This Whole30 Vegan Pot Pie recipe is scrumptious and very easy to make. Simple ingredients come together to create these deliciously healthy and hearty pot pies. Whole30, gluten-free and grain-free, these "Pegan" pot pies are so deliciously creamy that no one will ever guess they are so healthy!
As the world continues to explore the world of "Veganism" as well as combining our sometimes Whole30, Paleo and Keto lifestyles, I am constantly asking Mr. Grumbles what he is in the mood for.
Recently, he replied with "Chicken Pot Pie".
Intrigued and up for the challenge, I set off to create not only a Vegan but also a Paleo (ie. gluten-free and grain-free) version of this all-American classic.
What are the classic ingredients used to make a Chicken Pot Pie?
- butter
- heavy cream
- carrots
- celery
- onions
- peas
- flour
- store-bought or homemade pie crust (containing gluten, butter and lots of additives and preservatives)
As you can see, the only standard ingredients that are Vegan, as well as "healthy", are carrots, celery and onions!
Hey...at least I had somewhere to start:-)
So, looking at several recipes, I knew I needed to recreate a new sauce and crust to create a Whole30, Vegan and Paleo version of this dish.
What ingredients did I use to recreate an approved Whole30 Vegan Pot Pie recipe?
For the Vegetable Mixture:
- carrots
- onion
- mushrooms
- broccoli
- celery
For the Cream Sauce:
- coconut milk
- water
- seasonings
For the Pie Crust Topping:
- almond flour
- tapioca flour
- palm shortening
- baking powder
- seasoning
What is Palm Shortening?
According to The Paleo Mom palm shortening is palm oil with some of the unsaturated fats removed so that it is even more stable and has a thick, luxurious texture that is perfect for baking. The purpose of palm shortening is to replace traditional shortening, which is ridden with trans fats from industrial processing.
Why is Palm Oil and Shortening so controversial?
- Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit grown on the African oil palm tree.
- The trees, which were previously found only in Africa, are now grown in Asia, North America and South America - coinciding with the increasing demand for the versatile oil.
- Unfortunately, the demand for palm oil has grown so much that it has resulted in deforestation in order to grow more oil palm trees
- Deforestation has led to a decrease in rainforest land as well as a decrease in all the creatures living in the rain forests.
So, what can I do to make sure that I am not buying a product that is harmful to the environment?
Luckily, the WWF has a Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard.
This Palm Oil Scorecard is a much-needed assessment of companies’ actions taken on their own supply chain and beyond to support the wider industry, moving companies from mere risk mitigation for their own supply chain towards being pro-environment and pro-people.
What Palm Oil Shortening do I use and why?
I use Nutiva Organic Shortening which is:
-
a creamy blend of red palm and coconut oils
-
100% less cholesterol than butter
-
an organic super-food
-
USDA approved organic
-
fair for life ( a brand-neutral third-party certification program for social accountability and fair trade in agricultural, manufacturing and trading operations as well as an environmentally responsible)
-
non-GMO project certified
-
kosher
How do you make this quick and easy Whole30 Vegan Pot Pie?
- Prepare the crust ingredients by combining the flours with the chilled palm oil and cold water
- Divide the crust into 2, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 5 days.
- Place chopped potato in a large glass measuring cup, add water and microwave for 5 minutes or until softened
- Place potato and all remaining sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and set aside
- Add the chopped onion to a large saute pan and cook until it begins to soften
- Add in garlic and cook until the garlic begins to become fragrant (about 30 seconds to 1 minute)
- Add the remaining filling ingredients and the sauce to the onions and cook for 1-3 minutes or until heated through. Set the mixture to the side
- Remove the crusts from the fridge and roll out to the size of the ramekin
- Divide the filling among 2 ramekins and set them aside
- Add the pie crust to the top and place it in the preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions:
- feel free to use a store-bought crust or your favourite pie crust recipe
- use any type of vegetables that your family loves
- you can easily double this recipe and make it in a large pie pan
- if you like your vegetables on the softer side, saute them a little longer (Mr. Grumbles likes his veggies on the crunchier side)
- you can easily omit the crust and still have an AMAZING dish
- you can make this 1 day ahead and then simply reheat them in the oven. If the crust begins to brown too much, simply cover them with aluminum foil.
- feel free to add cooked chicken for a Paleo and Whole30 Chicken Pot Pie version
- use a pastry cutter to combine the crust ingredients or two forks as you do not want to heat or overwork the crust
If you like these Whole30 Vegan Pot Pie recipe, check out the following Whole30 recipes:
Slow Cooker Italian Beef (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
Not So Sloppy Joe Waffles (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
Whole30 Loaded Mustard Vinaigrette Coleslaw
Whole30 Vegan Pot Pies
These easy pot pies are not only low in carbs, gluten-free, Paleo, vegan but also Whole30 approved! Perfect for any healthy lifestyle, these delicious pot pies make eating healthy a breeze! Make a bunch and freeze them for an easy weeknight meal.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ sweet onion (about 1 cup)
- 1 large celery stalk (about 1 cup)
- 4 oz chopped mushrooms
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
Crust
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 3 tbsp palm shortening
- 1 tsp poultry
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 - 4 tablespoon water (depending on how absorbent your coconut flour is)
Sauce:
- 5.46 fl oz (161 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
To Make the crust:
- Add all the crust ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine. Divide the dough in 2 and from each section into a round circle, slightly larger than the size of your bowl. Set the crusts in the fridge.
To Make the vegetable mixture:
- Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until onions just begin to soften. Add in mushrooms and broccoli and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- While vegetables are cooking, whisk together the coconut milk, poultry seasoning, salt and nutritional yeast.
- Pour the coconut mixture over the veggie mixture and stir to combine.
- Divide among 2 large ramekins. Allow them to cool slightly as to not melt the crust.
- As the filling cools, turn to 375 degrees F.
- Once filling has somewhat cooled, top each rameking with the crust.
- Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- see post for tips and tricks
- it is best to use a ramekin that has a holder as the dish itself is VERY hot when it comes out of the oven. A ramekin with a small handle allows you to use a kitchen towel or napkin to hold the dish when digging it!
- This Vegan Whole30 dinner can fit into a keto diet as derives 72% of its calories from fat
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Fall, Winder
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ramekin
- Calories: 384
- Sugar: 2.7
- Fat: 29.1
- Carbohydrates: 8.2
- Fiber: 3.5
- Protein: 8.7
Sarah says
These look AMAZING. I can't wait to try this recipe.