I love my greens- kale, collards, chard, chrysanthemum, arugula, dandelion, spinach, romaine, turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens- the list of lovely leafy greens could go on, but simply put, I like greens. Most of the time I’ll enjoy them in some sort of soy sauce and garlic based stir fry, but every now and then I like to shake things up- and this cheesy, creamy, savory kale pie is a perfect way to taste a different side of kale. I chose to do a savory pie, because in addition to loving greens, I also love savory. You might be able to tell that from the recipes I publish- while desserts have their place, I nearly always lean towards the salty over the sugary, the potato chip over the chocolate chip, or the kale pie over the cherry pie.

Click Here for a Print-Friendly Version

I always think of pie as this super time consuming, difficult endeavor but it really doesn’t have to be. Between simple recipes for crusts (like this one) and even premade dough, there’s no reason that pies have to be limited to the ambitious bakers among us. And, although in the United States most pies are, there is no reason for pies to all be sweet! I love a good savory pie, and have recently vowed to eat more of them. It’s a great way to take vegetables, add a carb element, and make a whole, filling meal. Plus it’s an impressive creation, and everyone will assume you’ve been slaving away all day to create your kale pie masterpiece.

A Few Other Takes on Pie

• Layered White Bean, Lentil and Kohlrabi Vegan Shepard’s Pie
• Tastes Like Chicken Pie
• Bouquet of Roses Beet & Radish Salad Pizza

The most tricky part of the recipe is rolling out the crust. The dough is incredibly simple- it is composed of only flour, water, oil and a little salt. After mixing the ingredients together, kneed for a few minutes to form an even dough. Put the dough back in the bowl and allow to settle for at least 20 minutes before touching it again. This pie has a top and a bottom crust, but because the bottom crust has to cover the sides of the pie tin as well as the bottom, it uses about 2/3’s of the dough. Use a rolling pin to stretch the bottom crust into a thin layer that covers the entire tin, then add the filling (you can cook this while you’re letting your crust settle). Roll out the top crust in the same way and lay it on top of the filling. Use your fingers to go along the edge and pinch the crusts together, creating a fully sealed border around your pie. Because you do need a way for steam to escape, it is important that you cut vents into the top crust- use a sharp knife to cut 4-6 slits, around 2 inches in length, radiating from the center of the pie

The mushrooms are part of the filling that gets cooked along with onions, garlic and kale. I first used cremini mushrooms (they’re cheap, and I prefer them to button mushrooms), and they were perfect. The next time I made this dish, there were only shiitake and oyster mushrooms in the fridge- throwing caution to the wind, I threw both types of mushroom, finely diced, into the pot. The result was amazing- perfect. In short, I’m not sure you could find a bad mushroom to do the job- use what you have, purchased or foraged, and let me know the results! Another ingredient to lookout for is the vegan cheese- I use the vegan cheese at Trader Joe’s, which is both good and decently priced. For those of you not near a Trader Joe’s, Diaya would be another acceptable option, or you could use a more expensive option.

Savory Kale Pie

Click Here for a Print-Friendly Version

Let’s hear from you…

• Are pies intimidating, or do you consider yourself a champion of pastery?
• Does a savory kale pie sound good to you? What other savory pies do you like, or do you prefer sweet fruit pies?

Like this post? Pin it!