Hearty Vegetable and White Bean Pot Pie

If you could use some nourishing, belly-warming meals these days, we’ve got you covered. This week we packed up plenty of hearty root and cruciferous vegetables, perfect for your favorite roast, soup, or stew. We decided to use a little bit of everything – carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower – in this Vegetable and White Bean Pot Pie. It's a simple and delicious vegetarian main dish for your meatless Mondays, Fridays or any day in-between.

To ensure the vegetables cook evenly, be sure to cut carrots and potatoes small, about ½-inch dice. For added texture, volume and protein, canned white beans cozy in with the vegetables, but feel free to fold in cooked and chopped chicken for a more traditional spin. This recipe calls for whole milk which guarantees a rich and creamy base. You can swap in a neutral-flavored non-dairy alternative, like cashew or almond milk, if desired. And to cut down on prep time, we use store-bought puff pastry for the flakey crust, but you can just as easily use store-bought or homemade pie dough or refrigerated biscuits instead.

Show us how you’re using this week’s produce in your own comforting meals. Be sure to share on social and tag us @realfoodremedyrx so we can share your belly-warming creations to inspire others.

Hearty Vegetable and White Bean Pot Pie

Active time: 40 Min.

Total time: 60 Min.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups diced carrots

1 cup diced onion

½ cup diced celery

1 cup diced peeled potato

2-3 cups chopped broccoli florets

2-3 cups chopped cauliflower florets

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic powder

⅓ cup flour

1 ¼ cups whole milk, or neutral-flavored non-dairy milk of choice

1 ¼ cups cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

1 (14.5 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Zest from ½ medium lemon

½ cup frozen peas

1 (8 ounce) sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or spray a 2-quart baking dish, any shape.

Heat olive oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion and celery and saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Season vegetables to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the dried seasonings, garlic powder and flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour in the milk and broth and stir until well-combined. Fold in the beans and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork (they will still be firm), about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, peas and additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Roll or shape the puff pastry dough to fit inside the baking dish with about a ½-inch border. Lay the puff pastry on top of the vegetable filling. Use your fingers to pinch and press the pastry along the edge of the baking dish. Brush the top with the beaten egg, then season with black pepper. Cut 4 slits in the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling bubbles. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

We hope you enjoy this warm and hearty dish as much as we enjoyed creating it for you!