A delcious recipe for Vegan Pot Pie made with roasted butternut squash, lentils and kale, topped with a golden puff pastry crust. A cozy, warming vegan meal full of delicious fall flavors. Video!
There are a hundred paths through the world that are easier than loving. But, who wants easier? Mary Oliver
This Vegetable Pot Pie was our dinner last night and it was so homey and delicious- I just had to share! To save time I used store-bought puff pastry dough which makes this recipe very easy. The roasted butternut squash gives this dish such lovely sweetness, and together with the lentils and kale, it makes for a delicious symphony of flavors and textures.
I recommend cooking the lentils ahead and thawing the puff pastry dough overnight in the fridge.
Vegetable Pot Pie | 60-Sec Video
What you will need:
- butternut squash -or sub other winter squash -you’ll need about 6 cups ( 2 lbs) cubed
- parsnip
- carrot
- olive oil
- onion (or sub leeks or 2-3 shallots)
- garlic cloves
- fresh sage (or sub thyme or rosemary)
- celery ( or sub-diced fennel bulb)
- flour or use GF flour blend
- veggie broth
- almond milk ( or soy, oat milk, or regular milk)
- salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg
- lacinato kale
- cooked lentils, or sub frozen peas.
- a pinch nutmeg
- thawed puff pastry dough ( or sub pie dough, but really, the puff pastry is YUMMY!)
Variations of Vegetable Pot Pie
- Add sauteed or roasted mushrooms instead of carrots or parsnip
- Add roasted sweet potato instead of carrot or parsnip
- Add peas instead of lentils
- Add fennel instead of celery
- Top it with a Pie Crust instead of puff pastry- although the puff pastry here is delicious!
How to make Veggie Pot Pie
Step one
Peel and cut the butternut squash, carrots and parsnips. Cut the carrots and parsnips smaller and the butternut squash bigger- for more even cooking.
Toss with olive oil salt and pepper and roast in a 400 F oven until fork-tender, about 25 mintues. You could do this ahead if you like…
Step two
Make the flavorful stew base. Saute onion, celery, garlic and sage. You could sub-fennel for the celery here to create an even more nuanced flavor.
Sprinkle with flour, toasting the flour a bit.
Stir in the veggie broth. You can also use water and a teaspoon of veggie broth paste.
Add a plant-based milk- like almond milk.
Stir and bring to a simmer allowing it to thicken.
Step three
Fold in the roasted veggies, kale, and lentils. You can do this right in the pan, or toss in a bowl first.
Add the cooked lentils.
Step four
Prep the puff pastry. Unroll the thawed pastry dough, place it on a floured surface and sprinkle with flour and roll it out a little with a rolling pin, mostly just to get the creases out.
TIP: If you forgot to thaw your puff pastry ahead, you can thaw in a microwave, 15 seconds at a time, until it unrolls easily. If you overshoot, and it’s too soft, put it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm it up. You want it thawed, but still cold.
Place the puff pastry dough over the butternut lentil filling, then fold up the corners, and add a few slits for venting.
Brush with olive oil or an egg wash.
Step five
Bake it! Place it in a 400F oven for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 for 15 more minutes.
When it comes out it will be beautifully golden and will fill up your kitchen with a heavenly aroma.
Serve the Veggie Pot Pie with a salad and dinner is ready!
xoxo
You may also like:
- Mushroom Wellington with Rosemary and Pecans
- Savory Leek and Kale Galette
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage
- Butternut Risotto with Leeks (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
- Roasted Butternut Squash (Three Ways!)
- Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Vegetable Pot Pie with Butternut, Kale and Lentils
- Prep Time: 60
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: vegan, main, fall
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Veggie Pot Pie with roasted butternut squash, lentils, and kale topped with a golden puff pasty crust – a cozy vegan dinner recipe the whole family will enjoy. Allow puff pastry dough to thaw overnight in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2lbs butternut squash, peeled, 1-inch cubes (or sub other winter squash, about 6 cups cubed)
- 1 large parsnip, 1/2 inch diced
- 1 large carrot, 1/2 inch diced
- 1– 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
- one onion, diced (or sub leeks or 2–3 shallots)
- 4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped ( or sub thyme or rosemary)
- 1 cup celery, chopped ( or sub diced fennel bulb)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups warm flavorful veggie broth (see notes)
- 1 cup almond milk ( or soy, oat milk, or regular milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- big handful lacinato kale (chopped, big stems removed)
- 1 cup cooked lentils, or sub frozen peas (I used black caviar lentils, but French Green lentils or brown lentils work too).
- a pinch nutmeg
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed, about 250 grams ( roughly 9″x11″)
- olive oil for brushing (or use egg wash- not vegan)
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry dough overnight in the fridge. (Or see notes)
- Cook lentils – 1/2 cup dry lentils- simmer in salted boiling water ( like pasta) until tender. You could do this ahead.
- Pre-heat oven to 400F
- Prep the veggies: Peel and dice the butternut into 1-inch cubes– you’ll need about 6 cups. Peel and dice the carrots and parsnips into 1/2 inch cubes. (You want the butternut bigger and carrots/parsnips smaller so they roast at a more even rate.) Toss with olive oil, generously season with salt and pepper and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, roast until tender- 25-35 minutes.
- Make the Stew Base: In a 10-12 inch, ovenproof skillet (or see notes), heat oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, 3-4 minutes, add garlic, celery and sage, and continue cooking until the onions are golden. Sprinkle with the flour, stir it in and toast it, 1-2 mintues. Add the warm veggie broth, a little at a time whisking it in, over low heat. Add the almond milk, whisk it in, bring to a simmer, just until it thickens. Turn heat off. Season generously with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Combine: Gently fold in the roasted veggies, kale and lentils. If it feels dry, add a splash or two of almond milk 0r veggie broth to loosen. It should be like a very thick stew. Try not to over-mix. Give it one more taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- On a floured surface, unroll the puff pastry dough, and sprinkle it with a little flour. Roll out any creases and roll it out just big enough to cover your pan.
- Place the puff pastry over the top of the pan, folding up the corners. Cut a few slits for venting. Brush with olive oil, or if not vegan, use an egg wash.
- Bake on the middle rack at 400F for 20 minutes, then lower heat to 350F, and bake 10 more minutes until beautifully golden.
Notes
TIPS: To add a bit more umami or depth, stir in a little miso paste (1 teaspoon) into the warm broth, before adding to pan ( or add an 1/2 extra bouillon cube or bouillon paste.)
If you forgot to thaw your puff pastry ahead, you can thaw in a microwave, 15 seconds at a time ( turning it over) until softened and unrolls easily. If you overshoot, and it’s too soft, put it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm it up. You want it thawed, but still cold.
Pans: I used a 9 ½ inch cast iron skillet. Feel free to use an oven proof skillet, enamel skillet, 9-10 inch braiser, 9-10 round inch baking dish (or equivalent square or rectangle). You basically want to use a baking pan/dish where the filling reaches the top or very close to the top, or even slightly over the top (mound in the middle) so the puff pastry lays level or even slightly mounded. Place over a sheet pan to catch juices!
See post for other additions and substitutions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 372
- Sugar: 6.7 g
- Sodium: 449.5 mg
- Fat: 19.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.2 g
- Fiber: 7.4 g
- Protein: 7.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I made as written with the exception that I added both a regular and sweet potato and left out the parsnip. So delicious! I plan to make your Spring vegetable pot pie for Easter.
Thanks Char! And thank you for circling back and rating this for us. Very Appreciated!
Hello! I am thinking of making this for my Easter dinner. Can this be doubled and put in a 9×13 or something similar? Thank you!
That should work Treesa!
Hello! I’d love to make this for Easter and I was wondering if the filling could be made a day ahead of time?
Yes, Tisa, absolutely! I would warm it up first before assembling.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! It took longer than I thought to prepare everything but it was worth it! I added mushrooms and used the precooked lentils from Trader Joe’s. Will do again!
Nice, so glad you enjoyed!
I served this to company last night with a salad and it was a hit. I used the chicken flavored vegan broth. It did take maybe 10 minutes more baking time for the pastry to brown. Will definitely have again.
Great to hear Beverly, thanks for sharing with us!
I am a beginner in the kitchen and being an extreme novice, I chose this recipe to challenge myself. In all honesty though, it wasn’t difficult at all. I felt really good about myself when it was all said and done because it came out beautiful. Creamy, flavorful and perfect for the snowy day outside. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Love this Joe! So glad you gave it a go.👏🏽👏🏽
Thank you so very much. We’ve made a conscious effort in my home to return to cooking whole food recipes and your website was front and center all week. We’re grateful for the healthy recipes that are so flavorful. On to the next one 😊
Wonderful, we are cheering you on!
Excellent!
I have no words strong enough to express how much I love this recipe…I guess that’s the magic of authentic cuisine: it nourishes, comforts, creates excitement and brings people together. This recipe has it all. I made it already two years in a row, once for Thanksgiving and once for the Holidays. With a fluffy mashed potatoes as a side it’s pure joy. Everyone adored and asked for the recipe 😉 Your blog is the ONLY one I trust, with my eyes closed, and recommend all the time to my friends. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Sylvia for sharing your precious recipes with us!! Warm wishes from snowy Montreal, Canada
Oh my goodness, so sweet Yoanna! We are so happy you are enjoying. ❤️
Absolutely amazing! Made it just as written and it was perfect! One of our very favorite winter meatless dishes!
Glad you enjoyed Julie!
I have never eaten a pot pie before nor used puffed pastry . let me tell you this was the bomb!!! It was so flavorful anda beautiful presentation. I served it for a Xmas eve meal and the family raved . I didn’t use sage, rather rosemary an a little thyme ,instead of almond milk I used oat milk , other then that I followed the recipe. A new favorite for special meals.
Oh love it Cheryl! So glad you gave it a try.
So delicious and easy to make. Thank you
Awesome to hear Julie!
I make this so much during the colder months and have even done it towards summer because I get such a craving for it. I stock up on Trader Joe’s puff pastry when they put it out for the holidays and put them in the freezer. This site contributes to most of what I eat at all times! Love the recipes from both you! Thank you!!
Thanks so much Michelle! We are thrilled you are enjoying.:)
This was tasty! I made drop biscuits instead of the puff pastry and added shiitake mushrooms that I needed to use up. I liked the texture it brought and next time may even add some walnuts for more texture. Thank you!
I like it Ann! Sounds yummy.