Who can resist digging into a pot pie? Interestingly enough, when I Google “pot pie” one of the top search results is this Wikipedia definition: a pot pie is a type of meat pie with a top crust, generally made in a pot, consisting of flaky pastry. I’d like to challenge this definition as I think the hallmarks of an irresistible pot pie – a crisp, golden crust and a rich, creamy filling — are entirely possible without meat.  With so many meat alternatives available – from tofu and legumes to ancient grains such as quinoa – I’m puzzled why we need to define pot pie (or any recipe for that matter) in the context of meat 😮.

My original idea was to develop a tofu-based pot pie, but in the end I decided to use a new grain I picked up at the market last weekend: sorghum. If you aren’t familiar with it, sorghum is an ancient grain that’s grown much like corn. In addition to being gluten-free, sorghum is a non-GMO, nutrient-dense whole grain with a chewy texture and a slightly sweet flavour. Statistics show sorghum is the fifth most consumed food globally behind rice, wheat, maize and potatoes. In terms of preparation, despite its long soaking time (anywhere from 8-10 hours) the short cooking time (15-30 minutes) puts sorghum up there with quinoa and pot barley as a go-to, nutrient-robust ingredient for chili, soups and salads. In fact, it quite possibly merits its own mason jar that could join my collection of vegan staple☺️.  In terms of taste, I was pleasantly surprised by its slightly chewy texture and subtle sweet flavour. It definitely doesn’t have the distinctive nutty flavour you find with quinoa which opens sorghum to being a very versatile grain option ☺️.

There’s no doubt the pot pie crust can ‘make or break’ this dish so I scoured my recipe apps for recommendations and inspiration. The recipe I share here is a Thermomix-adapted version of this double pie crust (thanks to A Week From Thursday blogger Heidi!). This simple, six-ingredient recipe is easy to make but most importantly rivals any non-vegan pastry. It has the perfect blend of sweet and savoury and that just-right amount of flakiness.
For the filling I used a medley of vegetables including red carrots, celery, carrots and peas paired with sorghum grain. The vegetables and sorghum is coated in a lovely thick sauce made with tamari sauce, fresh rosemary, thyme and sea salt flakes. Deliciously simple.

Psst: If you’re looking for another pie-centric dish why not check out our Classic Shepherd’s Pie recipe here.

Enjoy~

 

Recipe Preparation

• 1/Cook sorghum grain as directed (1 cup cooked grain is required). Another grain, such as quinoa or barley, could easily be substituted.
  Note: Sorghum grain requires soaking in water overnight (8-10 hours) so if you plan to use this grain plan accordingly. The general rule of thumb is 1 cup sorghum grain requires 3 cups of water.
  The grain is cooked by boiling or steaming in the same water it’s soaked in for 15-30 minutes.
• 2/Prepare the pot pie crust (recipe below).
• 3/While you are preparing the pot pie filling, preheat oven to 375F.

 

Ingredients: Pot Pie Crust

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cane sugar
• ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 3/4 cups Earth Balance butter, cold

Tip: You want the margarine very cold. I put the chunks of margarine in the freezer while I’m getting everything ready. You don’t want it to freeze, but the colder the better!

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (15g)
• 5 Tbsp ice cold water + 1/8 cup ice cold water

Instructions: Pot Pie Crust

• 1/Add flour, sugar, and salt to the Thermomix mixing bowl. Blend 5 sec/Speed 5.
• 2/Add cold butter to the TM bowl containing dry ingredients. Using the Turbo feature blend for 0.5 seconds. Repeat. You want to cut in the margarine until the mixture has a grainy, wet sand-like texture.

Note: Be sure not to over-work the dough.

• 3/Add lemon juice to the TM bowl. Blend 5 sec/Speed 7.
• 4/Gradually add ice water (5 Tbsp) to the TM bowl one tablespoon at a time by adding water through the opening in the top of the lid. Set the Thermomix to 20 sec/Speed 2 while you add the water. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
• 5/Using the Dough setting, knead the dough for 30 seconds.
• 6/Add additional water (1/8 cup) to the TM bowl. Knead for 30 seconds.

Note: The dough will be ready when the texture is smooth and combined well enough so that it sticks together.

• 5/Remove the dough from the TM bowl. Split the dough into two equal-sized round balls (one for the bottom crust; one for the top crust). Cover each ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approx. 30 minutes.
  Important! Keep the dough chilled right up until you are ready to assemble the pot pie. Chilling the dough prevents it from cracking during assembly.

Ingredients: Pot Pie Filling

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp tamari sauce
• Vegetable medley (725g)
• 4 carrots, chopped (225g)
• 3 celery stalks, chopped (130g)
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped (240g)
• 1 cup frozen peas (130g)
• 1 cup vegetable broth (I used 1 cup water + 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder)
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 onion, halved (75g)
• 1 large garlic clove (10g)
• 1 tsp dried sage leaves
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
• Olive oil (15g)
• Pinch of sea salt flakes

• 1/Create the roux: In a prep bowl whisk together the flour, olive oil and tamari sauce. Set aside.
• 2/Add the chopped vegetables, vegetable broth and soy milk to your Thermomix mixing bowl. Cook 5 min/100C/Speed 1 (Reverse blade). Using a colander and mixing bowl (placed beneath), transfer the vegetables to the colander and reserve the cooking liquid (broth and soy milk) in the mixing bowl. Set both aside.

Note: Give the Thermomix mixing bowl a quick rinse and dry prior to starting Step 3.

• 3/Add onion, garlic clove, sage and fresh herbs to the Thermomix mixing bowl. Chop 5 sec/Speed 7. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl to collect the herbs at the base of the bowl.
• 4/Add olive oil and sea salt flakes. Sauté 3 min/120C/Speed 1.

Note: Insert the butterfly whisk attachment before starting Step 5.

• 5/Add the reserved vegetable broth and soy milk (from Step 2) to the TM bowl followed by the reserved roux mixture (from Step 1). Whisk 2 min/100C/Speed 3. Your pot pie “gravy” is now ready.

Note: Remove the butterfly whisk attachment immediately after completing Step 5.

• 6/In a large mixing bowl add 1 cup cooked sorghum grain (or other grain of choice), prepared gravy (from Step 5), and reserved vegetables (from Step 2). Stir to combine well.  Your pot pie filling is now ready.

**Important**Now is the time to take out your prepared pie crust that has chilled for at least 30 minutes!

 

Assembly Instructions

• 1/Roll out each of the two prepared balls of dough with a flour-dusted rolling pin. You want the dough to be pretty thin for best results.
• 2/Line the bottom of a baking dish with one of the rolled out crusts. Pour the reserved pot pie filling into the lined dish.
• 3/Add the second rolled out pie crust on top. Crimp the edges to “seal” the pie. Tip: Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits in the top crust to vent.
• 4/Bake the pie for 60 minutes or until the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Note: This recipe was made using a Thermomix appliance, however it can easily be adapted using similar food prep tools (e.g. mutli-function processor, immersion blender etc) or using a more traditional stovetop method.