Homity Pie became popular in Britain during the 1960s thanks to the rise in hippie sub-culture which played a huge role in making vegetarian dishes more mainstream. Now the savory potato pie gets a vegan makeover in this recipe from the Great British Vegan cookbook.
What you need:
For the pastry:
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup vegan butter
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold water
For the cashew cream:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
1 pound King Edward potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons vegan butter, plus extra for greasing
1 large white onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup baby spinach, washed and roughly torn
½ cup grated vegan cheddar cheese, divided
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup prepared cashew cream
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
What you do:
- For the pastry, into a large bowl, add all ingredients and rub together with fingertips until a dense, sandy mixture is formed. Add up to 4 tablespoons of cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together without crumbling. Wrap in plastic wrap and set in refrigerator to chill.
- For the cashew cream, into a high-speed blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- To a large pot of water, add potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and leave in colander.
- To same pot, add butter, onion, leek, and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add spinach and allow to wilt for 1 minute. Add potatoes, half of vegan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and allow mixture to cool.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8-inch baking dish with vegan butter.
- Remove pastry from fridge, and place onto clean work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll into a circle large enough to cover base and sides of pastry dish. Line dish with pastry, trimming off excess, and pinching around rim to create a neat edge. Transfer cooled potato mixture into dish, then slowly pour in cashew cream and scatter remaining cheese over top. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.