It’s easy to assume that the best part about chicken pot pie is the chicken—but to me, it’s everything else. The creamy gravy. The tiny-diced vegetables. The flaky pastry top. If you ask me: No chicken, no problem.
And this recipe proves it.
Substituting the chicken itself is easy. Chickpeas are similar in color (beige), and flavor (mild, meaty), and sturdiness (hold up well in stew). Not to mention, they’re way easier to prep: Just open a can, drain, and add. No meat-chopping, no kitchen-sanitizing, no wondering, Is the chicken cooked through?
The trickier part is the gravy. Most chicken pot pie recipes turn to chicken broth, plus some cream, half-and-half, or milk. Some even add chicken bouillon for extra oomph. The obvious substitution is vegetable broth. But vegetable broths vary widely based on brand. Some are so concentrated, they’re practically soup, while others are watery.
DIY vegetable broth solves this. And no, I don’t mean make vegetable broth from scratch (though, you could!). I mean Better Than Bouillon, which I always have in my fridge. This mix-yourself ingredient is not only more consistent, but gives you more control. If you want more intense flavor, just stir in a little more of the vegetable paste.
The rest of the recipe looks a lot like its chicken counterpart: onion, carrot, celery, green peas, garlic, milk. If you stuck to this template, you’d get a great dinner. But one more ingredient adds enough depth of flavor to be like, Chicken who?
White miso. This Japanese fermented soybean paste is less intense than darker varieties (like red), but still brings a funky, umami depth to the pot pie gravy. If you want to up the ante, feel free to use any type of miso you love; just adjust to taste.
Now, about the crust. Some pot pies are literal double-crusted pies (like this one). Others have you pour the filling into a ramekin, cover with pie dough, and bake. This crust takes the easy way out. I learned the method from chef Carla Hall, who has you ladle the pot pie filling into a bowl, just like soup, then top it with a crispy piece of pastry.
I use frozen puff pastry because it’s happy to always be on call and takes no trouble to turn into something wonderful—a lot, in fact, like a can of chickpeas.
| 1 | large egg |
| 1 | sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17.3-ounce package), thawed |
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
| 2 | medium to large yellow onions, finely diced |
| 1 | pound carrots, peeled and finely diced |
| 1 | pound (about 6 stalks) celery, finely diced |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste |
| 3 | garlic cloves |
| 7 | tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| 1 1/2 | cups water, warm |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons vegetable-based Better Than Bouillon |
| 2 | tablespoons white miso paste |
| 2 1/2 | cups whole milk, warm |
| 1/4 | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| 1 | cup frozen peas |
| 2 | (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained |
| 1/4 | cup finely chopped parsley |
| 1 | large egg |
| 1 | sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17.3-ounce package), thawed |
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
| 2 | medium to large yellow onions, finely diced |
| 1 | pound carrots, peeled and finely diced |
| 1 | pound (about 6 stalks) celery, finely diced |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste |
| 3 | garlic cloves |
| 7 | tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| 1 1/2 | cups water, warm |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons vegetable-based Better Than Bouillon |
| 2 | tablespoons white miso paste |
| 2 1/2 | cups whole milk, warm |
| 1/4 | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste |
| 1 | cup frozen peas |
| 2 | (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained |
| 1/4 | cup finely chopped parsley |
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Written by: Emma Laperruque
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