructions carefully and give yourself enough time if you’ve never done it, but know that it’s not tricky.

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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

The ingredients are fairly simple, but you will need to seek out a vegan cream alternative. There are a few very good vegan crème fraîche options where I live, but I’m not sure if it’s tricky to find elsewhere. I’ve included substitution options below. These are my notes from recipe testing. You can find the full recipe card below with complete measurements and instructions.

• Puff pastry: I have tried spelt puff pastry, and it tastes good, but has a much greater tendency to rip. I don’t think that’s an issue for this recipe so if you want to use whole grain or spelt puff, go for it. Otherwise be sure to check the ingredients, but most store-bought puff pastry is vegan unless it specifies that it’s made with butter.
• Carrot: the carrot is cooked slowly with the other vegetables, much like a mirepoix (see vegan gravy) to extract the flavour from these aromatics. Peel if you’d like but I never do.
• Onions: this can be white, red, or yellow, it doesn’t really matter. Again, the onion is cooked slowly and should be very finely chopped. It should melt into the filling.
• Mushrooms: any type of mushroom, but for this recipe I do prefer button or cremini mushrooms for their milder flavour. If you want a stronger mushroom flavour, you could use a mix and include stronger-tasting mushrooms like shiitake.
• Peas: frozen peas are ideal, as they help to cool down the filling so that it can be baked immediately. Try to find petit pois, the smallest peas available, for the best taste.
• Wine: this should be a dry white wine, and there aren’t excellent substitutions. It provides much of the flavour base to the pie. You can try replacing it with very strong black tea for the tannins plus a splash of apple cider vinegar, but I would recommend using alcohol-free wine instead if you don’t use alcohol. Make sure it’s real alcohol-free wine and not grape juice, which will be too sweet.
• Crème fraîche: if you can’t find vegan crème fraîche, use a good vegan cooking cream as outlined in the recipe card notes. Vegan cream cheese can be a good substitute, as is cashew cream cheese. I don’t recommend vegan yogurt, which tends to split in this pie. Blended silken tofu with a splash of lemon juice and a pinch more salt can be used in a pinch.
• Herbs and spices: use a herb blend like Herbes de Provence or similar. Alternatively use an equal amount of dried thyme, oregano, rosemary, and basil. A small amount of smoked paprika adds a subtle smokey taste but don’t overdo it.
• Starch: this is what thickens the filling, and without it, the pie will be too liquid. To use arrowroot or flour instead of corn starch, double the amount.

How to Make Vegan Pot Pie

Patience is key for this recipe, as it will take some time to cook the mushrooms and vegetables. It doesn’t need much hands-on time but you will need to keep an eye on it during cooking. Don’t rush or you’ll be disappointed with the taste.

Step 1: cook the mushrooms for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Most of the water should evaporate. Add the onion and carrots and cook for another 10 minutes over low-medium. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes longer, then stir in the herbs and spices.

Step 2: deglaze the pot with the white wine. This well help to release any fond, the bits that get stuck to the bottom of the pot during cooking (it’s a good thing). Simmer to reduce the wine by half.

Step 3: add the cream and once the mixture has reached a strong simmer again, stir in the starch mixture and simmer to thicken. It should be quite thick.

Step 4: stir in the peas and season to taste, then transfer to a baking dish. Set aside to cool to room temperature if needed. I usually place it outside or in an unheated hallway/entrance to cool in the cooler months.

Step 5: top the pie with puff pastry that’s been rolled out and cut into a round that fits the baking dish. Optionally use cut-offs to make decorative shapes to add to the top of the pie as pictured. Be sure to cut slits or make holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.

Step 6: bake until very golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Puff pastry should be quite dark when ready and you don’t want a soggy centre.

Related: Biscuit Topped Vegetarian Pot Pie

Expert Tips for the Best Pie

• Chop very finely: the mushrooms in particular should be very finely diced so that they blend in to the pie filling, adding texture without big pieces of mushroom.
• Cool before baking: if the puff pastry is added to the pie while the filling is still piping hot, it won’t puff up as well in the oven. It should be cold right up until baking. The peas help to cool the filling down but if it’s still warm, it should be cooled to room temperature before adding the puff pastry.
• Don’t skip the water: as with any gravy recipe or thickened stew, the starch needs to be mixed with a little liquid before adding to prevent lumps. Make sure the filling is simmering so that the starch will thicken properly when added.
• Season to taste: be sure to try the vegetable base before adding the biscuit topping and adjust the seasoning as needed. It won’t be possible to stir in any more when it’s baked.
• Try homemade pastry: if puff pastry isn’t your thing, use this coconut oil pastry instead. The cooking time will change slightly, so bake until browned.

More Holiday Mains

• Vegetarian Wellington – this butternut squash and mushroom wellington is a real showstopper centrepiece, with an almost traditional duxelles and winter squash middle.
• Roasted Vegetable Pie – with roasted pumpkin, cauliflower, and parsnip, wrapped in puff pastry.
• Mushroom and Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie – a modern, plant based version of the classic with a rich mushroom and lentil base, topped with creamy mashed potato and pumpkin.
• Vegan Holiday Pie – with hot water crust pastry and a savoury vegetable filling.