Vegan Tofu and Vegetable Pot Pie
Stephen Levin, District 33:
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard,
Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fulton Ferry, Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg
I was never a vegetarian until I met my wife, Ann, who in addition to being a vegetarian since she was a teenager, is also an accomplished chef. Ann introduced me to the wonders of tofu pot pie, in my opinion an all time comfort food. While there are a lot of wonderful vegetarian dishes for Thanksgiving (Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, veggie stuffing, roasted carrots, the list goes on…), tofu pot pie is my favorite. It’s a hearty, warm, and delicious way to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for. This recipe makes two 12-inch sized pot pies.
Ingredients for the Filling
8 ounces super or extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Russet potato, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
Ingredients for the Crust
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) frozen Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
Ice water
Directions
Setup: The secret to this crust is chilling the ingredients and tools. So, your first step is to place the flour in a mixing bowl and chill in the freezer while you are preparing the filling. Also place a pastry blender or fork in the freezer. While you’re at it, set aside two 12-inch pie dishes or ramekins that you’ll use to assemble the pot pies later in the recipe.
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Cut tofu into 1/3 inch cubes and press between clean kitchen towels or paper towels to get rid of excess water.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook tofu until golden on all, or most, sides. Remove tofu from skillet and set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent.
Add potato to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until tender but not mushy.
Add flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to the skillet and stir into the vegetables.
Add vegetable broth and stir until combined, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add tofu, peas, sage, and thyme and stir until combined.
Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Now it is time to start the crust. First, take the supplies for the crust out of the freezer.
Cut the Earth Balance into smaller cubes or slices and add to the flour. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Then, using your hands, quickly rub the mixture together so that the Earth Balance is absorbed into the flour.
Gradually drizzle ice water into the bowl, mixing with the pastry blender or fork until the dough just comes together.
Quickly shape the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Place on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8 inch thick.
Place the ramekins upside-down over the dough and use a paring knife to cut out circles about 1/2 inch larger on all sides.
Divide the tofu and vegetable mixture between the ramekins.
Place a dough round over each ramekin and tuck the sides under to form a thicker crust around the edge. Press to seal around the edges of the dishes and crimp with a fork. Cut a slit in the middle.
Bake in the oven until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!