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Creamy Vegetable Pot Pie

By Jamie Vespa

on Dec 14, 2020 Updated Nov 03, 2024

5 from 31 votes

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This Creamy Vegetable Pot Pie recipe is the ultimate wholesome comfort food. With a mix of fresh and frozen veggies, white beans, and herbs, it’s just as satisfying as its meat-based counterparts. Vegan-friendly and weeknight-approved, this creamy vegetable pie is bound to be a family favorite.

Why You’ll Love this Vegetable Pot Pie

This creamy vegetable pie uses basic ingredients and is highly adaptable. It’s the definition of comfort food at its FINEST, and has earned the esteem of both picky toddlers and discerning adults. 

You also may be surprised at how light it is for being a comfort food classic. You can easily make it vegan by swapping the whole milk for cashew milk, and the Parmesan for nutritional yeast. It also leans on a couple staple umami boosters to add depth and richness for very few calories. 

The use of convenience items like frozen veggies, dried herbs, and refrigerated pie crust make it weeknight-friendly without taking away its home-cooked comfort. Trust me, you won’t hear a single complaint except that there isn’t more for leftovers. 

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions:

• White Beans: This recipe swaps chicken for small white beans, which add a one-two punch of protein and fiber. Plus, they add extra heft and creaminess to the pie, and are both inexpensive and convenient. I suggest using navy beans, which are the smallest variety of white beans. 
• Frozen Vegetables: To keep the recipe as pantry/freezer-ingredient friendly as possible, I use a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Feel free to use classic, which include peas and green beans, or California-style, which include broccoli and cauliflower. (Or a mix of both!)
• Mushrooms: Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms give this pot pie deep, savory flavor. You can also use white button mushrooms, however they don’t pack quite as much umami as cremini. 
• Aromatics: A mix of yellow onion and garlic create an aromatic foundation for this creamy vegetable pie. You can also use shallots or sweet onion, if you prefer. 
• Herbs and Spices: To cut through the richness of the filling, I love using a mix of dried and fresh herbs. My go-to dried seasoning blend is poultry seasoning, which includes of mix of sage, rosemary, ground black pepper, and marjoram. Additionally, fresh thyme leaves lend earthy aromas to the pie. 
• Cheese or Nutritional Yeast: For more savory, umami goodness, use a few Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast. I personally love both!
• Pie Crust: This recipe calls for refrigerated pie crust for convenience, however you can certainly make your own, if you prefer. After testing a few pre-made pie crusts, I actually found that Wewalka and Trader Joe’s pie crusts performed the best. The TJ’s crust does tend to crack a bit, but it’s easy to patch back together. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sauté Mushrooms, Onion, and Garlic

Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and onion; cook 7 to 8 minutes, until soft. Next, stir in garlic, spices, and fresh herbs; cook 1 more minute, until aromatic. 

Step 2: Stir in Flour

Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Cook flour for 2 full minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. 

Step 3: Whisk in Milk and Broth

Pour in milk and vegetable broth, and whisk continuously until smooth. Increase heat and simmer mixture for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened. 

Step 4: Add Frozen Vegetables, Beans, and Cheese (or Yeast)

Add vegetables, white beans, and Parmesan (or nutritional yeast); stir until everything is well-combined. Turn off heat. 

Step 5: Transfer to Pie Plate 

Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan or deep dish pie plate. Transfer pot pie filling to the pan, and spread to create an even layer.

Roll the pie dough into a circle large enough to cover your dish. Carefully place the dough over the baking dish so that it hangs over the sides. Trim the overhang to a 1/2 inch larger than edge of the dish. 

Step 6: Bake until Golden and Bubbly

Gently press the dough onto the sides of the dish so that it sticks, and use the prongs of a fork to crimp the edges. Brush the dough with egg wash, and use a sharp knife to cut 4 slits in the top. Transfer pan to the oven, and bake for 25 minutes, until the top is golden and filling is bubbly.

Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

How to Make Pot Pie Vegan:

This vegetable pot pie recipe can easily be made vegan with a few simple substitutions:

• Swap whole milk for unsweetened plant milk: I prefer cashewmilk or soymilk because they are thick and mild in flavor.
• Swap cheese for nutritional yeast: commonly found in the bulk bin section of most health food stores, this deactivated yeast has a pleasantly cheesy flavor. It’s also rich in vitamin B-12, and provides 8 grams of protein per serving.
• Use dairy-free pie crust: my personal favorite is Wewalka brand, which is commonly found in the refrigerated section of most well-stocked grocery stores. (I purchase it at Kroger!)

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips:

• To Make Ahead: The filling can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Store it refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to assemble and bake pie. 
• To Store: Wrap leftover vegetable pot pie in foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To Reheat: For best results, place the whole pie plate in a 350ºF oven and reheat until warmed through. (This will help re-crisp the crust.) Alternatively, you can reheat individual portions in the microwave, however the crust is likely to soften quite a bit. (This doesn’t bother me, but it’s totally based on your preference.)

More Healthy Comfort Food Favorites:

The Best Vegan Meatloaf

Orange Tofu Bowls

Skinny Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

If you give this vegetable pot pie recipe a try, snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations. I’d also love if you could leave a recipe rating and review!

And for more recipe updates, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest.

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5 from 31 votes

Creamy Vegetable Pot Pie

By Jamie Vespa MS, RD

This Creamy Vegetable Pot Pie recipe is healthy comfort food at its finest. Vegan-friendly, weeknight-approved, and sure to be a family favorite.

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Equipment

• 8x8-inch baking dish or 9-inch deep dish pie plate
• Dutch oven or large sauté pan

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 8 oz. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
• ▢ 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
• ▢ 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• ▢ 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or unsweetened cashew milk)
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 (16-oz.) bag frozen mixed vegetables, partially thawed (classic or California blend)
• ▢ 1 (15-oz.) can navy beans (small white beans), rinsed and drained
• ▢ 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast)
• ▢ 1 prepared pie crust, thawed according to package instructions (I use refrigerated Wewalka brand, or frozen Trader Joe's pie crust)
• ▢ 1 egg (lighten beaten with 1 tsp. water to create an egg wash)

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 425ºF.

  Heat oil in a large high-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and onion; cook 7 to 8 minutes, until soft. Stir in garlic, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper; cook 1 more minute, until aromatic. 
• Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 2 full minutes, stirring occasionally, to eliminate raw flour taste. Pour in milk and vegetable broth, and whisk continuously until smooth. Increase heat and bring mixture to a simmer; continue to let bubble until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add frozen vegetables, white beans, and Parmesan (or nutritional yeast); stir until everything is well-combined. Turn off heat. 
• Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Transfer vegetable pot pie filling to the pan, and spread to create an even layer.
• Roll the pie dough into a circle large enough to cover your dish. Carefully place the dough over the baking dish so that it hangs over the sides. Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch larger than edge of the dish. 

  Gently press the dough onto the sides of the dish so that it sticks, and use the prongs of a fork to crimp the edges. Brush dough with the egg wash, and use a sharp knife to cut 4 slits in the top. Transfer pan to the oven, and bake for 25 minutes, until the top is golden and filling is bubbly.

  Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra thyme leaves, if desired.

Notes

To Make Ahead: The filling can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Store it refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to assemble the pot pie. 

To Store: Wrap leftover vegetable pot pie in foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To Reheat: For best results, place the whole pie plate in a 350ºF oven and reheat until warmed through. (This will help re-crisp the crust.) Alternatively, you can reheat individual portions in the microwave, however the crust is likely to soften quite a bit. (This doesn't bother me, but it's totally based on your preference.)

 

*If making vegan, use alt milk of choice in place of the egg wash.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.2cups | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 760mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g

I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.

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