Vegan Chicken Pie

Ingredients

• 1 large leek sliced in to half moons
• 2 large carrots sliced in to half moons
• 150g sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 pack of vegan chicken pieces
• 500 ml Bisto gravy (yup its vegan! as are some own brands)
• 1 pack filo pastry
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oven to gas mark 5/180c

• Gently heat some oil of your choice in a large pan.
• Add in all the veg and saute for 5 minutes.
• Add in the vegan chicken pieces and just the 500 ml of water (not the granules!)
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the gravy granules.
• Pour the whole mix in to a pie dish, deep tin – what ever your pie will be in!
• Take the pack of filo and cut the sheets in to 1/4
• Take small bits and scrunch it all over the top of the pie.
• Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked.
• Serve! We like it with roast potatoes and more veg, either green beans or broccoli.

Tips and cheats

If you want to make this in advance don’t put the pastry on until you pop it in the oven. The mix will keep in the fridge for a day before cooking in the oven. You can also freeze it at this point.

If you don’t like filo pastry or want a luxury rich finish then use puff or shortcrust pastry. Again most of the shop bought ones are vegan (just avoid the all butter version!)

If you like a creamy sauce swap the gravy for 500 ml of veg stock and a dash of vegan cream. My current favourite is the Elmlea Plant based. – don’t add it straight in to the pan. Pour the cream in to a dish and add table spoons of the hot liquid in to the cream until it doubles in quantity then add to the dish. This helps to stop it splitting.