Savory Vegan Butternut Squash And Kale Pie

A vegan pot pie is a wonderful dinner to look forward to with family and friends. And here’s one more that’s satisfying, clean, delicious and won’t cling to your waist for months and years to come: a gorgeous and savory Vegan Butternut Squash and Kale Pie. This is truly a healthy pot pie. The filling of seasonal butternut squash cubes, kale and onions, with optional cashew nuts, is so tasty, it almost overshadows that crispy, flaky and golden vegan sourdough pie crust. The crust, of course, has the goodness of sourdough to keep your belly happy. I love butternut squash (it’s so cozy in recipes like butternut squash curry, butternut squash soup and butternut squash risotto!) This is one of my favorite pot pies and it’s one I make all winter long, not just for the holidays. It always gets lots of compliments, even from the carnivores and the veggie haters. 🙂

Why you’ll love this Vegan Butternut Squash and Kale Pie

It’s delicious. The savory stuffing of kale, onions and butternut squash is garlicky and flecked with aromatic sage and rosemary. The crust is flaky, crispy and so tasty everyone will be digging in hungrily. It’s easy to make. The filling is super easy to put together and takes just minutes. I use precut butternut squash cubes to keep chopping to a minimum. And while I did use my homemade vegan sourdough pie crust in this recipe, you can use a storebought puff pastry crust with equally good results. You can also try my homemade whole wheat vegan puff pastry crust, which has half the fat. It’s healthy. Most of us don’t care enough for healthy around the holidays but why not if you can combine healthy with tasty? Butternut squash and kale are both health superstars, and they are both so delicious you simply can’t go wrong.

How to make Vegan Butternut Squash and Kale Pie

Heat a large skillet. Add olive oil and garlic and let the garlic cook, stirring, until aromatic and lightly colored. Add the onions to the skillet along with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Saute for a few minutes until the onions have softened.

Add the kale to the pot and cook until it has wilted. Add the butternut squash cubes along with the cashews, herbs and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the butternut squash cubes are slightly tender but not fully cooked. They will continue cooking in the oven. Set the filling aside to cool.

Set a rack in the lowest position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out one pie or puff pastry crust and line a 2 ½ or 3 quart baking dish with it. Tuck any overhanging dough underneath at the edges. Pour in the kale and butternut squash filling and spread it around evenly. Top with the vegan cheese shreds. Place the baking dish in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.

Place the top crust over the kale-butternut filling and fold in any overhanging dough. Crimp the edges with a fork and cut vents in the top crust to help any steam escape. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to an hour. The butternut squash should feel tender and a knife should go cleanly through, or give more time. Let the pie stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Tips and substitutions

To make the pie nut-free, leave out the cashews. You can use pumpkin seeds, if you wish, but they are not necessary. You can use another leafy, like spinach, in this recipe, although keep in mind that spinach will reduce considerably so you will need more of it. The kale also has a toothsome texture, which spinach won’t have. For more protein in this pie, you can add cubes of baked tofu or a 14 oz can of beans like white beans or chickpeas. Do adjust the seasoning if you use beans and make sure the filling tastes good to you before you put it in the pie.

Storing the vegan butternut squash kale pie

You can make the filling up to two days ahead and refrigerate. The crust can also be made ahead. You can freeze the crust dough for up to three months, then thaw and roll out for the pie. The baked pie can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days. Reheat in oven so the crust crisps back up. For longer storage, wrap tightly in two layers of freezer wrap and freeze. Thaw and reheat before eating.