When I was a kid, I LOVED meat pies. Growing up in Australia, they were everywhere. My first ever job was at the local bakery, and at the end of my shifts, I was always given all the pies to take home and shove in my freezer. We lived off pies the entire time I worked there.
Obviously, since I no longer eat meat, pies weren’t an option anymore. This sucked because sometimes you just get a hankering for something savoury that only a meat pie can satisfy.
So, I decided to create my own vegan version of a meat pie using mushrooms, lentils and plenty of other yummy veggies.
These little guys are bloody delicious. I actually ate half of them immediately after making them (I do not recommend this). They’re great to serve at parties, as little snacks, or as a full meal (around 2-3 pies with other veggies or salad).
Let me know what you think!
Mushroom & Lentil Mini Pies
Makes 12.
INGREDIENTS
- 3x sheets of vegan shortcrust pastry (I use Borgs, you can get it at Woolies)
- 1 large onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 cups mixed mushrooms (I used button & shiitake)
- 1 small zucchini
- 2 small carrots
- ½ cup leek
- 2x 400g cans of brown lentils
- 1 ½ cups of vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons of vegan gravy powder (I use Orgran)
METHOD
- Preheat oven to around 190-200 degrees.
- Grease muffin tray with dairy-free butter.
- Cut each of the pastry sheets into 4 squares and place one square into each section of the muffin tray. There’ll be a bit of pastry leftover at the top to pull over the top once you’ve added the filling.
- Dice mushrooms, carrots and zucchini into small cubes.
- Drain and rinse lentils and put in large bowl.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper to lentils and mash.
- Dice onion & leek and add to pan with garlic and a dash of olive oil and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, carrots & zucchini and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add a dash of paprika and about 1 tsp of Italian herbs and mix well.
- Add lentil mash with ½ cup of vegetable stock and stir to mix all together.
- Cook for 1 minute then add another cup of vegetable stock and 3 tablespoons of vegan gravy powder.
- Add another pinch of salt & pepper and simmer on low for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. It will start to thicken up, but you don’t want it too dry so add a dash of vegetable stock if you need to.
- Take off the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
- Spoon filling into each section of the muffin tray, then fold the top over to seal.
- Brush with any dairy-free milk and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
- Put in oven and bake for around 50 minutes or until golden on top.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
NOTES
- I didn’t have any fresh herbs, but I’d recommend using fresh rosemary and thyme if you have it instead of dried herbs!
- You can also use the same recipe to make one large pie – just use a different baking dish and however much pastry you need.
- I like to experiment with different types of pastry. You can also use puff pastry if you like, just check the ingredient list to make sure it’s vegan-friendly.
- Another yummy way to have these is by adding a little dollop of mashed potato on top to turn them into mini Shepherd’s pies!
- These mini pies are great for picnics, parties or just as a snack. The first time I made them, I took them to a party and no-one even realised they were vegan!
Remember – eating just one vegan meal a day can make a really big difference. It is an easy and tasty way to help the planet, the animals, and yourself!
