Rustic Savory Vegetable Pie

Savor this homey pie for dinner.

Pie doesn’t just mean dessert! This savory vegetable pie recipe makes an elegant but rustic dinner, filled with seasonal vegetables and cheese.

The savory side of pie

If someone says the word “pie,” most of us probably think of the sweet kind: apple pie, pumpkin pie, Key lime — you name it. Not a savory version made with vegetables and a bit of cheese. But pies, tarts, and galettes also have a savory side. (Deep-dish chicken pot pie, anyone?)

This savory vegetable pie recipe, which I’ve done as a simple vegetable galette, makes a rustic and beautiful dinner, and comes together easily. With a whole-wheat crust, simple filling, and a 45-minute or so bake in the oven, a new favorite dinner is born.

For this recipe, I took inspiration and influence from Joshua McFadden’s essential cookbook, Six Seasons. If you don’t already own it, I highly recommend it.

Vegetable pie recipe ingredients

The most important thing to know about your galette vegetables is that you are welcome to change them — to a point. For example, feel free to substitute another winter squash for butternut. Don’t like kale? Spinach is a great substitute. Just keep it in the same vegetable family, and the result will be great.

For this winter vegetable pie, you will need:

• Pie dough (I use a whole wheat crust, but you can use all white flour if you’d like)
• Diced butternut squash
• Baby or shredded kale
• Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme)
• Ricotta and Gruyère cheeses
• Eggs to bind it all together
• Salt and pepper

What vegetables can you use in this vegetable pie?

This recipes uses fall and winter vegetables like onion, butternut squash, and kale. That said, you can easily swap in other vegetables in the same family.

For example, you can certainly substitute the following vegetables in your savory galette:

• Spinach for kale
• Another winter squash (delicata, acorn) for butternut squash
• Leeks or shallots for onion (though watch your stove heat; these will brown more easily than onion)
• Bell peppers could be very tasty as well — as a substitute for winter squash, not in addition to because the flavors will clash

I do not recommend substituting summer vegetables like zucchini or tomato here. The moisture content and flavor profile will be too different.

How to make a savory pie: recipe steps

This savory vegetable galette hews to the general steps of any pie: 1) make the crust, 2) fill it with the cheesy vegetable filling, 3) bake, 4) serve.

1. The first step is to make the pie dough. Make the dough first because it should chill for at least one hour. Chilling pie dough accomplishes two things: It allows the gluten proteins to relax, and ensures that the butter can chill. Chilled butter makes flaky dough.
2. While the pie dough chills, make the filling. Cook the vegetables, and mix them with the cheese. Cooking the vegetables in advance gets the excess moisture out, so you don’t end up with a soupy mess.
3.  Assemble. Roll the pie dough and place it in the center of a lined or greased sheet pan. Pile the filling into the center. Fold the edges up over the filling. This makes a galette.
4. Egg wash for gloss and extra golden browning, and then bake. The vegetable pie (well, galette, technically) will bake for about 45 minutes.

What to serve with your lovely vegetable tart

Because this vegetable pie tastes a little rich thanks to the buttery crust and cheese, I prefer to serve this with a simple side salad, such as fresh greens dressed lightly with vinaigrette. A cider vinaigrette would make a lovely seasonal fall or winter dressing.

Love this vegetable pie recipe? You’ll also love these savory, crusty recipes:

• Goat Cheese and Leek Tart
• Beef and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
• Deep-Dish Chicken Pot Pie

Savory Vegetable Pie

A cozy savory vegetable pie recipe that comes together quickly and makes a beautiful, easy dinner with seasonal vegetables and cheese.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Pie Dough Chilling Time1 hour hr

Course: Appetizer, dinner

Cuisine: American

Keywords:: butternut squash, fall recipes, kale, quiche, vegetable pie, vegetarian, winter vegetables

Servings: 4 to 6 people

Print Email

Ingredients 

1x2x

For the Pie Dough

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (+ more for dusting)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (you can substitute all-purpose)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, diced small
• 1/3 cup cold water

For the Vegetable Pie Filling and to Finish

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (for about 1 tablespoon minced)
• 2 sprigs fresh sage (for about 1 tablespoon minced)
• 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme (for about 1 tablespoon of leaves)
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 heaping cups (about 6 ounces) diced butternut squash
• 5 ounces baby kale (or one bunch lacinato kale, deveined and sliced into very thin strips)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) + to taste
• 24 turns fresh-ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère or Comté cheese (6 ounces)

Instructions

For the Pie Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the two flours and salt with your fingers or a whisk.
• Add the cold, diced butter and work it with fingers until the butter is the texture of small peas in the flour. The butter does not have to be too combined – there should still be loose flour.
• Add the cold water and stir with your fingers until it all just holds together in a shaggy mass, and turn out onto a lightly-floured countertop and gather into a flattened round.

  PRO TIP: Knead the dough once or twice -- gently! -- if it feels a little too broken up. Avoid working it to the point where it's firm ball; that is overmixed.
• Shape/press the dough into a thick, flat disc about 1/2” thick. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge at least 1 hour or overnight.

For the Vegetable Pie Filling and to Finish

• Pluck the rosemary, sage, and thyme leaves from the stems. Discard the stems and mince the herb leaves together. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the butternut squash, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened (about 10 minutes). Add the kale, garlic, remaining salt, and the pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until the kale is fully wilted. Remove from heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 eggs, ricotta, grated cheese, and the reserved herbs.
• Add the cooked vegetable mixture to the cheese mixture. Stir to combine.

To Assemble and Finish the Vegetable Pie

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease or line with parchment a half-sheet pan.
• Using a little dusting flour as necessary, roll the pie dough to about 14 inches in diameter. It should be about 1/8" thick. Gently lift the dough into the middle of the sheet pan. It's ok if the dough drapes over the sheet pan; you'll be folding it up in a minute.
• Spoon the filling into the center of the pie dough, leaving a 2" margin of dough.
• Whisk the third egg in a little bowl. Lightly egg wash the border of dough (this will act as "glue") and fold the dough up, fold by fold, all the way around toward the center of the galette. The center should be open.
• Lightly egg wash the pie dough. If you have an extra sprig of thyme or rosemary, place it in the middle for a nice garnish. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife comes clean from the center and it's all nicely browned.
• Let set and cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Slice, and serve warm, maybe with a little salad.

Notes

A warm, rustic vegetable pie makes an excellent dinner that is guaranteed to impress. Make the dough at least one hour in advance so it can chill. 

This recipe keeps for about two days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.