Savory Mushroom And Lentil Hand Pies Recipe

Fans of handheld snacks will surely love these savory mushroom and lentil hand pies ... but what exactly are hand pies? They're individual-sized puffed pastry folded over and filled with savory or sweet filling. There are many types of hand pies out there, with calzones and empanadas being easily recognizable variations of the savory snack. Hand pies are ideal for their individual serving size, portability, and the ability to customize both the crust and filling to suit various tastes and dietary preferences.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for savory mushroom and lentil hand pies and says, "The umami flavor of the mushrooms combined with rich and nutty notes from the black lentils is mouthwatering. These hand pies are easy to make and a fun cooking project to do with kids." Not only do these hand pies make for tasty snacks, but they make for nutrient-dense ones too!

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up leeks, carrots, and mushrooms. Then get some black lentils. "You can buy these canned or you can buy the dry lentils and cook them," Hahn explains.

Look in the freezer aisle for a box of puffed pastry and then hit up your condiment and spice cabinets for oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, ane pepper. "I always love pairing mushrooms with soy sauce to really bring out the umami flavor," Hahn shares.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Add oil to a large frying pan and bring heat to medium high.

Add the leeks, mushrooms, and carrots to the pan and cook for 8 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, vinegar, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Cook on low for 5 minutes.

Slice each puffed pastry into 4 equal squares, yielding 8 total.

Put ¼ cup of the lentil mushroom mixture into the center of each square.

Fold over to form a triangle.

Seal with some water on your fingers.

Press down the edges with a fork. Repeat the process, forming 8 hand pies.

Transfer the hand pies to two baking sheets and cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve the savory mushroom and lentil hand pies.

There are a wide variety of mushrooms, and you can use different types or any combination in this recipe. "I've used cremini here, but you can use shiitake, oyster, or portobello mushrooms for a more complex flavor," Hahn says.

As far as the lentils go, you can swap out the black lentils for green or brown. Black lentils have a rich, earthy, and slightly nutty flavor with a mild sweetness. Green and brown lentils have a milder and earthy flavor. "Black lentils are my first choice in this recipe because they are smaller in size and remain intact, but green or brown are a suitable substitution. I wouldn't suggest red lentils as they will not hold their shape," Hahn explains.

If you want to get creative by adding other vegetables to the filling, diced red peppers, spinach, or onions add extra flavor and texture. You can even spice things up a bit by adding diced jalapeño or Serrano peppers.

Mushroom and lentil hand pies can be served as a delicious main course or as a fun appetizer. Serve them with a dip like garlic aioli or ranch dressing. A simple green salad, a tomato cucumber salad, or an herby tabouli salad can provide a fresh and balanced contrast to the richness of the hand pies. A bok choy salad or coleslaw offer a refreshing and crunchy side dish that complements the savory pies. An herbed potato salad is a perfect accompaniment also.

Roasted vegetables such as purple sweet potatoes, red peppers, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts can add a hearty and comforting element to the meal. Grilled asparagus or artichokes, lightly seasoned and drizzled with olive oil, can be a flavorful and elegant addition.

A hearty vegetable soup, such as minestrone or pasta fagioli, can serve as a warm and satisfying side. A flavorful blended soup also works here like roasted butternut squash soup or roasted tomato soup.

Creamy mashed potatoes can be a comforting and classic side dish to serve with the hand pies. A savory mushroom gravy or cilantro avocado sauce can be drizzled over the hand pies for an extra layer of flavor.