Spoiler: HOLY COW this was so good!
I resisted making this recipe for a very long time, regardless that I might printed it out and flagged it with a Put up-It. I wasn’t prepared to purchase a bag of soy curls after I wasn’t certain if they’d simply go to waste. Soy curls are mainly the identical factor as textured vegetable protein (TVP), however they’re chunkier items as a substitute of crumbles.
Here’s a comparability:
What the heck is TVP? It is simply manufactured from soy flour (after the fats is faraway from soybeans), after which someway they’re formed into these ethereal crumbles or, which this recipe requires, curls (or chunks). If it sounds actually bizarre, however you are about my age, you might have even eaten it earlier than! I realized this solely as an grownup, however I used to like these rectangular cafeteria pizzas–they got here in plain cheese or with “meat”.
The meat, I all the time assumed, was very finely floor beef. It was all the time underneath the cheese. Sneaky! It was really textured vegetable protein. After I realized that enjoyable truth, I purchased a number of the crumbles to strive at residence (lengthy earlier than I grew to become vegan) they usually had been precisely as I remembered. There’s something nostalgic about them.
Anyway, I lastly determined to purchase a bag of the soy curls. (And naturally, after I was going to hyperlink to those I purchased, they’re not out there on Amazon. They’re the Anthony’s model. However there are numerous totally different manufacturers on Amazon.)
After they arrived, I nonetheless resisted making this recipe as a result of it concerned so many steps. It requires home made cream of “rooster” cream soup (just like the condensed cream of rooster soup you purchase in a can). That requires cooking some components collectively after which mixing them into a really creamy soup.
The recipe additionally requires vegetable bouillon powder, and naturally, there’s a hyperlink to that recipe as effectively. I’ve used the bouillon powder earlier than in different recipes, and I’ve to say, it is REALLY good. Fortunately, I already had a batch of that within the pantry.
After you have the cream of “rooster” soup and the bouillon powder, you may transfer on to the pot pie recipe.
Properly, I am a very-little-prep-and-only-one-pot sort of woman. However I purchased the soy curls and the climate at the moment (cool, crisp air, just a little breezy) made me assume that at the moment was an excellent day for a pot pie casserole. The recipe may be discovered on Plant Energy Couple (I am going to hyperlink to it once more on the finish of the publish).
I gathered the components for the cream of “rooster” soup and for the pot pie…
Water, crimson lentils, cashews, vegetable bouillon powder, puff pastry, potatoes, frozen blended greens, soy curls, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
The vegetable bouillon powder may be discovered on the identical web site right here. Even if in case you have no real interest in making this pot pie, and even if you happen to aren’t vegan or vegetarian, that is positively value making. As a result of the cream of “rooster” soup that I am about to explain requires it. And THAT is one thing that I may eat from a bowl and lick clear. It made the home scent wonderful, and the boys got here into the kitchen to ask what I used to be making. I hadn’t even gotten to the pot pie but!
Even in case you are not vegan or vegetarian, you’ve got to do that different to condensed cream of rooster soup. (Recipe right here.) Completely well worth the trouble. And it actually tastes wonderful by itself. To make it, you merely mix the water, crimson lentils, cashews, veggie bouillon powder, and sea salt in a pot. Then you definately convey it to a boil on the range, scale back the warmth, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Then you definately pour it into the blender and mix till easy. That is the purpose when the youngsters got here to the kitchen, asking what smells so good. I took one style, and virtually simply known as off the entire pot pie. I used to be able to eat the whole batch of this!
You are purported to refrigerate it in order that it thickens up, however I used to be planning to make the pot pie filling instantly and let it relaxation for a short while earlier than pouring it into the crust to bake. (Simply making an attempt to time dinner.)
Lastly… able to make the pot pie. I took the pastry out of the freezer to thaw after I began making the soup. I might by no means used puff pastry earlier than, however I used to be accustomed to what it’s. Most retailer purchased manufacturers are vegan (utilizing oil as a substitute of butter), however if you happen to’re searching for a vegan one, simply examine the components. This Pepperidge Farm model is vegan.
The recipe requires “two massive potatoes, peeled and small diced”–since ‘massive’ and ‘small’ are all relative, I simply guessed. I used Yukon Gold potatoes, as a result of that is our favourite and I all the time have some readily available. I did not peel them, as a result of the skins are so skinny, however I reduce them into items in regards to the measurement of frozen hash brown potatoes. (On reflection, I might reduce them just a little bigger subsequent time-like the dimensions of cube.)
This recipe was particular in regards to the quantity of water you utilize to boil the potatoes, which I believed was odd, however it would not say to empty the potatoes earlier than including the opposite components. So I hoped that was appropriate!
As soon as the potatoes have simmered, you add the frozen veggies, the cream of “rooster” soup, the salt, pepper, onion powder, and soy curls. That is the rationale I am not a meals blogger–I take pictures of the “ugly” elements of cooking.
I’ve to say, I used to be very hesitant so as to add the complete quantity of salt (2 tsp); between that and the salt within the bouillon powder and the salt within the soup, I used to be fascinated by how this was positively going to convey my blood stress out of the “low” vary, haha.
It thickened up fairly a bit after I turned off the warmth.
I believed the pastry can be the dimensions of a 9×13 pan, however it was most likely 9×9 sq.. I did not notice I needed to roll it out. I hate rolling out any type of dough as a result of I’ve to scrub the counter rather well, after which simply make an enormous mess on it once more. Then I spotted how useful these silicone baking sheets are! They’re lastly getting some use.
I lifted it right into a 9×13 casserole dish, poked one million holes with a fork, after which baked for quarter-hour (simply the underside crust).
Then I poured the filling on prime. I used to be going to take an image however the lighting was manner too darkish, so I picked up the dish to maneuver to the island–and completely forgot I’d simply pulled it out of the oven. I am fairly certain I not have fingerprints on my thumbs.
Lastly, I topped it with the second layer of pastry and reduce some slits within the heart for steam to flee.
The recipe stated to bake for one more 20 minutes, however I took it out after 35–it nonetheless seemed uncooked within the heart after 20 minutes.
By this level, the entire home smelled amazing–I could not wait to eat. HO-LY MOTHER. It was scrumptious! I used to be bummed the youngsters weren’t right here to strive it and inform us what they thought, however hopefully they’re going to strive the leftovers. I’m pondering that the puff pastry will not accomplish that effectively when reheating, which is a bummer. Subsequent time, I am going to most likely halve the recipe until the youngsters will need to eat it too.
General, this recipe was positively a winner for each Jerry and me. And it is sort of a three-in-one (the bouillon powder, the cream of ‘rooster’ soup, and the pot pie). All three of the recipes are wonderful!
The recipe for the Pot Pie may be discovered on Plant Energy Couple. (That publish hyperlinks to the bouillon and soup recipes as effectively)
