Vegan Mince & Cheese Pies
An Australian and New Zealand working class icon, the humble mince & cheese pie is a true classic. Unpretentious and straightforward, it's a hearty umami filling in a lovely crusty flaky wrapper.This recipe tastes even better than the non-vegan version, and the cheese sauce is amaaaazing on its own!
Ingredients
Mince Filling
- 2 cups Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
- 4 cups Warm Water
- 2 tsp Beef Stock plant-based
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 2 Medium Brown Onions
- 2 Tbsp Cornflour
- 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce plant-based
- 2 tsp Vegemite or Miso paste
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
- Tamari to taste
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup Raw Cashews
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
Pie Construction
- 2 sheets Frozen Puff Pastry plant-based
- 2 sheets Frozen Shortcrust Pastry plant-based
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Mince Filling
- Add beef stock to warm water, and stir until mixed in.
- Add TVP to a saucepan with stock water and soak for ten minutes (no heat).
- Once ten minutes has elapsed turn on to a medium/low heat and simmer until remaining liquid is reduced away, then transfer to a bowl.
- While the TVP is simmering, to a separate bowl add cornflour, 1/2 cup water, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Vegemite. Mix properly.
- Chop the onions into small bits, and fry in a pan with olive oil until cooked.
- Add the mince and sauce to the onions, with coconut aminos.
- Add Tamari to taste (Tbsp or 2), then simmer until sauce has thickened - aim for the consistency you want inside your pie. Set aside.
Cheese Sauce
- Add cashews to a bowl and cover with boiled water. Soak for at least ten minutes then discard water.
- In a blender, add the cashews and all cheese sauce ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer the blended mixture to a saucepan over medium heat, and whisk constantly until it starts to bubble and thicken. Take it off the heat when the sauce is the consistency you like.
Pie Construction
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and thaw your pastry sheets.
- Grease your pie tins with the olive oil. The recipe should make about 8 half-cup pies.
- Add cheese sauce to the mince filling until it’s as cheesy as you want. I add about 1 tbsp per pie. Stir until the filling is properly mixed.
- Cut rounds for each pie tin from your shortcrust sheets. You may need to bunch up and re-roll the off cuts to fit the last one or two.
- Same again for the puff pastry.
- Line the bottom of your pie tin with the shortcrust, then add about half a cup of filling. Cover with puff pastry on top, then - going round the sides - try pinch the cover into the pastry base.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or just until the puff pastry is all cooked, with no translucent spots remaining. Enjoy!
Photos by Amber Asakura
Gabrielle is an evidence-based vegan coach who believes that health transformation begins when you switch to a plant-based diet. Her mission is to help midlife women eat in alignment with who they are and what they value so that they can lead a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.
Sign up for a weekly dose of evidence-based info + free recipes
Written by Gabrielle (hi!), these e-mails will help you on your plant-based journey with useful tips, tricks, facts and inspiration – and perhaps the occasional inappropriate joke thrown in for good measure.
Made these three times now. So so so good
Right? Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate you!