Creamy Vegan Pot Pie with Flaky Tahini Crust

This creamy vegan pot pie combines a tangy mustardy sauce with chunky vegetables and chewy baked tofu, all crowned by a gluten-free vegan pastry that’s crisp on top and soft underneath, soaking up the sauce’s flavours.

Winter always makes me crave pie. One evening I was longing for a creamy chicken-and-leek pie and decided to create a vegan alternative. The result exceeded my expectations: even my meat-eating, gluten-loving husband said it was really good.

You can use ready-rolled shop pastry if you prefer, but I wanted a reliable gluten-free, vegan shortcrust to use across the holidays. The tahini-based pastry I developed is simple to make — especially with a food processor — and adds moisture and a subtle sesame note that complements the filling beautifully.

Gluten-free and vegan pastry

After some trial and error I chose not to imitate a buttery flavour and instead added tahini to the pastry. Tahini keeps the crust moist and gives a gentle nutty background note. The pastry bakes to a crisp golden top while remaining soft underneath, and it’s versatile for both sweet and savoury applications.

One tip from testing: if you have picky eaters who object to visible mushroom or leek pieces, pulse those vegetables in a blender after cooking so they blend into the sauce. That smoothed mixture hides textures while preserving flavour. Alternatively, keep the mushrooms for their depth of flavour and swap leeks for onions if preferred.

Basic Instructions

Although the full recipe looks detailed, the process is straightforward. You can choose one method for the pastry (by hand or by machine) and one method for the tofu (oven or air fryer). The filling contains several vegetables for a rich, balanced flavour and nutrition.

Overview of the steps:

• Tofu — press, cube, toss with oil, salt and pepper, then bake or air-fry until golden and slightly chewy.
• Pastry — combine flours, coconut oil (or vegan butter) and tahini, bring together with cold water, chill, roll between baking paper, then chill again until needed.
• Filling — gently fry onion, leeks, mushrooms and garlic until browned; add liquids, carrots and seasonings and simmer; thicken with cornflour slurry; fold in tofu and peas; transfer into a pie dish.
• Top with the chilled pastry, trim and seal, make a couple of vents, brush with plant milk and bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

How to press tofu

To get a firm, chewy texture, press firm tofu for at least an hour. Drain the packet liquid, rest the block on folded kitchen towel on a plate, then place a weighted plate on top (cast-iron skillet or tins). Replace soaked towels as needed. A dedicated tofu press is a tidy, convenient alternative if you prefer less fuss.

Chef’s tips & substitutions

• If you don’t want to make pastry, shop-bought pastry works fine, or top the pie with mashed potato or mashed cauliflower.
• Pressing the tofu is essential — unpressed tofu will stay soft and won’t develop the desirable chewy texture. If you prefer not to use tofu, white beans or brown lentils are good substitutes.
• Feel free to swap vegetables: root vegetables hold up well in the sauce. Softer vegetables such as courgettes or broccoli can go mushy when baked, though they’re still tasty. Frozen chopped leeks and mushrooms also work well.

Making ahead

You can prepare the filling and uncooked pastry up to three days ahead; store them separately in the fridge (pastry wrapped in cling film). When ready, assemble and bake as instructed.

Leftovers

Unused raw pastry scraps can be gathered into a disc, wrapped and frozen or kept in the fridge for up to five days. Cooked pie keeps refrigerated for up to three days; reheat in the oven (cover with foil to avoid burning) until piping hot. Microwaving is quicker but will soften the pastry.

📖 Recipe 📖

Creamy Vegan Pot Pie with Tahini Pastry (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

A comforting creamy pie to warm cold winter nights. Tahini pastry, chunky vegetables and chewy baked tofu coated in a Dijon and wholegrain mustard sauce. Both gluten-free and vegan.

Prep Time: 50 mins

Baking Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Servings: 6

Author: Camilla Sanderson

Ingredients

Tofu

• 400 g firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and drained, cut into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt and pepper

Pastry

• 50 g coconut oil, softened (or vegan butter)
• 150 g almond flour
• 80 g coconut flour
• 60 g tapioca flour
• 50 g tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 90 ml cold water (adjust as needed)

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 200 g leeks, sliced
• 100 g mushrooms, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 teaspoons vegetable stock powder
• 400 ml water
• 400 ml oat milk
• 50 ml white wine
• 200 g carrots, sliced
• ½ teaspoon dried tarragon (or extra thyme)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornflour mixed with water
• 100 g frozen peas

Instructions

1. Press the tofu for at least an hour. Drain and pat dry. Cut into bite-size pieces and toss with oil, salt and pepper.
2. Make the pastry:
   • By hand: rub flours, coconut oil and tahini with fingertips to breadcrumb texture; add cold water gradually until the dough just comes together.
   • By machine: pulse flours, coconut oil and tahini in a food processor until breadcrumb-like, then add cold water slowly with the machine running until it forms a dough. Wrap the dough into a disc and chill.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
4. Roll the chilled pastry between two sheets of baking paper to just over ½ cm thick, then chill until needed.
5. Cook the tofu:
   • Oven: spread on a lined baking tray and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes, turning halfway.
   • Air fryer: air-fry at 180°C for 13–15 minutes, shaking halfway.
6. While the tofu cooks, warm olive oil in a large pan and fry onion, leeks, mushrooms and garlic over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes.
7. Add carrots, stock powder, water, oat milk, white wine, tarragon, thyme, mustards, nutritional yeast (if using), salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes until carrots are tender.
8. Stir in the cornflour slurry and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning. Fold in roasted tofu and frozen peas, then transfer filling to a pie dish.
9. Remove pastry from the fridge, peel off one sheet of baking paper, flip pastry onto the pie and remove the top sheet. Trim and press edges, make a couple of vents, and brush the top with plant-based milk.
10. Bake at 200°C for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.

Notes

• Water amounts can vary with different flours and kitchen humidity — add enough to form a cohesive, pliable dough.
• Save leftover pastry scraps by forming them into a disc, wrapping and freezing for later use.
• If serving fussy eaters, blend the cooked vegetable mixture before thickening to hide textures; the sauce may thicken enough without extra cornflour.
• Tofu can be substituted with beans or lentils if preferred.

Nutrition

Per serving (approx): 602 kcal; Carbs 48 g; Protein 19 g; Fat 39 g; Fiber 12 g. Values are approximate.

If you like this recipe, please leave a ⭐ star rating ⭐ on the recipe card!

More Recipes

If you enjoy this dish, you may also like other vegan and gluten-free main course recipes on the site.

🌿
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest, or subscribe to email updates for more recipes. 🌿