Vegan Lentil Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

This amazing vegan lentil pot pie recipe combines a lentil vegetable gravy with a flaky puff pastry crust topping, then baked until golden brown and crispy. The perfect vegan main dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or a delicious comfort food recipe for Sunday night dinner that your whole family will love. 

I am craving all the comfort food right now and since I had a package of puff pastry waiting for me in the freezer, I used it to make this vegan lentil pot pie and it was amazing!

I just love all the homey gravy-type dishes when the cold weather hits the East Coast. These vegan Swedish meatballs have been a classic for us to enjoy during the holiday season and this vegan mushroom corn stroganoff is always a hit, even with our kids, especially when served over a big pile of mashed potatoes or with these amazing vegetarian twice baked potatoes. 

But this time I was inspired by my vegan lentil shepherd's pie and made this rich, creamy and savory lentil pot pie using vegan puff pastry for a change. Perfect vegan meal for Christmas or Thanksgiving!

Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Easy recipe and convenient, thanks to store-bought vegan puff pastry
• Makes for a delicious and comforting Christmas or Thanksgiving main dish
• Perfect meat-less alternative for your vegan and vegetarian guests during the holiday season
• All made in one pot for an easy clean-up!
• Loaded with earthy and savory flavors, plus it is packed with plant-based protein! 
• Versatile recipe that's easy to adapt to your taste

🗒 Ingredient list (+ substitutions)

• Lentils: use either green or brown lentils for btes result. French du Puy lentils work too, but avoid red lentils, they don't work for this recipe! And if you can get a hand on canned lentils, then this would be perfect here.
• Veggies: onion, celery and carrot add a tremendous amount of flavor to the stew. Plus, butternut squash and frozen peas adds a mild sweet flavor and a nice pop of color. You can swap for sweet potatoes or green beans and the spinach can be swapped for baby kale as well.
• Dried herbs: use your favorite ones! I like thyme and oregano for that kind of earthy saucy dish, but rosemary, basil and Italian mix would work too.
• Flour: will thicken the broth to a gravy consistency. You can use regular all-purpose flour or choose gluten-free flour if necessary.
• Vegetable broth: low-sodium works well. I like using Better than Bouillon, but use your favorite brand of broth.
• Plant-based milk: helps the gravy be super creamy and rich. I used oat milk from Oatly, but almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk are fine. Make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored!
• Nutritional yeast: optional, but it deepens the flavor of the gravy so much, I highly recommend adding it!
• Soy sauce: adds a nice umami flavor to balance the overall taste of the gravy. Use low-sodium if possible.
• Puff pastry: store-bought puff pastry often is naturally vegan! Just check on the ingredient list to make sure it is not made with regular butter. You can find vegan puff pastry in most grocery stores, I used the vegan puff pastry from the brand Pepperidge Farm. You can even make your own vegan puff pastry from scratch!

⭐️ Full list of ingredients down below in the recipe card!

🍽 How to make vegan lentil pot pie

✅ Make sure to thaw the puff pastry ahead of time, ideally the day before in the fridge, but it also thaws fairly quickly at room temperature within 1-2 hours.

✅ Cook the lentils or use canned lentils! If cooking from scratch: to a medium saucepan, add the rinsed lentils and cover with water (about 4 cups). Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and keep cooking until the lentils are tender but still al dente, about 15-20 minutes. Once done, drain the excess water.

Step 1: Warm up olive oil in an oven-safe medium-large skillet, then add the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes stirring often.

Step 2: Add the butternut squash, garlic and dried herbs, then stir. Keep cooking for another 5 minutes.

Step 3: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat them evenly. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Pour the veggie broth over alongside the soy sauce and nutritional yeast. Stir well and bring to a simmer (it should thicken quickly once it simmers for a few minutes).

Step 5: Add the plant-based milk, cooked lentils, frozen peas and spinach. Stir and keep cooking on medium heat until the peas are thawed and the spinach wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then remove from the heat.

Step 6: Transfer and unfold the sheet of puff pastry over a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to expand and roll the dough to just a little wider than your dish (about ¼ inch thick).

Step 7: Gently transfer the rolled dough right over the lentil filling in the dish, then fold the dough towards the center if there are pieces hanging on the side. 

Step 8: Create some openings over the dough with a sharp knife so the steam can escape, then bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is puffy and golden brown. 

⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!

➡️ Other kinds of crust you can use to make the lentil pie

There are different ways that you can cover the dish if you don't have or don't want to use a puff pastry:

• Mashed potatoes: this would make for a cottage pie kind of dish, which would be delicious and a little healthier than using puff pastry, if this is something you are looking for. Check out my vegan lentil mushroom shepherd's pie for inspiration!
• Pie crust: I have a recipe for a vegan pie crust that you can use as well. The result won't be as flaky and puffy, but it will be delicious.
• Vegan biscuits: you can place a few dollops of vegan biscuit dough over the lentil stew and then scoop them with the lentil stew underneath when serving. 
• Individual puff pastry dough: you can also use the single-portion puff pastry shells you can also find in the freezer section at the grocery store. 

💡 Helpful tips

• Canned lentils would work well for this recipe if you can find them.
• Don't forget to thaw the dough: ideally overnight in the fridge. If you forgot, then take it out and leave it on the counter while you make the rest and unfold it whenever possible to speed up the thawing process.
• You can brush some oil or plant-based milk over the dough just before baking, although not necessary as puff pastry turns golden brown pretty easily.
• Make sure you use a pan or dish that can go in the oven. The size doesn't matter that much, simply adjust how wide you roll the dough depending on the size of your dish (or aim for about ¼ inch thick). If you don't have an oven-safe dish, then simply make the stew in a non-stick pan, then transfer the lentil mixture to a casserole dish before covering it with the dough.

🍴 Serving suggestions

This elegant vegetarian lentil pot pie recipe makes for such a delicious main dish to serve at the holiday table, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. It would be great served serve with:

• Mashed potatoes
• Vegan cauliflower gratin
• Onion gravy
• Harissa potatoes
• Purple sweet potato mash
• Green salad
• Smoky ketchup
• Vegan twice bakes potatoes
• Garlic white bean mash
• Homemade wheat rolls

❗️ Storage tips

This dish is best when enjoyed right away for the best flaky and crispy texture. Once it has rested for a little while, the dough tends to become softer, although still delicious.

If you have leftovers, then keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat using the stove to try to bring back some crispiness or use the microwave if in a pinch.

❓ FAQ

🌱 More plant-based lentil comfort food recipes

I hope you like this vegan lentil pot pie recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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