Creamy Vegetable Pot Pie

Pie is so good, so many different variations to choose from. Many British folk would be outraged that I'm even calling this a pie, as it only has a pastry lid. Alas, if you really wanted to turn it in to a full pie, that's easy enough. I actually first made this as a full pie, it was packed with chicken and gammon. That was around three years ago now, so I decided to update it to a vegetarian version. Wow guys, you won't be disappointed. This is so delicious I wanted to eat the entire pan of leftovers. I've made them in to small individual pies, but you could make one large version.

Packed with squash, leeks, peas, celery and onion, it is a delight. The seasoned creamy sauce is absolutely delicious. You could add mushrooms to give it an extra texture and depth of flavour if you wish, I'm just not a huge mushroom fan. This would make a great focus for a vegetarian Sunday dinner. Or simply stir shredded cooked chicken in to the mixture before assembling. The whole process is ready in an hour, so it's great for a slow weekend. Pop your fork through the flaky pastry and in to the luscious creamy interior, I promise you will not be disappointed. Find more recipes from the leek series here.

Creamy Vegetable Pot Pie

Serves: 6Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 40 minsTotal time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 roll of pre-made puff pastry
• 1 egg
• 200ml milk
• 150ml double cream
• 500ml veg stock
• 50g plain flour
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 4 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• Half cup of frozen peas
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Half tsp each of coarse ground black pepper, oregano, thyme and quarter tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Add all finely chopped vegetables (minus peas) in to a large pan with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, garlic and herbs. Saute for 5 minutes until softening. Add vegetable stock and cook until liquid has reduced by half ( around 8-10 mins).
2. Stir in flour a little at a time, making sure there are no lumps.
3. Pour in milk and cream (you could even add a splash of white wine here if you wish). Stir everything together and simmer for a further five mins. Stir in frozen peas at the last moment.
4. Spoon mixture into your pie dish/dishes. Top with a disc of puff pastry, tucking in the sides. Brush with beaten egg and make a small incision in the top to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 minutes on packet instructions.