Vegan homity pie recipe

Ingredients

For the vegan pastry

• 250g (9oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 125g (4oz) dairy-free butter
• Pinch of salt

For the homity pie filling

• 750g (1lb 10oz) King Edward potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 tbsp dairy-free butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g (3oz) baby spinach, washed and roughly torn
• 150g (5oz) vegan Cheddar-style cheese, grated
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 250ml (9floz) cashew cream (see panel below)
• Sea salt and ground black pepper

Methods

Homity pie was particularly popular in Britain during the 1960s as vegetarian dishes became more mainstream. I’ve made it extra hippy by creating this vegan version.

1. Make the pastry by putting the flour, butter and salt in a large bowl and rubbing together with your fingertips until it forms a dense, sandy mixture. (Alternatively, you could use a food processor and pulse a few times.) Add up to 4 tbsp of cold water, a spoonful at a time, until the dough comes together without crumbling. Wrap in greaseproof paper and then leave to chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

2. Add the potatoes to a large pan of water and bring to the boil, then boil for ten minutes, until tender. Drain and leave in the colander.

3. Meanwhile, add the butter to the same pan and sauté the onion, leek and garlic for five minutes, until softened. Add the spinach to the pan and allow to wilt for one minute. Next, add the drained potatoes along with half of the vegan cheese and the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and allow everything to cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 170ºC fan/ 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5 and grease a 20cm (8in) pastry dish with a little dairy-free butter.

5. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll into a circle large enough to cover the base and sides of the dish. Line the dish, trim off the excess pastry and pinch around the rim to create a neat edge. Transfer the cooled potato mixture into the pastry case, then slowly pour in the cashew cream and scatter the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown on top.

6. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Delicious served hot or cold.

How to make the cashew cream

Soak 150g (5oz) raw cashew nuts in just-boiled water for 15 minutes or overnight. Drain and add the nuts to a blender with 240ml (8fl oz) unsweetened dairy-free milk and 1 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar and a small pinch of salt.

Great British Vegan by Aimee Ryan is published by White Lion Publishing, priced £20. To buy at a discount, visit the Saga Bookshop.

Visit our vegan recipes section for more delicious meat-free meal ideas, including a recipe for mushroom 'steak' and kidney bean pie and vegan Lancashire hotpot