I've featured this pie at at many holidays and everyone enjoys it, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Serves: 4-8
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 1/2 cups white flour (you can use a bit of whole wheat if you like)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
- 3/4 cup cold margarine, cut into cubes
- 1/4-1/2 cup ice water
Pie
- 1 block of firm or extra firm tofu*, rinsed, patted dry and cubed
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, diluted with 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp olive oil to pan fry
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup, or 2 medium-small onions, diced
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup, or 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 cup, or 2 medium-large carrots, diced
- 1 cup, or 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 8-10 sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped kale, spinach, green cabbage or napa cabbage
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/8-1/4 cup water
- 1 cup frozen or fresh green peas
*To get a more "chicken-like" texture, try cutting the tofu the night before, then thawing it in the morning
Gravy
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp oregano and/or thyme
- 1/4 freshly ground pepper, or to taste
Preparation
Pie Crust
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Cut the shortening into the flour mixture then add the cubed margarine and mix until you get a crumbly mixture, like a coarse corn meal.
- Slowly incorporate the ice water, until the mixture comes together as a dough. Start with a quarter cup and only add more if the dough is too dry.
- Form the dough into a ball, then cut into two halves, one roughly larger than the other.
- With plastic wrap, cover each ball and refrigerate until you are prepared to start filling the pie, at least 20 minutes.
Pie
- In a vary large pan or wok, coat with the olive oil and heat on medium.
- Drizzle the soy sauce mixture over the cut tofu, then add it to the pan.
- Fry the tofu, rotating it to so that most sides of the cubes are golden brown.
- In a medium bowl, mix nutritional yeast, flour, garlic powder and thyme.
- When the tofu is cooked, coat it in the mixture and set aside. Whatever doesn't stick to the tofu can be added the gravy later.
- In the same pan you used for the tofu, sauté onions, garlic and celery in the olive oil until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes before adding the cabbage or greens.
- Add the soy sauce and water to the mixture, cover and steam until all the veggies are al dente, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile you can start the gravy (see below).
- Add the tofu and peas to the veggie mix and combine, then remove it from the heat.
Gravy
- In a small pot or sauce pan, toast the nutritional yeast and flour until aromatic.
- Add the olive oil and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly incorporate the water into the gravy, stirring until thickened.
- Stir in the soy sauce and seasoning.
- Remove from heat
- Roll out the larger portion of the dough onto a floured surface to about an 1/8". Place the dough in a 9" pie plate, leaving edges uncut.
- Mix the gravy in with the vegetable-tofu mixture, then pour onto the bottom pie dough, it will be heaping.
- Roll out the rest of the dough large enough to cover your pie.
- Roll the pastry onto the pie, and curl up the edges, crimping them with a fork or your fingers, removing any excess dough.
- Prick the top with a fork or knife.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, uncovered, until the top is golden.
- Let the pot pie cool 10 minutes before cutting into it.
Serve with your favourite fall or winter side dishes and enjoy!
