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For a delicious vegan Christmas or Sunday roast alternative try these lentil and chestnut pies. They're easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time too! #lentils #chestnuts #puffpastry #veganpie #puffpastrypie #veganchristmas | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

Lentil and Chestnut Pies

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 60 mins | Total: 90 mins | Quantity: 6 individual pies

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 large sweet potato – peeled and cut into smallish chunks
  • 1/2 turnip – peeled and cut into smallish chunks
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 red onion – peeled and finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
  • 1 tsp miso paste (optional or use a veggie stock cube)
  • 1 tin lentils – drained weight 1 cup (230g)
  • 1/2 cup (100g) cooked chestnuts – roughly chopped
  • 2-3 tblsp vegan cream cheese or hummus
  • 2 packs of ready rolled vegan puff pastry
  • 1 tblsp non-dairy milk
  • large pinch turmeric
  • sesame and poppy seeds (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6
  2. Toss the diced potato and turnip with 1 tsp oil, the thyme, rosemary and paprika and a good pinch each of salt and pepper and spread onto a baking tray
  3. Roast for 35 minutes
  4. While they're roasting saute the chopped onion and crushed garlic in the other tsp of oil until the onion is just starting to turn translucent then stir in the miso paste or crumbled stock cube
  5. Put the roasted veg and the cooked onions and garlic into a large bowl and add the drained lentils and chestnuts
  6. Stir in the cream cheese or hummus and another pinch of salt and pepper and mix everything together well
  7. Line one large or two smaller baking trays with parchment or silicon mats
  8. Unroll one of the sheets of puff pastry and cut into 6 equal rectangles then place them on your prepared tray(s). They don't spread much so you can put them reasonably close together on the tray
  9. Mix the milk with the turmeric and brush all the way round each of the sqaures
  10. Place mounds of the lentil mix in the middle of each of the squares diving the mix evenly between them. Lightly flatten the tops so the mounds aren't too domed
  11. Unroll the other sheet of puff pastry and on a lightly floured surface roll out so it's about an inch bigger on both sides. Cut this into another 6 equal rectangles
  12. Gently lift the rectangles onto the bases, covering the filling and sitting on the pastry underneath. Gently push down to press the 2 pieces of pastry together and shape the tops of the domes
  13. Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork to help seal them then brush all over the pies with more of the golden milk.
  14. Cut 2 slashes in the top of each pie and sprinkle with seeds if using
  15. At this point you can chill the pies and cook another time or put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until puffed, golden and crispy
  16. Serve immediatley or chill any leftovers and eat cold or reheat, ensuring the filling is piping hot. Store in the fridge

Notes

  • Swap the sweet potato and turnip for any of your favourite seasonal root veg - parsnips, swede and squash would also be lovely in these pies

Recipe by The Cook & Him at https://thecookandhim.com/recipes/lentil-and-chestnut-pies/