Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

This vegan chicken pot pie is rich, comforting, and easy to make using soy curls! It has a creamy non-dairy sauce and is dappled with mixed vegetables for that classic pot pie feel, just without the meat.

While using vegan and chicken in the same sentence might seem like an oxymoron, I'm happy to announce that soy curls make the absolute best budget-friendly chicken alternative.

Soy curls have a fantastic texture and are a great source of protein, turning this vegan chicken pot pie into a well-rounded meal.

I'm no novice when it comes to cooking pot pies. I also have a recipe for tofu pot pie and broccoli cheddar pot pie, which is made with puff pastry.

Ingredients

Look like a lot of ingredients? Don't worry! Vegan pot pie is surprisingly simple to make, and many of these ingredients are quite affordable and likely already in your pantry.

• Soy curls: I buy Butler brand soy curls online, but some health food stores carry them in bulk. You can also use meatless “chicken”, such as Gardein brand, or even chickpeas. Omit 2 cups of the vegetable broth if not using soy curls.
• Pie crust: This pot pie needs two 9-inch pie crusts, which are then rolled out to a diameter of 12 inches. For a homemade option, use my oil pie crust recipe or try this vegan pie crust. Many store-bought pie crusts contain lard, so double-check the ingredients if going that route. I found a vegan pie crust at Kroger that rolls out well, but I didn't love the flavor.
• Frozen mixed vegetables: This usually contains green beans, carrots, corn, and peas. Feel free to use fresh vegetables instead, but make sure to steam them first.
• Non-dairy milk: Soy milk is my go-to vegan milk, but oat milk and almond milk also work. Make sure to choose unsweetened, unflavored milk.
• Flour: This is used to thicken the sauce. For a gluten-free option, use an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
• Poultry seasoning: Choose a salt-free option, or adjust the salt in the recipe to taste. Poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs classically used to cook chicken, but the seasoning itself has no animal products. It is available in the spice aisle at the grocery store, but you can also make homemade poultry seasoning.
• Rosemary, parsley, thyme: For extra herby flavor, we're also adding dried herbs. If you have fresh herbs on hand, use 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs to replace 1 teaspoon dry.
• Russet potato: One medium potato is peeled, cubed, and boiled to give extra heartiness to the pot pie. A Yukon gold potato also works.
• Onion, celery, and garlic: These create the backbone of flavor for the pot pie filling. I recommend sweet yellow onion here, but white onion also works.
• Nutritional yeast: I use this ingredient to add extra depth and richness to the sauce. If you don't have it, it can be omitted.
• Vegan butter: I like Country Crock olive oil plant butter sticks, which are salted, but really any kind works here. An equal amount of olive oil also works.

Step-by-step instructions

Multitasking-friendly steps: The cubed potatoes can be boiled while the vegetables are sauteed. Cook the frozen vegetables per package instructions, then season with salt and pepper.

1. Rehydrate the soy curls: Add 2 cups of vegetable broth to a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove from the stove and stir in the soy curls. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain the soy curls and set aside.
2. Saute onions and celery: Heat a large skillet or tall-walled pan over medium heat. Add the plant butter. Once melted, add diced onion and celery. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Saute the soy curls: Stir in the rehydrated soy curls, garlic, herbs, and poultry seasonings. Continue cooking until the soy curls are starting to brown and the garlic is aromatic, about 3 minutes.
4. Make the filling: Sprinkle in the flour. Stir frequently, toasting for just 1 to 2 minutes. Using a whisk, slowly stir in the milk until fully combined. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth, along with the nutritional yeast, and black pepper. Add the cooked mixed vegetables and potato. Simmer over medium-low until the mixture is thickened into a thin gravy-like consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 5: Meanwhile, use a rolling pin to roll out each 9-inch pie crust to a 12-inch diameter. I do this on my silicon baking mat, but another easy way is to roll the pie crust out between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper.

Place one pie crust in a 9.5-inch pie dish. It should be wide enough to hang slightly over the edges. Transfer the filling to the pie dish.

Step 6: Top with the second pie crust, using scissors to trim off excess pie topping. Use your fingers to crimp the outside of the pie crust.

Make a small slice in the center of the pie crust. This allows the steam to vent.

Step 7: Transfer to the middle oven rack to bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes. Check the pie crust edges at around 20 minutes. If the edges are starting to brown, either cover them with foil or add a pie crust shield.

Continue baking until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Variations

• Puff pastry: One sheet of frozen puff pastry can be rolled out and placed on top of the pie filling for a puff pastry chicken pot pie with no bottom crust. Trim the puff pastry into a 10-inch circle. It will puff up dramatically in the oven!
• Single-serve pot pies: This vegan pot pie works great as single-serve pot pie when made in 8-ounce ramekins. Use a 4-inch biscuit cutter to make perfectly sized pie tops.
• Biscuits: The pot pie recipe in my cookbook is baked in a casserole dish and uses this cast iron biscuit recipe (without the cheese) instead of pie crust. Just drop the biscuits on top of the filling instead of baking them in a cast iron dish.
• Other protein options: The freezer aisle has several vegan chicken options. I think Gardein's un-breaded chicken strips are the best option. They come with a teriyaki sauce packet, but just save that for something like a noodle stir fry. Or use one can of drained and rinsed chickpeas for a whole foods option.

Expert tips

• Soy curl rehydration: Soy curls take on the flavor of whatever they are rehydrated in. I use vegetable broth made with Better than Bouillon vegetable base. Don't use water, or the soy curls will be very bland.
• Pie dish options: Aluminum pie dishes and disposable pie dishes heat more quickly than ceramic, so the pies will cook more quickly, about 30 minutes. Ceramic and glass dishes don't heat as fast, so they can take upwards of 40 to 45 minutes. Learn more about different dish options here.
• Cook time: As noted above, cook time varies based on the type of dish used. The pie is ready when the top crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
• "Egg" wash: Soy milk or oat milk both make a decent egg wash, but they won't give the glazed appearance that eggs do. The sugars and proteins in these non-dairy milks add a bit of browning to the crust.
• Let the pie cool: Pot pie is hot! Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing, but note that the filling will still be very hot. Slices of pot pie don't thicken up until they are completely cooled.
• Use a pie crust guard: This is a lifesaver. I add this pie crust shield at around 20 minutes of baking time and it keeps the pie edges from burning.

FAQ

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📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

This is a vegan pot pie that uses soy curls as a vegan "chicken" substitute. This pot pie is rich, savory, and surprisingly easy to put together!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Pot Pie Baking T ime35 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large russet potato peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• ▢ 3 cups vegetable broth divided
• ▢ 1 ½ cups soy curls see note 1
• ▢ 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• ▢ 1 small sweet yellow onion diced
• ▢ 2 ribs celery
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon each dried parsley, rosemary, thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning see note 2
• ▢ 3 tablespons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk soy or oat work best
• ▢ 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 (9-inch) pie crusts see note 3

Instructions

• Place the cubed potatoes in a medium pot. Cover with an inch of cold water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain water and set potatoes aside.
• Meanwhile, add 2 cups vegetable broth to a small pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the soy curls. Let sit 5 minutes, then drain the soy curls and set aside.
• Cook the mixed vegetables according to package instructions. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegan butter. Once melted, add diced onion and celery. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the drained soy curls, garlic, herbs, and poultry seasonings. Continue cooking until the soy curls are starting to brown and the garlic is aromatic, about 3 minutes.
• At this point you can start to preheat the oven to 375F.
• Sprinkle in the flour. Stir frequently, toasting for a couple of minutes. Using a whisk, slowly stir in the milk until fully combined. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth, along with the nutritional yeast, and black pepper. Add the cooked mixed vegetables and potato. Simmer over medium-low until the mixture is thickened into a thin gravy-like consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, use a rolling pin to roll out each 9-inch pie crust to a 12-inch diameter. I do this on a silicon baking mat, but another easy way is to roll the pie crust out between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper.
• Place one pie crust in a 9.5-inch (or similarly sized) pie dish. It should be wide enough to hang slightly over the edges. Transfer the filling to the pie dish.
• Top with the second pie crust, using a scissors to trip off excess crust. Use your fingers to crimp the pie crust together. Make a small slice in the center of the pie crust. This allows the steam to vent. Optionally, brush the crust with a thin layer of non-dairy milk to help it brown.
• Transfer to the middle oven rack to bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes. Check the pie crust edges at 20 minutes. If the edges are starting to brown, either cover them with foil or a pie crust shield.
• Continue baking until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

1. Soy curls: I buy Butler brand soy curls online, but some health food stores carry them in bulk. You can also use meatless “chicken”, such as Gardein brand, or even chickpeas. Omit 2 of the cups of vegetable broth if not using soy curls.
2. Poultry seasoning: Choose a salt-free option, or adjust the salt in the recipe to taste. Poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs classically used to cook chicken, the seasoning itself has no animal products. It is available in the spice aisle at the grocery store, but you can also make homemade poultry seasoning.
3. Pie crust: This pot pie needs two 9-inch pie crusts, which are rolled out to a diameter of 12 inches. For a homemade option, use my oil pie crust recipe or this vegan pie crust. Many store-bought pie crusts contain lard, so double check the ingredients if going that route. I found a lard-free pie crust at Kroger that rolls out well, but I didn't love the flavor.
4. Storage: Let cool completely before transferring to the fridge. I find it easiest to just cover the pie dish and refrigerate that, but the pie can be sliced into individual servings and stored that way. Keep for 3 to 4 days.
5. To freeze the pot pie before baking: Let the filling cool completely before transferring it to the pot pie dish. Assemble per recipe instructions, but instead of baking, cover it tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake while still covered with foil at 375F for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook per recipe instructions.
6. To freeze the pot pie after baking: Let cool completely before covering tightly with foil. Keep covered with foil and reheat the pot pie at 375F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is bubbling.
7. Pie dish options: Aluminum pie dishes and disposable pie dishes heat more quickly than ceramic, so the pies will cook more quickly, about 30 minutes. Ceramic and glass dishes don't heat as fast, so they can take upwards of 40 to 45 minutes. Learn more about different dish options here.
    

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 627kcalCarbohydrates: 102gProtein: 22gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 765mgPotassium: 1397mgFiber: 22gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 23667IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 197mgIron: 7mg