This oyster mushroom pot pie is hearty, savory, and comforting, just like chicken pot pie! The creamy filling is topped with buttery puff pastry and then baked right in a cast iron skillet. Rustic and festive, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving or chilly evenings!

It's mushroom season here on the Peninsula and the predictable rain means these savory little guys will be sprouting like crazy. It’s also prime foraging season. So, if you see a car jerk to the side of a forested road and a person tumble out with a mesh bag, don’t worry, it’s just a mushroom enthusiast searching for gold.

I’ve been crushing on all the different varieties, both farm-grown and foraged. They’re weirdly meaty and so fun to cook with! Each one has its own unique look, feel, and flavor. I appreciate all the shrooms but oyster mushrooms are quickly becoming my favorite. They pull apart, just like shredded chicken, are mild in flavor, and are tender instead of slimy. The similarity in texture to chicken, once cooked, is almost uncanny. This chicken-like texture makes oyster mushrooms the perfect choice for vegan chicken pot pie!

What is pot pie?

Traditionally pot pie is made with chicken and called Chicken Pot Pie. It’s a savory pie with a rich, almost stew-like filling of chicken and vegetables cooked in a thick gravy, all tucked under a buttery flakey crust. Pure heaven, right?! This rustic comfort food can be prepared in a few different ways depending on how you want to serve it. Scroll down for several options.

Is mushroom pot pie vegan?

Mushroom pot pie, when made with dairy-free and egg-free ingredients is vegan. We use oyster mushrooms in place of chicken and vegan butter in this recipe. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is accidentally vegan and my first choice for the crust. If you can’t find puff pastry, your favorite pie dough is an excellent option.

Can I use different mushrooms?

You bet! While oyster mushrooms are surprisingly similar to shredded chicken in texture, it’s fun to experiment with different varieties. A well-stocked grocery store will have several to choose from. Cremini or “baby bella” is the most common and price-friendly. Shiitake are also mild in flavor, but are firmer in texture, creating a chewy mouthfeel. Although a bit pricy, Chanterelles are a good choice for flavor and texture too. I loooove Lion’s Mane, their fluffy texture, and how they soak up butter, but I feel they are better in a lighter recipe.

Do I really bake the pie right in the pan?

Yup! If you have a 10” cast iron or oven-proof skillet, you can cook the filling and then bake the pot pie right in the pan. It’s good rustic fun to plop the whole pan down on the table and dig in with big spoons. Just keep in mind (speaking from experience here), the handle will be hot!

**Do I use a top and a bottom crust?**

When baking the pot pie in a skillet, you only need to cover the top with puff pastry and not line the bottom of the pan. If you are a fan of having both a top and bottom crust, line a deep-dish pie pan with pie dough, scoop the cooled filling on top, and then cover it all up with another sheet of dough before baking. You can also serve the pot pie in individual ramakins topped with little rounds of puff pastry placed on top before baking.

Ingredient Overview & Substitutions-

I’ve got the full list of ingredients and their amounts for you in the recipe card below. But let’s take a look at how they work together and some substitutions as well.

Oyster Mushrooms- My first choice for this recipe but you can make this with any type of edible mushrooms.
Vegan Butter- For buttery richness and to make this recipe dairy-free.
Mirepoix- The French term that refers to the magical mixture of sauteed onions, carrots, and celery used as the flavor base in the filling.
Soy Milk- This rich, unsweetened milk, is used in place of heavy cream found in traditional pot pie recipes. You can substitute any full-fat plant-based milk. Just be sure it’s unsweetened.
Roux- A combination of flour and fat (vegan butter in this recipe) used to thicken the filling. Feel free to substitute whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour.
White Wine- for deglazing the pan and enhancing savory flavor. If wine is off your list, substitute 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar instead.
Nutritional Yeast- Fondly called nooch, this deactivated yeast tastes cheesy and bumps up the umami.
Thyme- Use dried or fresh thyme leaves for a rustic herby flavor.
Green Peas- Add a touch of sweetness and more veg. Feel free to substitute chopped green beans or your favorite sturdy green vegetable.
Puff Pastry- This is by far the easiest and most impressive-looking crust. I love the flakey layers and buttery taste. If you prefer traditional pie dough or gluten-free pie dough. See note 2 for options, substitutions, and links to recommended products.

Top Tip!

Leave the puff pastry out for around 30 minutes to thaw before unfolding and rolling. 30-40 minutes is your sweet spot for puff pastry that doesn’t crack when you unfold it, or become too soft and sticky when rolling it out.

If you want to get really fancy with the puff pastry (or pie dough) and take your time with decorating, I *highly* recommend letting the filling cool completely beforehand. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a soggy mess of dough that won’t cooperate.

Here’s everything you need to make this recipe:

Ingredients / Makes 6 Servings

1½ cups (355 ml) of vegetable broth
½ cup (118 ml) of unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons of tamari
4 tablespoons of vegan butter, divided, plus more (melted) for brushing the puff pastry
1 pound (454 g) of oyster mushrooms, cleaned and ripped or sliced into 1”-2” pieces (Oyster mushrooms have a *very* similar mouth feel to shredded chicken.)
1 large onion (2 cups), small diced
2 medium carrots (1 cup) medium diced
2-3 medium celery stalks (1 cup) medium diced
¾ teaspoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 fat garlic cloves, minced or pressed
¼ cup (30 g) of all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the puff pastry
½ cup (118 ml) of dry white wine
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon of fresh
¾ cup (109 g) of frozen green peas
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed and rolled into an 11”x11” square, OR Your favorite vegan pie crust (for the top of the pie only), thawed and rolled into an 11”x11” circle

Notes-

Note 1

This recipe makes the perfect amount to be baked right in a 10” cast iron or oven-proof skillet. If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, cook the filling in a large skillet and then transfer it to a deep dish 9” pie pan before topping with dough and baking.

Note 2

You have a few good options for topping your mushroom pot pie. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry bakes up light, golden, and flakey with wonderful layers. You can also use homemade or store-bought pie crust. Keep in mind that you will only need ½ a pie crust recipe as we are covering the top of the pie and not lining the bottom of the pan.

Although I haven’t tried it, Wholly Wholesome Pie Dough comes highly recommended.

The pie crust recipe by Kate McDermott in this blog post is my favorite gluten-free option. Scroll to the “vegan, gluten-free pie crust” section for step-by-step instructions with photos.

How to make Oyster Mushroom Pot Pie, step-by-step:

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1. Preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C.

2. Whisk the liquid ingredients- Whisk veggie broth, soy milk, and tamari in a measuring cup.

3. Sauté the mushrooms- In a 10” cast iron or oven proof skillet, over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter. Tumble in the mushrooms and stir them into the butter. The pan will be quite full to start. Cook until the mushrooms have shrunk to about half their size and most of the liquid is cooked out, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a separate dish. See note 1 for additional skillet/pan options.

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4. Sauté the vegetables- Plop 2 more tablespoons of vegan butter into the pan. Let it melt then use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits sticking to the bottom. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, plus the salt and pepper. Stir the vegetables all around. Cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes more.

5. Add the garlic, stir it into the veggies, and cook until sweetly fragrant, 1 minute.

6. Sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir it in to soak up the butter. We are cooking the raw flavor out of the flour, not toasting it. This takes about 2 minutes.

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7. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any remaining bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until it no longer smells like alcohol, 2 minutes.

8. Add the mushrooms back to the pan and pour in the vegetable broth mixture, followed by the nutritional yeast and thyme. Gently stir it all together (the pan will be quite full again). Bring to a simmer and continue to stir until it thickens, becoming a rich gravy, about 5 minutes.

9. Stir in peas. Turn the heat down to low and taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or thyme to your liking. Slide the pan off the heat.

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10. Roll out your puff pastry- Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour and roll out 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry into an 11” square.

11. Drape it over the top of the skillet and trim away the corners. Press the dough so it forms to the rim of the pan, keeping in mind the pan will be hot. Cut a few steam vents on the top and brush it all over with melted butter. See note 1 for additional pan options and note 2 for more dough options.

12. Bake at 375°F / 190°C for 40 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven (The handle will be hot!) and let the pie cool to a reasonable temperature for eating. Scoop out generous portions with a spoon and dig in!

Storage-

Transfer any leftovers to a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you wish to freeze the pot pie and bake it later, transfer the cooked and cooled filling into a deep dish pie pan and cover the top with puff pastry. Wrap the pie in plastic wrap and the cover it with tin foil. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter before baking.

I hope you enjoy this vegan pot pie recipe and the magic of mushroom season as much as I have. And while you’re pulling out the cozy sweaters and getting into an autumnal mood…

Here’s some more fall recipes to dive into!

Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff Definitely give oyster mushrooms a try in this next level delicious pasta recipe. I made this with 18 attendees at the recent Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival and everyone said it was bonkers good!
Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder with Potatoes I just updated this blog post with new photos. It still remains my favorite chowder recipe of all time!
Vegan Almond Orange Biscotti Grab your favorite hot beverage, a good book, and settle in with a plate of these classic dipping cookies.

Oyster Mushroom Pot Pie