Christmas Eve Tourtiere

Whenever we get to spend Christmas in Austin, we have the good fortune to dine on Christmas Eve with our dear neighbors, the Fykes. Christmas Eve tradition in the Fyke household involves tourtiere, a meat pie from their native Canada. This year, I was inspired to concoct a vegan version of it.

2 cups cooked farro
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large jar sliced shiitake mushrooms, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons sage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 package refrigerated pie dough (enough for a 9" double crust pie)

1- In a large bowl, combine the farro, beans, and mushrooms and set aside.
2- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the onions until lightly caramelized (about 10 minutes in medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
3- Add broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch to the onions. Simmer while stirring constantly until the gravy thickens (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Add allspice and sage.
4- Add gravy to the farro mixture and mix until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
5- Preheat oven to 425. Assemble the bottom crust of the pie on a greased 9" pie plate. Pour the filling mixture and top with the top crust. Crimp to seal and cut some vent holes (I used a small cookie cutter). Brush with remaining olive oil.
6- Cover the edges of the crust with tents made out of foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil tents, lower the heat the 375, and bake for another 25 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.