Sure, you can add chicken pieces if you want. Or fake tofu or seitan chicken, if you must. But this already tastes as perfect as the comfort food of your childhood memories without meat, strictly vegetarian, because of a secret weapon:
*POULTRY SEASONING* (which is, yes, vegetarian.)
And it’s so easy. And soooo delicious that you will never want to face another cold weather season without it.
A bit of chopping for the fresh vegetables but some, like peas and corn, are easily found frozen.
You don’t even have to make your own crust, a good quality store-bought pie crust will do just fine.
At this writing I use a brand called Wewalka, in the fresh dairy case next to the Pillsbury.
And you don’t even have to use the vegetables recommended here! I’ve used frozen black-eyed peas, baby Lima beans, butternut squash, the frozen vegetable aisle is full of off-season veggie possibilities! Use what you like! I do consider the red potatoes essential however because….yum.
Just try to get proportions of your soup stock and flour just right so that your gravy thickens nicely. Of course a homemade soup stock makes a huge flavor difference too, so start with a great stock, linked here.
Mushrooms give it a meaty heartiness and cashew butter (optional) adds a certain ooo la la.
This recipe originated from Vegetarian Times more than a decade ago.
Oooooh, look at this gooo browning up in the pan!
The recipe:
Makes 8-1 cup ramekins or 1-9” pie.
I usually double this recipe. These freeze up nicely too.
Cook in 400° oven 30-40 minutes on lined sheet pan.
2 1/4 cups homemade vegetable broth
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2T creamy cashew butter (optional)
2 T flour
4 oz cubed red potato
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 mushrooms, I prefer morels or shiitake
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 leek, sliced
1/2 cup baby corn, 1/2 cup baby peas, any kind of frozen bean that you like.
My Mister loves pearl onions so I always make sure every ramekin has a few of them too.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leek, celery, carrots and mushrooms, sauté 5-7 minutes until tender. Stir in flour and garlic, cook 1 minute. Add broth, potatoes, poultry seasoning. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cashew butter and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the veggies.
Divide filling into ramekins (or pour into pie dish). Use one of your ramekins to trace dough rounds for the tops. Press dough around the sides of ramekins with a fork and seal. Poke holes on top of each pie for “breathing”.
Bake until tops are golden, 30-40 minutes at 400°.
My Godson Alex, proud of his creation:
It's just sooo delicious. Find out who in your family likes the extra crispy edges and let those pies stay in the oven a bit longer .
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