Author: If you're looking for a savoury vegan pie recipe, you've come to the right place! Tourtiere is a traditional French Canadian meat pie, and I made it all sorts of untraditional by making it vegan. Woohoo! This vegan tourtiere has a drool-worthy chewy juicy meaty filling wrapped in a flaky pie crust. My veganized version of this French Canadian classic is a perfect dish to serve on the holidays or as a hearty, warming dinner during the coldest days.
I've seen several vegan tourtiere recipes using lentils as the base, but since I've already used lentils in my Shepherd's pie, and puff pastry wrapped lentil loaf recipes I wanted to try something different... and I'm SO glad I did - wow, this is delicious!
It was really important to me that I figure out how to get both the chewy texture and the juicy texture for the filling in this pie.
So for the chewy part, I made my tofu crumbles. If you've been hanging out on my blog for a while you will know I'm obsessed with making tofu crumbles. I've used them in my chili, bolognese, chorizo, lasagna soup, and tacos. Basically anywhere that I wanted a chewy ground beef texture. This simple technique makes the best chewy meaty texture ever!
For the juicy part, I used mushrooms. Instead of slicing them I chopped them for more of a ground meat texture. Then I sauté them so they become juicy and tender. The combo of the tofu crumbles with the mushrooms in this vegan tourtiere is total perfection.
This vegan savoury pie is the perfect centrepiece for a holiday feast such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it can also be enjoyed year-round! This vegan tourtiere can be made ahead of time and baked fresh. I've also included options in the recipe notes to make this recipe gluten-free or oil-free.
To make vegan tourtiere:
First, make the tofu crumbles.
Mix nutritional yeast, melted vegan butter, and soy sauce together in a large bowl. Open and drain the tofu (no need to press it), then use your fingers to break and crumble the tofu into the bowl. Stir the tofu crumbles well making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated in the seasoning mix.
Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
Make-ahead tip: you can prepare, bake, and allow the tofu crumbles to cool, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 - 3 days until ready to use.
In the meantime, you can make the rest of the filling. Melt the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms reduce in size, darken in colour, and begin to get juicy. Turn off the heat, another 5 - 10 minutes.
Whisk ¾ cup of the cold vegetable broth and cornstarch together in a cup or bowl. Pour the vegetable broth mixture over the mushrooms and stir in the baked tofu crumbles, breadcrumbs, and all of the spices. If the mixture looks a bit dry add ¼ cup more vegetable broth as needed.
Now you can assemble the pie. Divide the pie dough into two and roll out both halves on a floured surface. You can see more tips on how to do this in this post. Line a 9" pie plate with one half of the rolled dough. Spoon the mushroom tofu filling into the pie crust and then pack it down firmly.
Top the pie with the remaining half of the dough. Pinch the edges together to seal the pie closed, then cut slits on top to allow steam to release.
You can optionally use leftover pie dough to cut leaves or other shapes and decorate the pie. Brush the top of the pie with aquafaba or plant-based milk.
Browning tip: aquafaba is the liquid in a can of chickpeas or white beans and I find that brushing this on your pie crust gets the best golden colour, but if you don't have that on hand you can sub plant-based milk.
Bake for about 40 minutes until the crust is golden, keeping an eye on it near the end so that it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Common Questions:
Can tourtiere be frozen?
If wrapped tightly or stored in an air-tight container, tourtiere can be frozen for up to 4 months.
What do you serve with tourtiere?
It's traditional to serve vegan tourtiere with HP sauce or ketchup. I also like adding a side salad.
Can tourtiere be made ahead?
Yes, the entire pie can be made the day ahead of time and then baked fresh. To do this, allow the filling to cool completely before assembling the pie. Once assembled, cover with foil and chill in fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, follow the baking instructions in the recipe, bake from chilled.
*See my recipe notes below for answers to more commonly asked questions such as gluten-free or oil-free!
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Tourtiere (vegan meat pie)
Servings: servings (makes 1 pie)
PRINT
PIN
COMMENT
Ingredients
For the tofu crumbles:
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter or oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 block (12 oz/ 350 g) extra-firm tofu, drained (no need to press it)
For the rest of the filling:
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or oil
- 1 yellow onion,, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- 16 oz mushroom,, chopped
- ¾ - 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, (optional, see notes)
For the pie crust:
- 2 times the recipe for Easy Vegan Pie Crust, (or store-bought vegan pie crust)
- aquafaba or plant-based milk, for brushing the pastry
Instructions
To prepare the tofu:
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the pan.
- Mix nutritional yeast, melted vegan butter, and soy sauce together in a large bowl. Break the tofu into a few large chunks and add them to the bowl, then us a potato masher to mash the tofu into crumbles. Stir the tofu crumbles well making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated in the seasoning mix.
- Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
To prepare the rest of the filling:
- In the meantime, melt the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then add the onion and garlic, about 5 minutes. Sauté until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms reduce in size, darken in colour, and begin to get juicy, another 5 - 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Whisk ¾ cup of the cold vegetable broth and cornstarch together in a cup or bowl. Pour the vegetable broth mixture over the mushrooms and stir in the baked tofu crumbles, breadcrumbs, and all of the spices. If the mixture looks a bit dry add ¼ cup more vegetable broth as needed.
To assemble the pie:
- Turn your oven up to 400F (200C).
- Divide the pie dough into two, then roll out half of the pie dough on a floured surface. You can see more tips on how to do this in this post. Line a 9" pie plate with the rolled dough. Spoon the mushroom tofu filling into the pie crust and then pack it down firmly.
- Roll the remaining half of the dough and place ontop of the pie. Pinch the edges together to seal the pie then cut slits on top to allow steam to release. You can optionally use leftover pie dough to cut leaves or other shapes and decorate the pie. Brush the top of the pie with aquafaba or non-dairy milk.
- Bake for about 40 minutes until the crust is golden, keeping an eye on it near the end so that it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕
MP says
Hi, Can this be frozen either before or after cooking and assembling?
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi MP, I haven't tried this myself, but someone in the comments said they froze the filling and it thawed just fine 🙂
Anna says
This recipe is amazing! I made it for thanksgiving dinner last night and it was a huge hit. Everyone went back for seconds and was super surprised it was vegan!
I didn’t have enough mushrooms so I just used 8oz of mushrooms and added 1 package of yves veggie ground. It worked perfectly.
Thanks Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing, so happy you loved it, Anna 🙂
nicole says
Is there anything I can use as a mushroom substitute? I have an allergic family member and there are so many mushrooms in this.
Susan says
Try cooked lentils.
Rochelle says
STILL the BEST!
This year I used the spices my mom uses in her meat version, and put the filling into premade tart shells (easy freezing and reheating for the whole season). Wow, it tastes just like my mom's, but secretly better because the fattiness of the meat version always gave me a tummy ache. So glad to have the vegan version in my repertoire!
Cindy says
I have never commented on a recipe before but OMG! So good! I added a bit of liquid smoke to the tofu but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Well done! I will make this again for sure.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Cindy 🙂
Brianna Coulter says
I cooked this last night for my partner and his parents and they were all incredibly impressed. It tasted delicious and the method worked exactly as described. There is no way someone that says "I don't like tofu" could say that if they had tasted this. My only criticism would be that the pie could be saucier, however that could be because I'm used to Australian meat pies which tend to be much saucier/contain lots of gravy compared to Canadian tourtieres. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe! I'll certainly be making it again.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it Brianna!
Nikki says
Just made this and I was sooooo good. I added celery and yam to the mixture and it tasted just like Christmas dinner
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it!!
Michelle says
You've done it again Sam! Made this last night and it was fantastic! Thanks for another wonderful recipe to add to my rotation!
Linda says
Bookmarked this recipe!!
Was a huge hit for our holiday meal
Meat eaters and veggies alike loved it.
Thanks so much so easy, and since I make the tofu crumbles often
have them on hand .
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! Thrilled it was such a hit 🙂
Sue says
This recipe will be a tradition for our vegan family from now on. We made it Christmas Eve, are making it again for New Year and will try to save it for other holidays so that it remains special - if we can be patient enough to wait to eat it again!
We did not find the nutritional yeast to have a strong presence in the flavour profile - for any who are concerned due to not liking it.
Also, to make it low FODMAP, we subbed zucchini for onion (and used garlic and shallot infused olive oil to make up the flavour) and we used a combination of oyster and canned mushrooms).
We are very grateful for this recipe - thank you!!
Claudia says
Hi Sam. This looks really good for a French-Canadian vegan ! I am not a fan nutritional yeast though but I usually replace it with miso. Do you have any idea of the proportion ? Thanks again !
Jennifer Hughes says
Just want to say thank you for creating this recipe! I made it for Christmas dinner and my family (all but one of whom are omni) loved it!! I was even asked to make it again for future gatherings 😀
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's so awesome! So happy everyone loved it. 🙂
Theresa says
For those of you familiar with Cornish pasties, I think a mixture of this with some potatoes would make for an excellent vegan pasty.
Shannon says
That sounds really good! Maybe add a parsnip also. I want it now!lol!
barbara stone says
Made this for Christmas dinner. Everyone (even the turkey eating ones) raved about this dish. Definitely a keeper. Used shitake mushrooms and store bought crust. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled it was a hit 🙂
Naty says
Made this for my non-vegan in laws and was a huge success! They asked me to leave all the leftovers that they would freeze to keep eating it! Thank you!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's so awesome. Thrilled it was a hit 🙂
Sarah says
My sister made this for Christmas day it was delicious. I was so excited when I saw this recipe. I was like oh yeah I'm making this mushroom pie.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you loved it 🙂
Martin says
Made this tonight for Christmas dinner as an alternative to turkey I also made. I really enjoyed the pie. It was easy to put together, using a vegan pie crust from the store. Made the filling in the morning and baked the pie before serving
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed!
Jacqueline Manni says
So delicious! I made it today and it was just what I hoped. Used your (and your grandmother’s ) crust recipe too, and it’s so flaky and wonderful. I now feel confident I can make pies of all kinds 🙂 Thank you for this, and all of your recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, so glad it was a hit!
Angie Hache says
The tourtiere was a hit for our Christmas dinner with my non-vegan family! Thank you so much!! and Merry Christmas to you xo
Sam Turnbull says
Merry Christmas to you too!
Gayle says
I bought premade shells because I didn't want to risk messing up the pastry but will make the crust next time. This is really good. My mom use to make a meat pie which was a big part of our Christmas tradition, this is a compassionate, cruelty free replacement. I am not much of a cook, don't really enjoy cooking, but when I make one of your recipes there is a pretty good chance it will be worth the effort. Thanks Sam, you are the best
Sam Turnbull says
Aww I love that! So happy you enjoyed 🙂