As the weather outside here in New York City turns crisp and blustery, I can’t help but feel drawn to traditional comfort foods. Unfortunately, traditional recipes are oftentimes inclusive of meat, eggs and dairy products. So what’s a hungry vegan to do? I say we transform all of our comfort cravings into vegan-friendly meals, and we can start with chicken pot pie. This chicken-less version is packed with protein and nutrients, and because this is a soup and not a full pie, the amount of crust that you dish out with each serving is completely up to you. This meal is incredibly filling and it makes for great leftovers.

Chicken-less Pot Pie Soup
Recipe adapted from The Food Pusher
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
• 3/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• 3/4 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch of garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups plain soy milk
• 2 cups soy creamer
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups meat-free chicken, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s Chicken-less Strips)
• 2 cups diced potatoes, cooked
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 pie crust

Note: if you’re using frozen pie crust, be sure to thaw it out first

Preparation:

1. Saute the Earth Balance, onions, celery and carrots in a large pot for 5-7 minutes, until the veggies are soft.
2. Stir in the basil, thyme, sea salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
3. Stir in the all-purpose flour and let the mixture cook for one minute.
4. Add in the soy milk, soy creamer and vegetable broth.
5. Stir continuously until the soup reaches a simmer
6. Stir in the chicken, potatoes, corn and peas.
7. Allow the soup to simmer, stirring occasionally for 35 minutes. The soup will thicken as it cooks.
8. Remove the soup from the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
9. To make the crust, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and break your crust into pieces.
10. Bake the pieces for approximately 10 minutes, or until the edges brown.
11. Serve some crust in each bowl of soup.