Ingredients
For the Vegetable Filling
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1cm pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm pieces
1 cup (150g) frozen peas
1 cup (100g) cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 can (400g) white beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium white onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil or vegan butter
For the Vegan Gravy
3 tbsp vegan butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups (480ml) vegetable broth
1 cup (240ml) unsweetened oat milk
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
1 tsp dried sage
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt to taste
For the Pastry Top
1 sheet (250g) vegan puff pastry, thawed if frozen
2 tbsp plant milk mixed with 1 tsp maple syrup (vegan egg wash)
Flaky sea salt and fresh thyme for topping
Alternatively — Biscuit Topping
1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup (75g) cold vegan butter, cubed
½ cup (120ml) oat milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Optional Add-ins
1 cup (90g) broccoli florets, roughly chopped
½ cup (75g) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 medium parsnip, diced
½ cup (60g) frozen edamame
1 medium leek, thinly sliced (replace onion)
Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
To Serve
Directly from the baking dish at the table
With a simple green salad alongside
With steamed green beans
With cranberry sauce for a holiday version
With additional gravy poured over at the table
Instructions
Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a deep 23 x 33cm (9 x 13 inch) baking dish or a large, deep casserole dish with vegan butter or olive oil.
Parboil the root vegetables. Place the diced carrots and potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cook for 6–8 minutes until just tender — they should yield to a knife with only slight resistance. They will continue cooking in the oven so do not cook them completely through at this stage. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add the minced garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 3–4 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and any liquid they release has evaporated completely.
Make the vegan gravy. Push the vegetables to the edges of the pot and add the vegan butter to the center. Allow to melt completely then add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 60–90 seconds until the flour and butter have combined into a smooth, golden paste — this is the roux, and cooking it for this time removes the raw flour taste. Gradually pour in the vegetable broth, whisking continuously after each addition to prevent lumps, until all the broth is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Add the oat milk, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Add the thyme, sage, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously, until the gravy has thickened to a rich, coating consistency — approximately 4–5 minutes.
Combine the filling. Add the parboiled carrots and potatoes, frozen peas, and drained white beans to the gravy and stir gently to combine. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning generously — it should taste deeply savory, richly herbed, and well-rounded. The filling should be thick and substantial but still flowing — it will thicken further during baking. Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer.
Add the puff pastry top. Unroll the thawed puff pastry sheet and lay it over the filling in the baking dish, tucking the edges down inside the dish slightly or trimming to fit with a sharp knife. Brush the surface generously with the plant milk and maple syrup wash. Score a few diagonal lines across the surface with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape during baking — preventing the pastry from puffing unevenly. Scatter flaky sea salt and fresh thyme over the surface.
Alternatively make the biscuit topping. If using the biscuit topping instead combine the oat milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and rest for 5 minutes. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold cubed vegan butter and work into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and fold until just combined. Drop large spoonfuls of biscuit dough over the filling — covering most of the surface but leaving small gaps for steam to escape.
Bake to golden perfection. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry or biscuit topping is deeply golden, puffed, and shatteringly crispy, and the filling is bubbling vigorously around the edges. If the pastry is browning too quickly cover loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
Rest and serve. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving — this allows the filling to thicken slightly and set to the perfect consistency for serving. Bring to the table and serve directly from the baking dish — the golden pastry top and the bubbling, fragrant filling visible around the edges is one of the most deeply appealing presentations in all of comfort food cooking.