My family started out in California, but I grew up in Canada. We ate Mexican-inspired food back when Canadians weren’t sure what avocados were and had never seen a burrito. Tamale Pie was on the table a few times a year, and this vegan version hits my flavour and texture buds right where the old omni family favourite used to. I hope you enjoy making, and especially eating, this Mouthwatering Vegan Tamale Pie!
- Comforting
- Savoury
- Spicy
GET THE STUFF TOGETHER!
(makes 1 pie)
Cornmeal crust
You can use any savoury crust you like, but I do highly recommend cornmeal in the crust. This one is dense and stands up well to the hefty filling.
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 tsp onion powder (optional)
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Cornmeal topping
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Filling – get creative!
* items below marked with * are optional.
- olive oil for sautéeing
- 1 chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup drained cooked beans (white, pinto or black)
- 1 cup cubed roasted butternut squash
- 1 cup corn
- 1 chopped tomato
- 3 roasted mild peppers: bell peppers, poblano, anaheim, etc., skin and seeds removed, chopped
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- * ¼ cup chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil (or boiled to soften if dry)
- * ¼ cup chopped black olives
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp cumin or to taste
- 1 tbsp chili powder or to taste
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2-3 tbsp salsa (I like Salsa Verde)
- * ½ cup fresh cilantro
- * 1 chopped mild jalapeno (optional)
- 1 cup chopped kale leaves, stems removed
- ⅛ cup cornmeal
- salt and pepper to taste
* cilantro, salsa, cashew sour cream, and/or jalapeño lime sauce for serving
MAKE IT!
First: the crust
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse, or mix with a wooden spoon followed by hand kneading, until combined. Shape into a ball, wrap in parchment paper or cover tightly, and put in the fridge for about an hour.
Now the delicious filling
If your peppers are not roasted, see this link for instructions on how to make beautiful roasted peppers.
Sauté onions over low heat. When transparent, add garlic. When fragrant, add everything except the kale and cornmeal. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until tomatoes are softened, about 10-15 minutes.
Add kale and cornmeal. Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer very quietly, stirring regularly to keep from burning, about 10 minutes or until kale is wilted.
Remove from heat and allow to sit and firm up while you make the topping.
kale
roasted butternut squash
chopped sun-dried tomatoes
roasted poblano pepper
roasted red pepper
cooked black beans
chopped garlic
chopped cherry tomatoes
Now make the topping!
Bring water and salt to a boil. Add cornmeal slowly and simmer, stirring regularly, about 15 minutes, until thick and creamy. Stir in the nutritional yeast, then remove from heat.
You can also add up to 1/2 cup of grated vegan cheese, if you like. I usually skip this step unless I have some of my own homemade cashew cheese on hand, but I bet it would be worth a try!
Put it all together!
Take the ball of pie crust from the fridge and put it into the pie plate. It will be crumbly, but it will stick together as you press it into shape leaving an edge around the top. I used a big spoon to flatten it out. It worked great.
Get the filling in there!
Spoon in the filling and spread it into all the corners.
You’re Almost Done!
Spread the topping over with a rubber spatula. If you want to get super fancy, you can decorate your Mouthwatering Vegan Tamale Pie with some artistically sprinkled chopped olives on top.
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden around the edges.
Eat it!
Serve with your choice of salsa, guacamole, fresh avocado, crisp green salad, or green cilantro lime jalapeño sauce (recipe coming)!
Good hot, room temperature or even cold. Great with burritos!
