Vegan No-Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 frozen double pie shell or crust recipe below

For the Filling:

1 large potato cut into medium-sized chuncks
1 rib celery – chopped
1 carrot – sliced
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup rice or soy milk
6 cups water
1 tbsp vegan butter
1/4 cup diced celery
4 1/2 cubes no-chick’n broth bouillon cube
pepper to taste. Taste before adding any salt, the bouillon cubes add alot of salt to the recipe already!
*optional: 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In saucepan, bring to boil 6 cups water. Add 3 cubes no-chick’n bouillon and stir to dissolve. Add carrot, potato and celery and cook until almost tender. Add peas and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove veggies and set on bottom crust in pie pan and set aside. Save broth and let cool.

Melt butter in large skillet. In a shaker bottle, add 1 tbsp. flour and one cup of the cooled vegetable broth. shake until well combined and lump free. Add broth/flour mixture to skillet.

In a shaker bottle, add 1 tbsp. flour and the cup of milk and shake until well combined and lump free. Add milk/flour mixture to skillet. stir to combine with broth mixture.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 no-chick’n bouillon cubes and mix until fully dissolved. Cook over med-high heat until slightly thick. Pepper to taste. Add more vegetable broth if needed.

Pour gravy mixture over veggies in pie pan, add top crust and cut 2 small slits in crust to allow steam to escape. Brush with 1 tbsp. melted butter. Cook 20 – 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it so the crust doesn’t burn!

Variations:

FOR THE CRUST: (double for 2 crusts)
– 2 cups all purpose flour
– 3/4 tsp salt
– 1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (or vegan butter)
– 5-6 tbsp ice cold water

1. Mix together flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cut in shortening with two knives, or pastry cutter.
3. Stir in enough water with a fork for the pastry to come together in a ball.
4. Roll out on a floured surface in a shape that fits your pie pan.
5. Add one crust to the bottom of your pie pan.

Other variations:

• use 2 Pillsbury Pastry sheets and roll out for top & bottom crust
• leave out potatoes and add to cooked vegan no-egg noodles for a delicious “chick’n & noodles – serve on top of mashed potatoes
• instead of noodles or pie shells add an extra cup of broth and drop in dumplings for an easy vegan Chicken & Dumplings recipe
• add TVP or diced vegan chicken
• add other favorite vegetables
• use “beef” bouilon cubes instead of chick’n plus 1 tsp. vegan worteschire sauce, 1tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp gravy browning sauce added to gravy