This vegetarian pie is incredibly delicious, with a flaky pie crust and a hearty filling of veggies and Parmesan cheese. Here’s how to make a cake.
Is there a more convenient recipe than a cake? Alex and I love the myriad of emotions and vibes that food can convey. And nothing says “Let’s hibernate!“More than a cake. Since we eat mostly plant-based foods, our pies are usually full of vegetables. Our vegan pot pie recipe is a fan favorite, so this year we decided to create a vegetarian version.
This vegetarian cake is Alex’s creation and he made it. It’s got loads of veggies, pesto, and parmesan cheese in the filling, making for a filling that smells (and tastes) incredibly hearty and earthy. Top it with a crispy, flaky crust, and it’s seriously delicious. It’s perfect for a winter dinner, a romantic evening, a fall dinner, or even a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas! Here’s how to do it.
Related: Meatballs and veggie sauce
How to make a cake
A word of warning: this veggie pie takes just over an hour to make. So if you’re looking for a quick weeknight meal, this isn’t it. But if you have some time to make a unique recipe, this one is for you! It’s actually easier when you do it with someone else: Alex and I did it together, and it’s a lot more fun. We would definitely recommend it as a dinner recipe or for a culinary date! And it’s romantic enough to be a recipe for a Valentine’s Day dinner, too.
The basic methods are simple: First, prepare the pot pie crust (more on that below). Place in the fridge to cool, then work on the filling. For this vegetarian pie en croute, we chose a filling reminiscent of childhood pies, but with a sophisticated twist. This veggie pie is packed with some of the usual suspects: potatoes, carrots, and peas. But it also has kidney beans (for protein) that are pan fried with shallots to give the filling a super flavorful, earthy vibe. (We stole this idea from our Vegan Pot Pie.)
To take it to another level, Alex came up with the idea of adding a little basil pesto and grated Parmesan cheese to the veggies. It really takes it to another crazy delicious level. Be sure to find a great basil pesto here (this is our favorite).
Vegetarian pie crust
So how do you make the perfect flaky pie crust for this veggie pie? Again, we used the same concept for our vegan sage crust cake. But since this is a vegetarian cake, we used butter instead of coconut oil for the base. This gives the crust a warm, warm feel compared to the slightly floral element of the coconut oil crust (which is also insanely delicious: you should try that too!).
Similar to the vegan pie crust, we added dried sage to the crust, which adds just the right amount of complexity. If you like a very salty pot pie crust, you can use salted butter here. But we used unsalted butter and it was perfect too.
Related: What is the difference between a vegan and vegetarian diet?
How long to bake a pot pie
The cooking time of the cake will of course depend on your cake recipe. For this vegetarian cake, it takes 25 minutes to bake the cake. Since the filling is already baked, the baking time is just right to get that crispy, perfectly browned crust. So how long it takes to bake a cake is pretty short for this recipe!
Looking for savory cake recipes?
This vegetarian cake recipe is one of our favorite recipes. If you’re looking for more savory cake recipes, here are a few on our website and around the web:
This recipe is…
This vegetarian cake recipe is vegetarian.
Related: For this recipe, try our homemade vegetable broth!
The description
This vegetarian pie is incredibly delicious, with a flaky pie crust and a hearty filling of veggies and Parmesan cheese. Here’s how to make a cake.
For the dough
- 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter
- 7 tablespoons Ice water, more as needed
For the vegetarian cake filling
- 1 large shallot
- 1 15 ounces cannellini beans
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, shared
- 1 large golden Yukon potato
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 Red pepper
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable soup
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup Pesto
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and sage. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture. Use a dough mixer to cut it into the flour mixture until it has a coarse flour texture.
- Sprinkle the ice water over the flour and mix gradually with a fork until the dough sticks together. Add water, tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together with your hands but is not sticky (add a little more water or flour if needed). Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate in a covered container until the filling is set, or at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the filling: Cut the shallot into rings. Drain cannellini beans, rinse in a colander and shake dry. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the shallots and beans to the pan in one layer. Add a pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring, until bottom is golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes; The beans will pop a bit so you can use a splash screen if you have one. Stir, then cook without stirring for another 3-5 minutes, until the beans and shallots are crisp and golden (some may fall apart). Remove from the stove and place the beans in a bowl.
- Meanwhile, cut potatoes and carrots into 1/2-inch cubes. Slice the onion and cut the peppers into ½-inch cubes.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the hot skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, onions, peppers and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, reduce the heat to low. Add the oregano and flour and stir until the vegetables are coated. Add the vegetable broth, peas, and kosher salt. Stir until the broth thickens into a sauce, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pesto, parmesan, crispy beans, and shallots. Taste and season to taste.
- Pour the filling into a 9-inch deep cake pan or small casserole dish, or several small casserole dishes. Only fill to the brim so the filling doesn’t overflow: depending on your pie pan and the size of the veggies, there may be a small amount of filling left over.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface until large enough to cover the pan. Work quickly as the dough is easier to work with at room temperature. Spread the batter on the pan and remove the excess batter. Pinch the edges together slightly (it’s a rustic cake, so it doesn’t have to be perfect!). Cut 4 small slits to vent steam in the center of the crust. In a small bowl, mix a few drops of water with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brush lightly over the dough.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown and crispy. Place a tray on the grate below to catch any spills. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: veggie pot pie, pot pie crust, how to make pot pie, veggie dinner ideas, healthy dinner ideas,
