WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
The best vegetable pot pie should feature a rich, flavorful gravy; a flaky, golden crust; and a hearty combination of sturdy vegetables that can handle the baking time without turning to mush. We chose a combination of mushrooms, sweet potatoes, turnips, and Swiss chard. So that each vegetable came out cooked just right, we sautéed the mushrooms, sweet potato, and turnip before stirring in the chard. Since those vegetables left behind a good amount of fond in the pot, this also helped us to create a flavorful gravy. When we whisked in the broth, the fond was incorporated into the gravy, lending it deep, complex flavor. We prefer our homemade pie dough, but you can substitute store-bought pie dough in this recipe. If using store-bought dough, you will still need to roll the dough into a 10-inch circle.
SERVES: 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling time)
INGREDIENTS:
PIE DOUGH
- 1¼ cups (6¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ¼-inch pieces and chilled
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces and chilled
- 3–4 tablespoons ice water
POT PIE
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered if large or halved if small
- Salt and pepper
- 1 sweet potato (12 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 8 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
- 8 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
INSTRUCTIONS:
PIE DOUGH
- Combine dry ingredients: Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds.
- Add shortening and butter: Scatter shortening over top and process until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add water: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons water over flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, stir and press dough until it sticks together. If dough does not come together, add remaining 1 tablespoon water.
- Chill and roll: Form dough into 4-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let chilled dough soften slightly on counter for 10 minutes. Roll dough between 2 large sheets parchment paper into 10-inch circle, flouring as needed.
POT PIE
- Preheat and melt butter: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Cook vegetables: Stir in onion, mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Stir in sweet potato and turnips. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until potato and turnips begin to soften around edges, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and lemon zest and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chard and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes, and transfer to a bowl.
- Make sauce: Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in Parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Combine and bake: Stir in cooked vegetables, along with any accumulated juices, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Place chilled pie dough on top and fold over outer ½-inch edge of dough, then crimp into a tidy fluted edge using your fingers. Using a paring knife, cut four 2-inch oval-shaped vents in the center. Whisk together egg and water and brush over top of dough. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
