White Bean & Tempeh Pot Pie Stew – Vegan & Pastry-free

If you've ever had a warm, toasty Chicken Pot Pie you know how tasty of a comfort food it is, so it should be no surprise that they actually have a National Great American Pot Pie Day!

It's totally a chilly-weather comfort food, which is what we naturally gravitate towards right now. I just made it a little lighter and healthier.

My whole food, plant-based pot pie is made with white beans, tempeh, and crimini mushrooms! It's the best of both worlds—delicious and nutritious!

The recipes for pot pie vary by region, culture, and family but they're always made with lots of butter, milk, flour, salt, and a type of meat.

Well, as you may know, I'm using less and less flour in my recipes.

If you're wondering why it's because flour is not a whole food, it makes dishes more calorie dense and easier to overeat, and it can stimulate cravings for more flour and sugar. Yes, unfortunately, even whole grain flours.

Sooo my first thought was: "How can I make this without the pastry? That's easy, just make the filling and leave out the crust."

Actually, the original pot pie did not even include an edible crust.

The pot pie has its origins in ancient Rome, where the filling was placed in a tough, inedible pastry shell. The shell was used as a dish to bake and serve the delicious filling, but then the "crust" was thrown away! So nevermind the crust, the good stuff is in the filling!

If you're wondering...this plant-based pot pie will make a delicious entree for the holidays! I think both your omnivore and plant-based family will find it hearty and comforting. Plus, you'll know that it's nutritionally nourishing as well!

This White Bean & Tempeh Pot Pie Stew is a testimony to the fact that holiday meals can be decadent and healthy at the same time! Salud!

White Bean & Tempeh Pot Pie Stew

By Chef Katie Mae

Makes 2–4 servings | Ready in 30 minutes | Stores 1 week in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• 1 yellow onion, finely diced (6 oz)
• 5 crimini mushrooms diced (4 oz)
• 2 carrots, finely diced (4 oz)
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced (4 oz)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable OR vegan chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk OR water
• 1½ cups cooked white beans (15oz can, drained), divided
• ½ cup cashews (2 oz)
• 1½ tablespoon stoneground mustard, no salt added
• 1½ tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)*
• ½ tablespoon dried thyme (OR 1½ tablespoons minced fresh thyme)
• 1 teaspoon white/yellow miso (optional)*
• ¾ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• large pinch of turmeric
• 8 oz tempeh, thinly sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (5 oz)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the onion, mushrooms, carrots, and celery to a medium pot over medium heat. Cover and dry-sauté for a couple minutes and then add the minced garlic. Sauté for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
2. Add the tempeh and 2 cups vegan chicken broth to the pot. Cover and bring to a simmer.
3. As the tempeh cooks, fill the blender with the non-dairy milk, just ½ cup of the white beans, cashews, mustard, poultry seasoning, thyme, miso, fine black pepper, and turmeric. Blend until creamy and stir it into the soup pot. Add the remaining broth to the blender. Quickly blend to work in the cream left on the sides of the blender and stir it into the soup pot.
4. Turn the heat to low and continue cooking for 10 minutes to let the stew thicken and the flavors blend.
5. Add the remaining white beans and green peas to the pot. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve promptly, topping with parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

CHEF’S NOTES

If you’d like to make this a very low-fat recipe, you can leave out the cashews or substitute them with additional white beans. You can also use water in place of the non-dairy milk to reduce the calorie density.

If using a vegan chicken broth, reduce the poultry seasoning by half or just leave it out. You can also leave out the miso, which was added to give more depth and umami when the base is made with vegetable broth.