Winter Vegetable Lentil Pie

Now normally I make my own pie crust but I haven't had a lot of time lately with the holidays and work so I thought I would use a store bought vegan pie crust this time.  I bought a Dufour pastry crust from Whole Foods Market.  I haven't bought a store bought crust since before I went vegan so I wasn't sure how it would be, but it was so delicious!  It made the perfect flakey and delicious crust!  I definitely recommend if you are in need of a store bought crust!  It rolled out nicely, as well!

This pie turned out soooo good!  The filling was savory and packed with veggies, all of my favorites in one pie, it was filling hearty and that flakey crust was the perfect package for them!  My Mom complimented the pie as well, saying it was very delicious which meant a lot to me.  It was the perfect thing to make for Christmas, but I think this will be a great meal throughout the winter as well!  If you want a switch up from pot pie, give this Vegan Winter Vegetable Pie a try!

Winter Vegetable Lentil Pie

Makes 1 9 inch pie

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup green lentils
• filtered water
• 2 cups squash cut into 1 inch dice
• 2 cups sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch dice
• 2 tsp avocado oil
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup yellow onions, diced
• 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp tamari
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 store bought vegan pastry crust (double crust, you need a top and bottom, I used Dufour which can be found at Whole Foods Market)
• unsweetened plant based milk

Instructions:

1. In a pot, combine the lentils and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.  Remove from heat and drain well.  Set aside.
2. Place the squash and sweet potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam for about 10 minutes until tender.  Set aside.
3. Heat the avocado oil in a non-stick skillet over medium and add the celery, onions, mushrooms and garlic and sautee until they are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and add to a bowl, along with the lentils, squash and sweet potatoes.  Add the sea salt, pepper, tamari, thyme and nutritional yeast to the bowl also, and mix everything well until everything is evenly distributed.  Set aside in the refrigerator to cool completely.
4. When the filling has cooled.  Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
5. Roll out one of the pie crusts into a 10 inch circle and fit it into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Spoon the filling over it and spread it out evenly.
6. Roll out the other pie crust into a 10 inch circle, place it on top of the filling, and crimp the edge of the top crust and bottom crust together.  Cut vents into the top crust, brush with the plant based milk, and place in the oven.
7. Bake the pie for about 1 hour until it is bubbling the the center and lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.