Like so many other households, we introduced a new member to the family in 2020: Madame Hooch, our sourdough starter. She proudly sits on the counter in a glass jar where we can watch her grow and change during the day. Madame Hooch got her name, of course, for all the hooch I let grow until I understood what was even happening! I’m proud to say we got that under control!
While I’m still learning how to handle her, part of the fun is seeing all the many recipes you can make with the starter. My current favorite is this Sourdough Vegetable Pie. It’s a lovely one-dish meal that can be made without planning ahead or thinking too much. After getting it in the oven, it’s ready to come out in the time it takes to clean up the kitchen. It’s one of those perfect any time meals. Serve it along with a salad or green vegetable like my Old Bay Skillet Okra for a fast, plant-based dinner.
Making the Sourdough Vegetable Pie Topping
Sourdough starters can be wildly different, it seems like. Some perfectly happy and fed starters can be runny, or they can be super thick and holey. In my climate-controlled, but Southern kitchen, our starter is fed with a 1:1 flour to water ratio each time, and it seems to be somewhat in the middle of those extremes. We sometimes leave it on the counter, but it can also be stored in the fridge to prolong the next feeding time.
To make the topping for your Sourdough Vegetable Pie, you will need to make sure your starter is room temperature and recently fed.
Making the Vegetable Pie Filling
This pie is beautiful because you really can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. In the instructions, I give you a general idea of common vegetables as a base. You can customize this recipe for any vegetables you have that need to be used or ones you prefer. Just make sure you have chopped them all about the same size and cooked them to your liking prior to building your pie.
Sourdough Vegetable Pie
Ingredients
Sourdough Topping
- 1 cup fed, active sourdough starter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
Pie Filling
- 1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots
- 1/2 cup white or sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
- 2 tsp AP flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: 1 tsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
For the Sourdough Filling
- Prep all your vegetables by washing, drying, peeling if needed, and chopping into 1/2" or bite-sized pieces. Frozen vegetables do not need to be defrosted.
- Warm a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. BONUS: if you use a cast iron or other oven-safe skillet, you can make everything in one pan!
- Add the onion, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and saute until translucent, anywhere from 5-15 minutes depending on how brown you want your onions.
- Add the carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, then saute until semi-soft, or about 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of your vegetables, a bit of salt, and saute. If you add frozen vegetables, you want them to be completely warmed through before moving on. If you need to drop the heat or add a little more oil, please do.
- Once the vegetables feel basically done to you, season with black pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stirring it in to really coat all the produce.
- Pour the stock in the pan and stir until there is a nice, shiny consistency. Remove the pan from the heat.
For the Sourdough Topping
- Mix together all ingredients for the topping. If you are using nutritional yeast, add that to the mix.
- Optional: you can add 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the mix or sprinkled on the top if you prefer.
Finishing the Pie
- If you need to use a separate dish, pour your vegetable mixture into your casserole dish. If you are making this a one-dish meal because you used an oven-safe skillet, skip this step.
- Pour your topping all over the top of your pie, making sure to cover it completely. If you are adding cheese to the top, sprinkle that over the top.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the topping is bouncy and set.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Leave a Reply