Creamy vegetarian pot pie
This creamy vegetarian pot pie is the ultimate dinner recipe. Filled with fresh vegetables, creamy cheese sauce and topped with puff pastry, it’s the meatless meal you’ve been dreaming about.
Pot pie is a comfort food classic. There’s just something about creamy filling topped with golden, flaky pastry. Even though chicken pot pie is a go-to for most, this vegetable pot pie has quickly become our family favorite. It’s made with vegetables most homes have regularly and requires minimal prep. We love it as a warming family dinner but it makes an excellent side dish when feeding a crowd too.
Ingredients needed
- Onions.
- Leeks.
- Carrots.
- Broccoli.
- Frozen peas.
- Butter.
- Flour.
- Milk. Vegetable broth or stock can also be used.
- Salt & pepper.
- Nutmeg.
- Cayenne pepper.
- Paprika.
- Grated cheese. I used a sharp/mature cheddar but any cheese of your choice will work.
- Puff pastry. Any pie crust can be used.
- Egg.
How to make vegetarian pot pie
- Cook the vegetables: Set a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Saute onion, leeks and carrots in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft and starting to caramelize. Add broccoli florets and frozen peas. Add a splash of water and cover with a lid. Allow to cook until the broccoli is just cooked (pierce the stem with a sharp knife to see if it’s soft). Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Make the cheese sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan then whisk in flour to make a roux. Pour in milk or stock and whisk until smooth. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the sauce is thick and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and paprika. Remove from the heat then stir in the grated cheddar cheese. Pour the sauce over the cooked veggies and mix. Transfer the filling to a baking dish or individual dishes if you want to make mini pot pies. Cover with a sheet of thawed puff pastry. Crimp the edges, make a few slits into the surface of the pastry to act as vents then brush with egg wash.
- Bake: Place in a preheated oven and allow to bake for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
What other vegetables can I use?
- Mushrooms.
- Celery.
- Cauliflower.
- Butternut squash.
- Pumpkin.
- Potato.
- Spinach.
- Kale.
- Green beans.
- Peppers.
- Thyme.
- Oregano.
- Sage.
Can you freeze pot pies?
Yes, pot pie freezes very well. Assemble the pot pies in freezer safe containers or foil containers. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry then cover well with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and bake directly from frozen (uncovered) for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the filling is hot and bubbling. If the pastry is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil then continue baking.
What to serve with pot pie
Pot pie is usually a meal on its own for our family but adding side dishes are a great idea. Mashed potatoes (or mashed sweet potatoes) or a simple green salad are great side dishes but dinner rolls will also be delicious to mop up the creamy sauce.
- Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes
- Easy side salad with lemon dressing
- Maple butter mashed sweet potatoes
- Easy garlic butter dinner rolls
Pot pie recipes
- Steak and mushroom pot pie
- Creamy mushroom pot pie
- Easy Weekday chicken pot pie
- Leftover turkey pot pie
Creamy vegetarian pot pie
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 leeks washed and finely chopped
- 4 medium carrots peeled, cubed
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 750 g (1½lbs) broccoli florets halved
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
For the bechamel
- 4 cups bechamel sauce
For the pie
- 1 roll puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Saute onion, leek, carrot and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft and starting to caramelize.
- Add the broccoli, peas and water. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for 5-7 minutes until the broccoli is just cooked. Test by piercing the stem with a sharp knife. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, drain before combining with the sauce.
- Prepare the bechamel/cheese sauce as directed. Pour cheese sauce over the cooked vegetable and mix.
- Transfer the filling to a baking dish.
- Cover with thawed puff pastry. Crimp the edges then cut a few vents into the surface. Brush with egg wash.
- Place the pot pie in the oven and allow to bake for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.
- Remove and allow to rest fof 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Table of Contents
Can you freeze this?
Yes, you can.
This was absolutely divine. I replaced 2 of the carrots for a large potato, cut it into cubes, and added it to the pan when I sautéd the carrots. The only thing I’d do different next time is use less nutmeg, and add a bit more mustard powder, and also use a stronger flavored cheese. 10/10 will be making this again every winter!
Delicious!
I make this often and add chickpeas. I call it chickpea pot pie ? ?
This was pretty good but I prefer recipes with exact quantities of salt. I don’t want to have to keep tasting the vegetables and bechamel and adding more salt. The combination of vegetables was delicious! I used pie crust instead of puff pastry, it came out great that way, just the filling was not seasoned as well as it could have been! The bechamel recipe should call for exact amounts of liquid also, we had to add more than 3 cups, probably because we used half and half. Very good recipe though! I love vegetables!
How much flour do you use please, I can’t see it in the recipe?
The flour is part of the béchamel sauce.
It looks so delicious and I’m gonna make it for New Year’s Eve. Is it possible to put the puff pastry at the bottom, to create a proper pie?
I would use pie crust or shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry for a bottom crust.
Utterly delicious, one of my all time favourite go-to comfort meals… Devine!
This was amazing!!! Def will make again & will be getting more recipes from your page
Hi do I boil the carrots and broccoli before putting in the pan with the onions and sauce?
Can’t wait to make this 🙂
You can give them a quick blanche if you’d prefer them to be softer once baked.
I love the looks of this pie but was wondering about th elack of protein, Could one add cooked lentils and how would you go about it?
You could just add cooked lentils to the filling and bake from there.
I’m making this tonight, can I use frozen broccoli?
You can, the frozen broccoli might just make the sauce a bit runnier.
Do we drain the water that the veggies cook in before adding the sauce?
Yes, if there is a lot of water in the pan, you can drain the vegetables.
Would summer squash go well in this?
Yes, it will!
Did you make this in a 9×13 baking dish?
I’m not 100% sure what size my dish was but 9×13 sounds about right.
Amazing!!!! Loved it and already shared the recipe with multiple friends. Even my 2 year old cleared his plate!
Hi, this looks so good! Is this freezer friendly? I’m the only one who eats veggie food in my house so I’d love to make a batch to cook up in the future. Maybe freeze before baking?
Absolutely! We are not a vegetarian household and my whole family loved this recipe so maybe see what yours thinks about it?
Thinking about putting a tube of crescent rolls on top instead of the puff pastry. Good idea or bad idea?
I’m sure it will be delicious!
Can you use pastry puff on bottom as well as on top?
You can, I would suggest blind baking the bottom crust to ensure it cooks through and doesn’t get soggy.
I am an awful cook, but even I managed not to stuff this one up and it turned out beautifully! I added a ton of extra veggies including potato (zapped in microwave first), squash, corn and mushrooms. My vegetarian partner wolfed it down!
Delicious! 🙂
This was amazing. My husband and boys (9 and 7) also loved it. I added sliced mushrooms and crushed red pepper flakes to the leek/onion/carrot mix.
I’m so happy to hear that. 🙂
do we need a pastry puff roll under as well as on top before we put it in the oven?
Nope, just on the top.