Wild Mushroom, Cranberry and Chestnut Pies

December 7, 2020
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These scrummy wild mushroom, cranberry and chestnut pies have been a long time in the making!  They started a couple of years ago as a vegan stuffing and have developed into a delicious, rich flavoursome vegan mushroom pie filled to the brim with thyme-fried wild mushrooms, port soaked cranberries and sweet chestnuts encased in cranberry-sauce lined puff pastry.

They’re perfect for Christmas because, not only are they packed full of delicious festive flavours and ingredients, they can be prepped and part-baked the day before.  Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes until they’ve puffed up and are just starting to colour before taking them out.  On the big day bake them again for around 15-20 minutes until golden and hot through.  They even freeze well – just defrost fully before baking until hot!

Top down view of vegan puff pastry pies filled with a mushroom and thyme filling

Vegan mushroom pies cut in half revealing a filling made with wild mushrooms, port soaked cranberries, chestnuts and cranberry sauce

These deliciously festive vegan mushroom pies are perfect for a vegan Christmas dinner! They’re packed with

Sweet chestnuts 

Tangy port-soaked cranberries

And thyme-infused wild porcini mushrooms

In a tangy, rich flavoursome glaze

Topped and tailed with cranberry sauce-lined puff pastry

OMG those flavours!

I have no doubt that you will LOVE this recipe – be sure to tag me on Instagram when you make it @aveganvisit 🙂

A vegan mushroom pie and Christmas vegetables on a pretty pink floral plate sat on a wooden table

The Video Recipe:

The Written Recipe:

Wild Mushroom, Cranberry and Chestnut Pies sq

Wild Mushroom, Cranberry and Chestnut Pies

Rich and flavoursome pies filled to brim with thyme-fried wild mushrooms, port soaked cranberries and sweet chestnuts encased in cranberry-sauce lined puff pastry. Perfect for a vegan Christmas and can be made the day before!
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Serves: 6 pies
Calories: 929kcal
Author: Tara

Ingredients
 
 

  • 40 g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 200 ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 100 g onion (diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 3 tsp thyme leaves (fresh)
  • 300 g baby mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (*see notes)
  • 50 g dried cranberries
  • 50 ml port
  • 100 g chestnuts (peeled, cooked and roughly chopped)
  • 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley (fresh, chopped)
  • 300 g cranberry sauce
  • 750 g puff pastry (ready rolled, approx 2 packs (**see notes))
  • 2 tbsp dairy free milk (for glazing)
  • 2 tbsp sesame and poppy seeds (for decoration)

Instructions
 

Prep the pie filling:

  • Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 200ml of hot vegetable stock for 30 minutes.
    40 g dried porcini mushrooms, 200 ml vegetable stock
  • Microwave the cranberries in the port for around 1 minute 40 seconds (at 900W) until the cranberries have soaked up all of the port and are nice and juicy. Set aside to cool.
    50 g dried cranberries, 50 ml port
  • Once the porcini mushrooms have rehydrated, you’re ready to start cooking your pie filling. If the porcini mushrooms are large you may want to cut them up roughly before you start (but reserve the water).
  • Using a good sized frying pan (at least 30cm/12"), fry the onion, garlic and thyme leaves in the olive oil for 3 minutes.
    2 tbsp olive oil, 100 g onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 tsp thyme leaves
  • Add the rehydrated porcini mushrooms including their soaking water, fresh mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. The fresh mushrooms will release some water whilst cooking; cook until the all of the liquid has evaporated, which will be around 15 minutes on a medium-high heat. Set aside to cool.
    300 g baby mushrooms, 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • Once the mushroom mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the port-soaked cranberries, chestnuts and chopped parsley. Season to taste.
    100 g chestnuts, 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley

Make the pies:

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C (210°C conventional / 425°F / gas mark 7) and line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
  • Using your ready rolled puff pastry** cut out 12 x 12cm (5") circles. Spread a heaped teaspoon of cranberry sauce on each of the 12 pastry circles, leaving a clean 1cm (1/2") border around the edge.
    750 g puff pastry, 300 g cranberry sauce
  • Add 2 tbsp of the mushroom mixture into the centre of one of your pastry circles, on top of the cranberry sauce. Repeat this so that you have six with filling.
  • Take each of the six remaining pastry circles, flip them over so the cranberry sauce is underneath and place on top of the filling to create the pie lid.
  • Using a fork, press around the edge of each of the pies to crimp and seal them. Brush with dairy free milk and decorate by scoring the pies gently with a knife and sprinkling with seeds. Stab them with a fork or knife a couple of times to create small air holes.
    2 tbsp dairy free milk, 2 tbsp sesame and poppy seeds
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Video

Notes

Vegan / Dairy Free / Egg Free
* Worcestershire sauce - Biona make a wonderful vegan Worcestershire sauce that is packed full of flavour; it’s perfect for this recipe.
** Puff pastry - In the UK the Tesco own-brand ready rolled puff pastry is labelled vegan. 2 packs (375g each) will make six round pies when cutting out 2 x 12cm circles of pastry per pie (a top and a base) as long as you’re careful and cut right to the edge of the pastry.
If you opt for the Tesco ready rolled pastry, use it straight from the fridge because it’s easier to handle when it’s cold. Don’t opt for the ‘light’ version, it can be very sticky.
Recipe inspired by:  United Kingdom
Please check the allergens on the ingredients you purchase before use.  The allergen information provided in this recipe is intended as a guide only and is based on the specific ingredients and brands used at the time of creating the recipe, therefore we cannot guarantee that the same will apply to the ingredients you use.  Nutritional values are estimated.
We highly recommend you use the metric and 1x options on this recipe card for the best results. Please note that this recipe has not been tested using US measurements or increasing ingredient quantities to 2x or 3x, therefore results may vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 929kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 501mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 28g | Net Carbohydrates: 97g
Have you tried this recipe?Tag @aveganvisit on Instagram or hashtag it #aveganvisit!

Tara

Hi, I’m Tara! I’m taking you on a trip around the world in vegan cuisine and bringing the world’s most delicious dishes to your kitchen.