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 this recipe for Christmas and it was so delicious, my meat eaters loved it too!! Thank you for all your delicious recipes!!!
Awesome Kathy- yes a good one for vegans and meat-eaters alike!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was a big hit! I’ve been working to go vegan from vegetarian for the past few months and bringing my partner along. Your recipes have been brilliant- definitely helping with the transition! Thank you!
Thanks Cecelia, so great to hear this!
Oops. Forgot to star-rate it. It’s a galaxy good!
Oh my was this ever delicious! I prepped most of the veggies a day ahead and used store-bought puff pastry. I followed the recipe pretty much but also added a cup of green beans, a little extra kale and both lentils and peas, and fresh thyme and fresh sage. Needed to make a bit more of the base to keep it creamy as a result. I suppose my version should have served 10 but we ate half of it for dinner tonight-and there’s just two of us-it was that good!!!! Definitely a recipe for regular rotation. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed this Joyce!
We made this on New Years Day in 12 inch cast iron, and the flavors and textures are spot-on. The puff pastry makes it special and easy. We made the recipe pretty much as written, using fresh sage from our garden and some dried thyme. I roasted the squash/carrot and cooked the lentils earlier in the day, and my college son made the rest. We had a kabocha squash, and I thought it might end up tasting too dry, but my college boys loved it. Great recipe – thank you!
Perfect Madeleine- glad everyone liked it. Nice you had help too!
This recipe was delicious! I made a few modifications as follows: in addition to the 1 cup of cooked beluga lentils I also added 1 cup of peas. Additionally, since filo pastry is hard to find currently in stores, I decided to use ready to bake crescent rolls. 1 container unrolled (e.g. makes 8 crescents) was perfect for covering the entire top of the pot pie. Thanks again for a great meal! I’ll definitely be making it again, trying different veggies and seasoning for variety in the future 🙂
Great to hear Jessica! Love how you improvised!
Sylvia,
What color lentils do you recommend here? It appears you’re using black but just wanted to check as the different ones cook down differently.
Can’t wait to make this! I’ve got it on my list for Vegan January!
Hi Melanie- I used black lentils but keep in mind, any whole lentil will work and be sure to cook them ahead!
Making this for Xmas! Can I make it tonight and refrigerate and bake tomorrow?
Yes!
Do you have to use a iron skillet?
Not at all! A baking dish will work great here!
Following up on my earlier question about vegan puff pastry. For those interested in avoiding store bought (which has hydrogenated oil and other junk), there are recipes online for vegan puff pastry that use earth balance butter. I haven’t tried yet but I will.
thanks Beth!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I subbed white beans for the lentils and used 2% milk due to food allergies. I also added 1/2 cup of peas because it was all I had. Absolutely wonderful! However, it only fed 5 people. This was the main course and maybe I should have served a side salad. Next time I’ll add roasted potatoes too and I’ll try to think of other ways to bulk it up. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper! And you were right, the puff pastry is the bomb. And soooo easy compared to making and baking regular crust! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed Jessica! Did you use the 6 cups of butternut?
Another delicious recipe from Sylvia! Only changes made were to sub dried sage for fresh and skip the kale (didn’t have any).
My only issue was with working with puff pastry. It was dry and it wouldn’t roll out to correct size— maybe the store brand used (only one available), or maybe it was ME 😉 Improvised, generously brushed with olive oil and it looked beautiful and tasted ok. Look forward to trying it again with a different pastry.
Thanks Gina-glad you were able to work around the dry puff pastry!
Very nice
Great to hear!
Another fabulous meal! Made this last night. Was so scrumptious, can’t wait for my leftover lunch!
So glad you enjoyed this!
Fabulous! Rave reviews all around. Made it with the veggies as per the recipe and saved myself some work by using the store bought puff pastry (vs. homemade pie crust) as recommended. I definitely recommend using a 12” rather than a 10” cast iron skillet. I started out in a 10” and had to transfer my ingredients early in the recipe to the larger skillet. It was a perfect fit and made for a beautiful presentation.
thanks Mary- great to hear!
This was a fabulous recipe. Absolutely going to make this again and again! Opted for leeks and peas and it was really yummy!
Perfect Carla- happy you enjoyed this!
Made this last week. It was delish! My husband did all the chopping so it was super easy to make! Highly recommend making this dish.
Awesome Candice! Thanks so much and happy you liked it!
It’s in the oven right now! My first time using puff pastry and I’m excited to see the results!! I subbed Brussel sprouts for the butternut squash….sort of changes everything, I realise, but I was eager to make a pot pie I didn’t have 6 cups of butternut squash at hand….but I did have loads of sprouts!! Haha! Mine will taste quite different but it sure smells delicious! Root vegetables, brussel sprouts,kale,lentils, it’s all good! Thanks for the recipe!
Hope it works out Mandy. The butternut does add a nice creaminess here. 😉
This was yummy! I used frozen peas but next time I’ll try lentils.
My whole family loved this! I made the veggies the day before and added puff pastry the next day. I did use a GF puff pastry Which contains eggs. Fabulous!
Whenever I make your recipes my husband always asks where I get the recipe!
Great to hear Shannon- Glad you both enjoyed!
Shannon,
I am so excited to hear that there is a GF puff pastry! What brand do you use and where do you find it?
Made this. It’s was very tasty. My only criticism is it takes a while. But it was yummy.
Thanks, and yes, it helps if you make it in stages- roasting the butternut and cooking the lentils ahead. 🙂
Could i leave out the milk and simply add extra stock?
You can, but the creaminess is really nice from the nut milk- but up to you.
This looks good but store bought puff pastry usually is made with butter, so not vegan. Any suggestions for vegan puff pastry?
Hi Beth, surprisingly, many brands are not made with butter- pretty easy to find actually- I believe even Pepperidge Farms is vegan.
Delicious
Great to hear!
This looks awesome. Can you make ahead and freeze?
Hi Sally, I haven’t tried freezing this- I’m guessing it would work? Thaw first before baking.