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Home » Main Course » Savory Pies

Woolton Pie Recipe

Published: Feb 12, 2020 · Modified: Mar 8, 2022 by Emma · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.

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slice of Woolton pie

You've probably never heard of Woolton pie.  This British wartime meal was created during WWII as a simple, healthy dinner for families.  Although it wasn't widely loved in England during the war, I have some ideas to make this vegetarian main course a family favorite.

holding a slice of Woolton pie on a plate

Jump to:
  • Questions
  • How to Make
  • Pro Tips
  • Recommended Tools
  • Recipe
  • Comments

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Questions

What is Woolton pie?

  • It's a vegetarian dish created in England during war rationing in the 1940s.
  • It traditionally contains a variety of garden vegetables, such as potatoes, turnips, carrots, cauliflower, and spring onions.
  • It is usually topped with whole wheat pastry or dollops of mashed potatoes.

holding a forkful of Woolton pie

How can I make Woolton pie taste better?

The strict wartime rationing forced the Ministry of Food to keep Woolton pie quite plain, without much seasoning or any extra ingredients for additional flavor.   Although it contained a lot of healthy vitamins and fiber, the British public wasn't fond of its bland flavor.  Since we aren't under wartime rationing, we can make this dish as tasty as we'd like!  Here's some ideas to get you started.

  • Pan-fry 2 large yellow onions in 2 tablespoons of butter until golden and add to the veggie filling.
  • Boil only the potatoes for 10 minutes; leave the rest of the veggies raw.
  • Season the veggies generously with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme.
  • Mix some rich gravy into the vegetable filling instead of serving the gravy separately.
  • For the pastry, cut the amount of mashed potatoes in half and add ½ cup of grated cheddar cheese.
  • Use all-purpose flour in the pastry instead of whole wheat for a less earthy taste.

slice of Woolton pie on a plate

How to Make

Pull out all the filling ingredients: potatoes, carrots, turnip, cauliflower, spring onions, oatmeal, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper.

veggies for Woolton pie

Peel and dice the potatoes, carrots, and turnip, and chop the cauliflower and spring onions.  Add all the filling ingredients into a large pot and just barely cover the veggies with water.

veggies in a pot for Woolton pie

Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Thoroughly drain the veggies, reserving any leftover cooking liquid to use as vegetable stock.  Allow to cool.

cooked and drained veggies for Woolton pie

Place the veggies in a 6-cup (1.5 liter) enamel dish and sprinkle the fresh parsley on top.

Woolton pie filling in the pie dish

Measure out the pastry ingredients: whole wheat flour, mashed potatoes, butter, lard, salt, baking powder, and water.

ingredients for pastry for Woolton pie

Pour the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

flour and fat mixture for Woolton pie pastry

Mix in the mashed potatoes, salt, and baking powder.

making the pastry for Woolton pie

Gradually add enough water to bring the ingredients together to form a smooth dough.  Knead a few times, then use immediately or chill for later.

pastry for Woolton pie

Top the filling with the pastry and brush with beaten egg.  Crimp the edges, decorate with scraps of pastry, and cut a few vent holes in the top.

Woolton pie before baking

Bake at 400 F for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned.  Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Woolton pie after baking

Pro Tips

  • Want something different? Change the veggies as you desire, or add fresh herbs.
  • Need to save time?  Have someone help you with the prep work.
  • Don't overcook the veggies, or they will be mushy.
  • In a rush?  Use store-bought pastry instead of the whole wheat one.
  • Have leftovers? They'll keep for 3-5 days in the fridge as long as they're tightly covered.

Recommended Tools

  • Whole Wheat Flour: King Arthur is our favorite brand of flour!
  • Dutch Oven: this big, heavy-bottomed pot is our go-to for cooking veggies.
  • Colander: I love the sturdy base on this, enabling it to stand in the sink.
  • Cutting Board: this spacious board is made from bamboo.
  • Enamel Pie Dishes: these practical pie dishes will last you for years.

Other British Savory Pies

  • Steak and Ale Pie
  • Chicken and Mushroom Pie
  • Corned Beef Pie
  • Chicken & Leek Pie
  • Minced Beef Pie

The pleasure of a 5-star review would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe

slice of Woolton pie on a plate

Woolton Pie Recipe

Woolton Pie is a vegetarian 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 nutrients to improve your family’s health.
4.1 from 9 votes
Print Pin FavoriteSaved! Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 229kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

For the Filling

  • 2 ½ 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
  • 1 tablespoon oatmeal
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup curly parsley, chopped

For the Crust

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon mashed potatoes
  • 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
  • 3 ½ tablespoons lard
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cold water

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, and pepper into a large pot and just 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 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.
  • Have a helper peel and cut the veggies with you.  It will decrease the prep time significantly!
  • Be careful not to over-boil the vegetables; it will make them mushy.
  • Use store-bought pastry if you're in a hurry.
  • This pie will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 229kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 43g (14%)Protein: 8g (16%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mg (3%)Sodium: 322mg (14%)Potassium: 748mg (21%)Fiber: 7g (29%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 6032IU (121%)Vitamin C: 51mg (62%)Calcium: 92mg (9%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. paul

    May 11, 2020 at 5:44 am

    5 stars
    very nice

    Reply
    • Emma

      May 11, 2020 at 6:35 am

      Awesome, Paul! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the Woolton pie!

      Reply
  2. Paul

    March 20, 2020 at 9:49 pm

    This looks delicious, can’t wait to try!

    Reply
    • Emma

      March 21, 2020 at 7:31 am

      I hope you enjoy it, Paul! Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
      • paul

        May 11, 2020 at 5:45 am

        going to try the chicken and leek pie next

        Reply
        • Emma

          May 11, 2020 at 6:36 am

          Great! Let me know how you enjoy the chicken and leek pie!

          Reply
  3. Beth

    May 22, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    5 stars
    I think this pie tastes great, but it could use some onions. Overall, I really enjoyed it and look forward to having more sometime.

    Reply
    • Emma

      May 23, 2019 at 11:49 am

      Onions definitely would add a lovely flavor. I was trying to keep this recipe somewhat traditional, so that's why I didn't add them to the recipe.

      Reply
  4. Annette

    November 06, 2018 at 3:30 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe for using up left over veggies from Sunday lunch and homemade gravy

    Reply
    • Emma

      November 06, 2018 at 8:40 am

      Thank you, Annette! I'm glad you enjoyed Woolton pie. 🙂

      Reply

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Welcome to our kitchen! We're Brooke & Emma, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. As self-taught cooks and bakers, we love to inspire you to cook from scratch with real food! Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts.

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