A good stock needs good vegetables, which are poached in their own juices until very tender, then strained. It has always struck me as a huge waste to compost the spent veg, though, so I always try to find a way to eat them. Mashed up with olive oil or butter, say, they make a lovely side dish, or turn them into curries, soups and stews. Here, I use them up in a comforting pie, fortified with beans for bulk, texture and flavour.
Leftover stock veg and bean pot pie
Although I’m an omnivore, I like to cook plant-based food when it makes sense. A plant-rich diet is widely accepted as one of the most healthy, and can also be more economical, especially when you practice root-to-fruit eating by using up every last morsel. In this recipe, for instance, flaxseeds and aquafaba take the place of eggs and milk, and are much cheaper. This rather humble pie is food at its most thrifty and nutritious, a filling and economical weekday meal that is also comforting, especially as the cold nights draw in.
I try to avoid ultra-processed foods whenever I can, and that includes pastry, not least because it’s hard to find a store-bought one that isn’t; it’s even harder to find a vegan pastry that doesn’t include ultra-processed foods such as plant-based dairy alternatives. But vegan pastry can be tough to get right. However, I’ve improved the texture of mne by adding flaxseeds, heritage grains and buckwheat flour. Heritage grains tend to be lower in gluten and buckwheat is gluten-free, which helps to shorten the pastry, too. Leftover aquafaba works as a great glazing agent instead of milk or eggs.
Serves 4
For the filling
40g extra-virgin olive oil
50g wholemeal flour
1 tsp English mustard
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
100g silken tofu
250ml vegetable stock
500g leftover cooked stock vegetables – eg, leeks, carrot, celery, onions
2 x 400g tins cooked white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans, drained – keep the aquafaba for glazing the pie (500g net weight)
Salt and black pepper
For the vegan pastry
30g ground flaxseeds
50ml aquafaba, plus extra to glaze
140g wholemeal flour – eg, khorasan, spelt, wheat
30g buckwheat flour, or 30g extra wholemeal flour
30ml extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
First make the filling. Put the oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, then stir in the wholemeal flour and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the mustard, nutmeg and tofu, then whisk in the stock a little at a time, until creamy (use an immersion blender to help things along, if need be).
Cut the leftover cooked stock vegetables into large dice, add them to the pan, then stir in the white beans and season to taste.
To make the pastry, mix the ground flaxseeds with the aquafaba (or water) and leave for a minute. Stir in all the flour and oil, then add the salt. Knead into a ball, cover with a bowl and leave for 30 minutes.
Fill a large deep pie dish (or several individual pie dishes) with the bean mixture. Roll out the pastry to a 5-10mm-thick oval the size of the pie dish(es), lay this on top and seal the edges with a fork. Brush with aquafaba and cut two small holes in the top, to let out steam. Bake in a 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 oven for 30 minutes, or until golden.
