Ah, pot pie. A classic dish usually prepared with chicken, cream, and butter. Yikes. Surely there was a way to make this tasty classic vegan. Well I took a stab at it, adapting a standard pot pie recipe and making it entirely cruelty free! And it’s surprising pretty easy to do, too. Give this one a try for Christmas dinner or just a tasty meal option for any time of the year!

What you’ll need:

• Pre-made puff pastry (many are accidentally vegan!)
• 3 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 medium stocks of celery, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup peas (frozen or fresh)
• 3 cloves garlic, finally dice
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• ¼ cup vegan butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp rosemary
• 1/2 tbsp thyme
• 1/2 tbsp sage
• Oil to fry
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to make ’em:

1. Prepare all your vegetables, your onion and your garlic and set aside.
2. Begin with your white sauce. In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, add your vegan butter and flour and whisk to combine. Slowly add your water or vegetable stock until a thick and smooth consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper, turn heat off and set aside.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, place your potato cubes and 2 centimeters of water into the microwave for about 6 minutes or until potatoes are soft to touch with a fork. Repeat this process with carrots and celery and set aside.
4. In a large frying pan, begin melting oil of your choice (I used coconut oil). Once oil is heated, add your diced onion and fry until translucent (about 3-4 minutes).
5. To your onions, add your softened carrots and celery as well as your chopped garlic. At this point you may add your herbs, and allow them to fry until they become fragrant.
6. Add your white wine and turn your heat on to high. Allow the wine to reduce until nearly no liquid remains (about 5 minutes). Add your almond milk and frozen or fresh peas.
7. Now add your white sauce, potatoes, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and then turn your heat down to low. Allow the filling mixture to simmer for 4 or 5 minutes until thick and creamy.
8. Pour your filling into ramekins of any size (I filled two 4 inch ramekins and had a little filling leftover). Set aside and allow the filling to cool for at least 10 minutes.
9. While your filling cools, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
10. Prepare your puff pastry. On a floured surface, roll out your puff pastry to about 1cm thick. Use your filed ramekins as a reference to cut circles about 1 inch larger than the top of the ramekin. Save some of the remaining pastry for your Christmas tree garnish!
11. To your circles of puff pastry, brush on some almond milk and then sprinkle over dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
12. Once your circles are coated with the herb mixture, gently lay them over the top of your ramekins to create a canopy over your filling. Press down the sides if you need to.
13. With the remaining puff pastry, use a Christmas tree cookie cutter to make a Christmas tree shape. Place the Christmas tree in the centre of your canopy and brush with more almond milk. This step is optional of course, but makes a lovely effect!
14. Place your ramekins on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until pastry appears slightly browned and crispy. Remove from the oven once complete and allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before devouring!