Flakey Chickpea Pot Pie

This is Southern comfort food at its finest. To make the dish a little less Fatty McFatFat, I topped the pie with flattened crumbly dough, rather than covering it completely. If you want to do it the old-fashioned way, just double the crust recipe, and you'll have plenty

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cold water

Pie filling:

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed ("Classic" mix works great, but use whatever you want. Just make sure it's not pre-seasoned.)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium to large potato, diced small
2 cups chickpeas* (or one 15-16 oz can)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup soy milk
1/3 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine (Earth Balance is good & easy to find)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp thyme

Prepare the pie crust first.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and gradually work in the oil and water until crumbly. You might have to work it with your hands, and it'll probably fall apart a little. That's fine... it'll be nice and flakey after it cooks. Chill the dough for a half hour or so.

When the dough is ready, separate about 2/3 of it for the bottom crust. Stuff it into a 9 inch round pie dish, or a small square casserole dish if you don't have one. You want it to completely cover the bottom and to cover the sides as well as possible. It's not a big deal if it's a little messy.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium sized pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent. Stir in the flour, salt, & pepper, and then gradually stir in the broth & soy milk. Cook until well-blended & thick... sort of the consistency of gravy. Add the mixed vegetables, chickpeas, & potato, mixing well, and remove from heat. Fill the pie dish with the vegetable mixture, packing it in tight.

Now flatten out pieces of crust and lay them randomly across the top, leaving cracks between them. If you made the double crust recipe, flatten it out and lay it across the top, pinching the edges to attach it to the bottom. Cut a few slits in it to let steam out.

Bake at 425 for about 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Let it cool for a few minutes before you try to cut it.

*I'd like to say something about chickpeas. Cans are fine for convenience, but if you have the option, the taste and texture of cooked dried beans is so much better. I like to keep some pre-cooked in stock for various recipes. I soak them in water all day, cook them in a slow cooker on low all night, and then freeze them in 1 and 2-cup batches to use when needed.