I was browsing the Massel Gluten Free Bouillon & Seasoning website for a recipe to make when I came across their Vegan Mushroom and Pea Tart recipe. I’m not sure what it was about this particular recipe that caught my eye, especially since I don’t like mushrooms! I know, I’m a vegetarian, and I’m supposed to like all veggies, but I don’t, and the while mushrooms aren’t technically a vegetable, they show up in vegetarian dishes frequently. Still, for some reason it’s the recipe I decided to make, but because I prefer whole foods, I changed it to a vegetarian recipe using organic butter instead of vegan butter. I also didn’t have any olive oil in the house, so I made it all-butter, sure the fat content suffered a bit from the change, but the taste is worth it.
Instead of veggie bouillon, I opted for Massel’s Chicken Ultracube Stock Cubes, which are a bit richer. It’s the perfect flavor booster for rice pilaf, quinoa, risotto, couscous, and more. It’s also perfect in your favorite stew or soup base, and it can be enjoyed as a consomme. One Ultracube makes a pint of stock when combined with water.
I also reduced the mushrooms by a few ounces (I bought them prewashed and sliced in 8oz packages) and added more shredded potato. I also changed the peas to peas and carrots, and I would add more next time. Because I don’t like crust, it’s a texture thing for me, instead of a tart that has more crust to filling, I opted to bake mine in a deep dish for more filling.
- 1 c Butter (organic unsalted preferred), divided
- 16 oz mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, or 3 tsp garlic paste
- 3 Tbls fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 Tbls dried marjoram OR 3 Tbls fresh marjoram, finely chopped
- 4 Tbls all-purpose wheat flour (or white)
- ½ cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
- 1 Massel Chicken Ultracube Stock Cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 Tbs sour cream
- Pepper, to taste
- 3 cups grated baked potato (about 3 medium baked potatoes or 5 small)
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (run under warm water to thaw)
- nonstick spray
- 16 sheets of filo dough (puff pastry also spelled phyllo)
- To do ahead of time:
- Let the filo dough thaw in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before making this recipe.
- The day before or early on the same day, bake the potatoes and allow to cool (or refrigerate up to two days - an excellent way to use up leftover baked potatoes)
- In a large Dutch Oven or Multi-Pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add onions, garlic, and celery. Cook 5 minutes or until they're nearly tender.
- Add the chopped mushrooms, thyme, and marjoram and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms tender.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir. Once incorporated, continue to stir for two minutes to create the roux (set the timer - two minutes is longer than you think, and it makes a difference in the taste).
- Lower the temperature to low-medium and add the dissolved Massel Chicken UltraCube Stock Cube and wine. Stir to loosen the roux and create the sauce. Continue to stir for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit.
- Remove the veggies and sauce from the stove and stir in the sour cream.
- Add pepper, grated potatoes, peas, and corn. Stir carefully to incorporate but not make mushy. Taste and add more pepper, herbs, and salt if necessary.Set the filling aside while you prepare the baking pan or refrigerate up to a day ahead.
- Set the filling aside while you prepare the baking pan or refrigerate up to a day ahead.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Spray the bottom and sides of an 8x8x3" baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Place one sheet of phyllo dough into the bottom of the baking dish and then brush it with the melted butter. Continue brushing butter to ½" over the baking rim. Repeat butter/phyllo layers until you have 8 sheets total
- Spoon the filling into the prepared pan. Smooth it flat.
- Top with 8 more sheets of phyllo separated by butter layers remembering to butter ¼" past the edge of the baking dish.
- Using kitchen shears, cut off the extra phyllo ¼" from the edge of the baking dish.
- Fold under the ¼" overhang all around to seal in the filling.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow it to cool slightly and serve warm.
- Save calories and skip the bottom crust! Or if you LOVE crust, make phyllo packets with the filling folded inside for a ready to go lunch.
Massel Vegan Mushroom and Pea Tart vs My Vegetarian Chicken and Mushroom Bake Featuring Massel Chicken Ultracube Stock Cube
Which recipe is best, Massel’s vegan version or my vegetarian? It depends. If you want a show-stopping dish to take to brunch or a potluck, go with Massel’s Mushroom and Pea Tart. If you want a hearty meal for your family, go with mine. You can’t lose with either one, and you don’t have to be a vegetarian to love it, my meat-loving husband adores it too, and he HATES mushrooms!
Where to Buy Massel Products
Buy Massel products online at Amazon.com,
I had not heard of this brand, but it sounds like a healthy choice. I have been meaning to have more meatless meals. This recipe is a great inspiration.
Mmm, this looks amazing! So flaky and that is vegetarian?
Yep! Vegetarian through and through and sooooooo freakin’ good! 🙂
Wow, that does look really delicious! I agree with the others – I never would’ve guessed it’s a vegetarian dish!
It’s one of the best vegetarian dishes I’ve ever eaten and I’ve been a vegetarian for 15-20 years….somewhere around there… and I’ve eaten a lot of food 🙂
This recipe looks so good to prepare on a weekend, for a lazy day indoors.
Make two and freeze one after you put the crust on and before you bake it – dinner done for two nights!
What an awesome dinner idea. That looks so good.
That looks delicious! I will have to make it for dinner soon!
I love finding new vegetarian recipes to try. I will have to try this recipe on the weekend.
This looks so delicious. I am always looking for new recipes to try. I will have to make this on the weekend.
I’ve been thinking of so many other ways to use this filling….it’s so good!
Wow, this looks amazing! I would never have guessed it was vegetarian!
This looks absolutely amazing. I was just curious how this dish could be a vegetarian one
Vegetarian is easy 🙂 And Massel makes it so easy!
Wow that recipe looks amazing! This would so be gone quickly if I made this for dinner!
I’ve never had something like this but pot pie is one of my favorite comfort foods and this looks delicious.
Wow that sounds like a serious comfort food. I could go for a dinner like this!
Exactly! It is a comfort food and something that reminds me of growing up on casseroles.
Oh my goodness, my family would love this. I am totally going to have to make this for them. Thanks so much for sharing.
you did a great job with this, it looks so delicious!
There’s nothing quite like cracking into the freshly baked shell of a pot pie. How funny is it that the name is an oxymoron? I had to check out the stock cubes a little closer! This looks like a delicious recipe for meat free Fridays!
My meat-loving husband loves it (though he said he’d would also love it with some shredded chicken in it :)))
Love that its vegetarian! The dish looks amazingly delicious! It would be a great way to get my daughter to eat all her veggies.
This mushroom hater LOVED it. I chopped them very roughly, they’d be easy to hide with a little more chopping 🙂
I really like the addition of the chicken flavor without the actual chicken. Since my mother in law is a vegetarian, this could easily be a dish that would be ideal for the entire family.
She would probably love that you went to the effort for her, I know I would!
That looks fantastic! I love that crust. Yum!
My husband loves the crust, too. 🙂
My husband is crazy about chicken and mushrooms together. This would be the perfect dinner for him!
Just add cooked shredded chicken before adding it to the pie crust and you’re done!
That sounds amazing. I bet my family would gobble that right up!
We did! And for lunch for the next several days and we’re already planning a beef-flavored version. 🙂
This dish called vegetarian chicken looks like such a flavorful dish and I love that you use filo dough as the crust. I want to make this healthy recipe, it looks delicious!
It is delicious, but healthy? Mmmm…..not with two sticks of butter in it 🙂
I love all of the fresh ingredients in this recipe! Looks delicious! The outer crust looks amazing!