Cheese and Onion Pasty

This vegan Cheese and Onion Pasty is made of a crumbly, buttery shortcrust pastry shell which is stuffed to the brim with creamy cheese and onion sauce and potatoes. Definitely a carbohydrate dream, but here’s the thing – the pastry is packed with protein from the almond and chickpea flour and contains no oil or butter. It’s genius!

Pasties bring back so many memories. These take me back to a 12 year old me on a Saturday lunch time, when my parents would take me and my siblings to Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury has nothing whatsoever to do with Cornwall, which is actually where Cornish pasties come from, but I had them first in Shrewsbury as it was closer to where I lived – I can’t help where and when the memories form!

Anyway, pasties take me back to this day where we’d go get Cornish pasties and cream cakes, walk around the town centre, take a nature trail along the canal and take in the fresh air before heading back home. The journey back was fun as we’d have leftover pasties and cakes to nibble on during the hour’s drive, I can still taste those flaky, buttery pastry bits with hints of gravy and mince. My sister would opt for the cheese and onion one, which at the time, I wasn’t a fan of. Ironically enough, that’s the one I’ve made today!

Questions about Cheese and Onion Pasty

How to make cheese and onion pasty? To make cheese and onion pasty, you will need ingredients for two components, the pastry and the filling. The pastry requires almond flour, chickpea flour, corn starch and water. These are combined to make a smooth dough which is rolled into flat rounds. The filling requires a cheese sauce which is made by adding onion powder, garlic powder, milk, cashews, lemon juice and cornstarch to a blender and blitzed to a puree. The potatoes are boiled until tender, then the onions fried before being mixed together. The sauce is added to the onion potato mix and then left to cool in the fridge. When cold, it is spooned into one half of the pastry round and then baked for 35 minutes.

What is a Cornish pasty? A Cornish pasty is a savoury pastry dish originating from the county of Cornwall in England. It is made with a shortcrust shell that is filled with vegetables, gravy and minced meat. A Cornish pasty is not usually vegan since it uses butter or shortening in the pastry and the filling traditionally contains meat. There are however other versions such as cheese and onion that are vegetarian. This recipe is for a vegan pastie.

How to make oil-free pastry? To make an oil-free pastry you will need almond flour, chickpea flour and cornstarch. The almond flour contains a decent amount of fat that prevents the pastry from being too dry and crunchy so it is the perfect substitute and also adds more protein value. Combine all flours then slowly add in the water whilst mixing to form a dough. Knead briefly before rolling out on a lightly dusted surface.

Can pastry be made with gluten-free flour? Pastry can be made with gluten-free flour. The recipe in this post is for gluten-free pastry using almond flour, chickpea flour and corn flour. Other types of flour can also be used but the taste, texture and cooking times will vary to this recipe.

Recipe for Cheese and Onion Pasty

Serving size:

Makes 2 pasties

Ingredients for almond flour pastry:

• 100g almond flour
• 45g chickpea flour
• 60g cornstarch
• 7-10 tbsp water/milk

Ingredients for vegan cheese and onion pastie filling:

• 1 large potato peeled and diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 100 ml plant milk
• 5 tbsp lemon juice
• 100 g cashews soaked overnight and drained
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp plant milk + 1 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220℃.
2. For the gluten-free pastry recipe, combine the flours, add the water slowly whilst continuing to mix until a smooth dough results. Leave in a bowl covered with clingfilm in the fridge.
3. For the filling, boil potatoes until tender (5-10 minutes) and leave aside.
4. Fry the onions in the oil and cook until soft.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the potatoes, set aside.
6. In a blender, add the onion and garlic powder, cornstarch, soaked cashews, lemon juice, milk and salt. Blitz until a smooth cream appears with no lumps.
7. Stir into the potato and onion mix and keep in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
8. When the mixture is solid and cold, remove the pastry from the fridge, cut in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface.
9. Roll into 2 circles.
10. Spoon filling onto one half of the pastry and fold the other half over it, crimping the edges together when they meet.
11. Mix together the 5 tbsp plant milk with 1 tbsp oil and brush the top of the pasties.
12. Slide onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 35 minutes.

Made this Cheese and Onion Pasty Recipe?

If you had a go at this Vegan Cheese and Onion Pastie please feel free to give me a shout on Instagram at @food_flaneur  – would love to see your pics!

If you like Cheese and Onion Pasty…

You should definitely give these recipes a try:

Vegan Shepherds Pie

Vegan Steak Bake

Vegan Steak Pie

Vegan Fish and Chips

Fishless Fingers

Big Thanks to…

BOSH for my food inspo. You can find their recipe here: https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/cornish-pasties.

Recipes sent with Love