Woolton Pie Recipe
Woolton Pie is a vegetarian-friendly WWII dinner recipe created to be a simple, healthy meal during wartime rationing. Fresh vegetables and whole wheat pastry give this British wartime dish lots of fiber and nutrients!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 280kcal
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2½ cups russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 5 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets
- 2 cups carrots diced
- 2 cups turnip peeled and diced
- ⅔ cup spring onion sliced
- filtered water to cover
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Marmite
- ¼ cup curly parsley chopped
For the Crust
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon mashed potatoes
- 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 3½ tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold water
For Serving
- brown gravy optional
Instructions
Making the Filling
- Rinse the cauliflower, then cut into bite-sized florets. Slice the spring onions, then peel and dice the carrots, turnips, and potatoes.
- Dump the chopped veggies, oatmeal, salt, pepper, and Marmite into a large pot and barely cover with water. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil, then cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Thoroughly drain the veggies in a large colander, reserving any leftover cooking liquid to use as vegetable stock. Allow to cool, then place the filling in a 6-cup (1.5 liter) enamel pie dish and sprinkle the fresh parsley on top.
Making the Pastry
- Pour the whole wheat flour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Rub in the butter and lard until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the mashed potatoes, salt, and baking powder until well blended.
- Gradually add enough water to form a smooth dough, making sure all the flour is picked up from the bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough a few times.
Assembling & Baking the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thick. Cover the filling with the pastry, decorate with leftover scraps, and brush with beaten egg. Cut a few vent holes in the top.
- Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Let it cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Serve each slice with a generous amount of gravy made with the reserved vegetable cooking water.
Notes
- Change up the veggies based on your personal taste.
- Be careful not to over-boil the vegetables; it will make them mushy.
- This pie will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5702IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
