This Lentil Pot Pie is hearty, creamy, and topped with a flaky puff pastry crust! It's easy to make and comes together in less than 1 hour. Serve it up for dinner on a cozy winter night!
I love pot pie, but we all know that it's a labor of love to make one. It's one of those things that take hours to cook, just so you can eat it all in one go, am I right?
Well, this mushroom lentil pot pie is a lot simpler, because we're using pre-cooked lentils and a store-bought pastry crust. The result is a crispy, savory, and warm vegetarian pie that hits the spot.
For more mushroom recipes, check out my Oyster Mushroom Soup and Wild Rice Mushroom Soup.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made with wholesome ingredients and packed with veggies and fiber!
- Versatile and customizable. Don't have a particular ingredient? No worries! I've put some substitutions in the section below so you can make this pie with whatever you have on hand.
- Comforting and delicious. Even meat-eaters will love this lentil pot pie!
- Suitable for make-ahead. You can make the lentil filling up to 4 days ahead and store it in the fridge.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Lentils. I like to use canned lentils that have been precooked to make this recipe easier. If you want, you can cook your lentils from scratch before making the pie. For best results, use brown or green lentils. Don't use red lentils, as they get too mushy, save those for my vegetarian moussaka.
- Puff pastry. To cut back on time, I'm using store-bought puff pastry. If yours is frozen, make sure to thaw it on the counter for a few hours before using it.
- Vegetable broth. I like to use homemade vegetable broth, but store-bought can also work. Just make sure to use a low-sodium broth so you don't oversalt your filling.
- Coconut milk. Make sure to use light coconut milk from a can. Other types of milk such as soy, oat, or almond can also work, but will give you a thinner consistency.
- Flour. I use all-purpose flour, but you can also use chickpea flour, white rice flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic are essential, so don't skim on them.
- Carrots and celery. This is a great recipe to sneak in any vegetables, especially if you have picky kids. The celery can be substituted with fennel (one of my favorite veggies).
- Potatoes: These can be substituted with sweet potatoes, more carrots, or another root vegetable of your choice.
- Spices: You'll need dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
How To Make Mushroom Lentil Pot Pie
In a medium Dutch oven or a cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the vegetables and saute for 5-6 minutes, or until fragrant.
Add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, or until you can smell it.
Add the flour, stir, and cook for 2 more minutes to toast it. Then, add vegetable broth, coconut milk, potatoes, and spices.
Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Next, add cooked lentils and frozen peas and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour the mixture into a pie dish and preheat your oven to 350F.
Layer the rolled puff pastry on top. Trim the pastry to ½ inch beyond the edge of the pan.
Use your index finger and thumb to fold the excess pastry into the inner edges of the pan.
Use a sharp knife to make four straight cuts in the center of the dough for ventilation (see photos below).
Brush with olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden.
When the pie is ready, set it aside to cool for 10 minutes after baking. This will allow for an easier cut. Top with fresh thyme (optional), and serve right away!
👩🏼🍳 Petra's Tips
- Use light coconut milk from a can. No, the pie won't taste like coconut, but the milk will give richness and creaminess. If the milk is too thick, be sure to thin it out with 2-3 tablespoons of water.
- Taste the lentil filling before baking the pie and adjust the seasoning if needed. Maybe add more salt or black pepper to taste.
- Make cuts on the top of the puff pastry to allow heat to escape. This is pretty important, so make sure not to skip it!
- Let the pie rest for 10 minutes after baking for an easier cut.
FAQ
Yes! You can make the lentil filling up to 4 days in advance and assemble the pie the day before baking.
Puff pastry gets softer and loses its crunch as it cools, but once you reheat it in the oven, it will crisp up again! Just make sure not to get it wet or in contact with too much moisture.
All you need to do is use a vegan puff pastry. You can also make your own vegan pie crust if you have the time.
Yes! You'll need oven-safe ramekins for this. Once the lentil filling is ready, fill them ¾ of the way. Cut the puff pastry ½ inch larger than the size of the ramekins and layer it over the top. Bake as the recipe suggests.
Yes! This lentil pot pie freezes well, but even more so if you freeze it before baking. You can assemble the pie, then wrap it securely with foil and freeze it for 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Topping Variations
If you don't want to use puff pastry but still want that crispy golden brown topping, here are some variations:
- Pie crust: Use your favorite homemade pie crust or whole wheat pie crust. The results will be pretty similar to using a puff pastry.
- Biscuits: Another variation I love is topping the mushroom lentil filling with vegan biscuits.
- Mashed potatoes: This is by far the variation that will give you the most different results, but it will still taste delicious. You can use regular mashed potatoes, or if you're looking for a twist, use my curried mashed potatoes to dollop on top (similar to Sheprad's pie).
Serving Suggestions
This mushroom lentil pot pie is delicious served with a veggie side like roasted Brussels sprouts, air fryer smashed potatoes, or an arugula spinach salad.
We also love to serve it alongside curried mashed potatoes or this fall sweet potato beet salad.
Homemade cranberry sauce is a surprising yet delicious combo - add a spoonful on the side and enjoy the sweet, tangy, and salty flavors.
Storage & Reheating
Let the pot pie cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and cover with a lid. Save in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also refrigerate it in the pie dish if desired.
To reheat, preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Transfer the pot pie to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
More Comforting Vegetarian Recipes
📖 Recipe
Mushroom Lentil Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing (or sub with dairy-free butter)
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 5-6 button mushrooms, sliced (~2 cups)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or sub chickpea flour)
- 1 cup vegetable broth low-sodium
- 1 cup light coconut milk*
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped (~1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt depending on personal preferences, start with less
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ cups cooked lentils
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 sheet puff pastry or pie dough, rolled 1 inch larger than the pie pan (use vegan if needed)
Instructions
Lentil filling
- In a Dutch oven or a cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms and saute for 5-6 minutes, until fragrant. Add minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium white onion, diced, 1 large carrot, finely diced, 1 celery stalk, diced, 5-6 button mushrooms, sliced, 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Then, add flour and stir. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Gradually add the vegetable broth and coconut milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Then, add the potatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Stir. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.3 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 cup light coconut milk*, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ - 1 teaspoon salt, Freshly cracked black pepper
- Next, add lentils and frozen peas and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. If the mixture tends to burn easily, add a splash or two of water or broth. Remove from the heat.1 ½ cups cooked lentils, 1 cup frozen peas
Assemble
- Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). If you're not using an oven-safe dish like a cast iron, now is the time to pour the filling into a 9-inch pie dish (32cm).
- Layer the rolled puff pastry on top. Trim the pastry to ½ inch beyond the edge of the pan. Use your index finger and thumb to fold the excess pastry into the inner edges of the pan. Use a sharp knife to make four straight cuts in the center of the dough (see photos in the blog post above).1 sheet puff pastry or pie dough, rolled 1 inch larger than the pie pan
Bake
- Brush the top with olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden.
- Let the pie rest for 10 minutes after baking for an easier cut. Serve!
Notes
- Fridge: Let the pot pie cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and cover with a lid. Save in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also refrigerate it in the pie pan if desired.
- Freezer: It's best to freeze it before baking - assemble the pie, then wrap it securely with foil and freeze it for 3 months. Let thaw overnight before baking. Either transfer to a freezer-safe container or freeze as is in the pie for 1 month (and sometimes longer).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Daria says
So a comedy of errors we accidentally bought yellow split peas thinking they were lentils and then puff pastry was out of stock so I had to make some pie dough but the flavor was so. darn. good. split peas actually worked out really well treating them just like lentils and every time I took a bite I kept thinking I was going to encounter a chunk of chicken haha, it was a perfect replica sans meat. will hopefully try with actual lentils and puff pastry next time.
Petranka says
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this recipe, Daria! I'm glad you like the pie even after changing some things!
Sophia says
This pot pie was very delicious and my family loved it! Thank you!
Petranka says
You're welcome, Sophia!