This is the dish that launched the blog – my entry into the Linda McCartney competition in 2011 to find ‘the Nation’s Tastiest Meat-Free Dish’. I won, and this vegan mushroom pie became part of their ready-meal range! It was a surreal but brilliant experience, watching my pie recipe go into production in their factory in Norfolk.
The pie is always a crowd-pleaser – beer and puff pastry is surely a winning combination in anyone’s book. This is just as good with chips and mushy peas as it is with roast potatoes and all the trimmings. I often make little individual pies, instead of one big one – the recipe below makes 4 individual pies or one big one as pictured.
If you’re in a hurry, you can speed this recipe up by using tinned green lentils instead, though I tend to find them a bit mushy so prefer to use dried puy lentils whenever I have time.
If you’re cooking for kids or someone who doesn’t like beer, just swap it for more vegetable stock. Or for a bit of variation you can use red wine instead, to turn this into a bourguignon-style pie. Lovely!
Here’s a little video of me cooking my vegan mushroom pie for the Linda McCartney competition – this went out as an advert on national television… eek!
Fun!
Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later, or to share with friends → → → → →
Do send me pictures of your very own vegan mushroom pie on:
to show me how you got on!
Vegan Mushroom pie: Equipment & Shopping List
You will need:
- Large lidded casserole or frying pan
- Ovenproof pie dish (one large or 4 individual)
Shopping List:
- Shallots
- Chestnut Mushrooms
- Baby spinach
- Dairy-free milk (I use oat or soya)
- Dairy-free margarine
- Ready-rolled puff pastry (check it is vegan)
- Olive oil
- Garlic purée / ready-chopped garlic
- Tomato purée
- Puy lentils
- Dried porcini mushrooms
- Cornflour
- Vegetable stock (check it is vegan)
- Brown ale (check it is vegan)
This hearty pie is a crowd-pleaser for vegans and non-vegans alike - a rich beery gravy with thickly cut chestnut mushrooms and nutty puy lentils.
- Olive oil
- 10 small shallots, halved
- 1 tsp garlic purée / ready-chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 75 g puy lentils, washed and drained
- 300 g chestnut or flat mushrooms, sliced thickly
- 20 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 275 ml brown ale (check it is vegan)
- 200 ml vegetable stock
- 50 g baby spinach
- Cornflower and dariy-free margarine made to a paste (to thicken)
- Ready-made puff pastry (check it is vegan)
- Soya milk to glaze
- Heat a little olive oil in a pan, add shallots and cook gently until brown. Reduce heat, add the garlic and cook for two more minutes.
- Stir in tomato purée, lentils, and mushrooms. Turn up heat and cook for five minutes.
- Stir in the brown ale and 100ml of the stock. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, soak the porcini mushrooms in 200ml warm water for 20 minutes, drain (reserving the soaking liquor) and chop roughly. Add both the porcini and the soaking liquor to the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.
- Simmer for a further 10 minutes, using the remaining stock or the cornflour and margarine paste to adjust the consistency until a thick gravy-like pie filling is achieved.
- Stir through the baby spinach, and spoon the mixture into the pie dish. Brush the edges with a little soya milk and cover with rolled puff pastry.
- Brush the pie top with soya milk and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry top is golden and well risen. Serve immediately.
You might also enjoy my:
- Mushroom & Merlot ‘Posh Pasties’
- Colcannon-topped Vegan Shepherds’ Pie
- Kale Lovers’ Christmas Pie
- Veggie Shepherds’ Pie Jacket Potatoes
There are plenty of similarly quick and easy recipes in my new book, ‘Vegan in 15‘*. Hop over to Amazon for a look. Thanks for your support!
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These look delicious, I’m always looking for new ways to get vegetables into my children and these could be just the ticket. Are the pies stocked in most supermarkets? I am going to have a bash at making them too.
Thanks chutneyandspice, I think the pies would go down very well with little ‘uns! If you try both homemade and supermarket versions let me know what you think… (o:
These are the nicest pies I have ever eaten. Gorgeous!
That’s so lovely to hear, thanks Emily – you’ve made my day!!
Have just made this and it was absolutely delicious! Don’t normally remake much, but this will be something I can see is making again and again! I assume if ambled it would freeze well to the pop in the oven on a weeknight?
My partner and I have recently gone vegetarian & eventually vegan, once we are confident that we understand all the nutritional needs that we require. I made this pie and oh my gosh it tastes absolutely delicious! My partner had 2 portions he liked it that much, you wouldn’t think it was meat free.
Yes it’s a hit from us too!