Vegan Tourtière du Lac-St-Jean

Can you make a vegan tourtière du Lac-St-Jean? Turning the king of all meat pies into a delectable vegan main is no small feat but we were up for the challenge. Several kitchen experiments later, it turns out a vegan tourtière can be done! And the results are hearty, delicious, and worthy of a holiday feast.

Just like the original, our vegan tourtière du Lac-st-Jean features 3 kinds of "meats": our Epic Chickenless Tofu, hearty beluga lentils, and a delicious blend of mushrooms. We shortcutted this recipe by skipping the bottom pie crust and topping our hearty filling with a store-bought vegan puff pastry. 

Serves 8 | time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack Epic Chickenless Tofu, finely chopped
  • 1 cup beluga lentils, uncooked
  • 3 cups veggie stock, divided
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 pint mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, fine diced
  • 1 large potato, shredded
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 heaping tbsp flour
  • Scant 1/4 tsp each: ground cloves, nutmeg, & cinnamon 
  • 1 sheet vegan puff pastry
  • 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted

Preparation:

  • Heat oven to 375*F
  • In a medium pot, combine 1 cup beluga lentils with 2 cups broth and bay leaf.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes, until lentils are al dente. Remove bay leaf and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, wash and chop all your veggies.
  • In a large Dutch oven, add olive oil, all tha veggies, and the Epic Chickenless tofu. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent.
  • Stir in the flour, crushed garlic, ground cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cook a minute longer, then add the lentils (along with their liquid) and the remaining 1 cup of veggie stock. Stir everything to combine and adjust seasoning.
  • Being careful while handling the hot Dutch oven, top the tourtière mixture with the puff pastry. Brush top of pastry surface with melted coconut oil.
  • Place the Dutch oven into the oven and bake for approx 1 hour - until pastry is cooked through.
  • Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve with ketchup and a simple side salad.