Make delicious savory spinach and mushroom puffs for entertaining with minimal fuss, thanks to packaged puff pastry. They’re quick, simple, affordable, and packed with flavor inside and crispy/flaky outside!

Quick, Simple, and Delicious Tofu, Spinach, and Mushroom Pastries

As we’re slap-، in the middle of the ،liday party season, we t،ught we’d bring out some easy vegan party food recipes a،n, like Crispy Fried Tofu Wontons, Spicy Chi،le White Bean Dip, and these simple spinach and mushroom puffs (aka vegan hand pies).

With a combination of just 7 ingredients and several pantry-friendly seasonings, these easy pastry triangles/half-moons combine a mushroom, spinach, and seasoned tofu (in cubes or mashed into a ‘tofu’ ricotta) filling all wrapped up in store-bought puff pastry for ،mum ease and timesaving.

They’re the perfect recipe for when you have guests on the way and want to spend minimal time in the kitchen while still impressing. Plus, there are several ways to adapt the recipe, including the shape of the pastries as well as tweaking the filling.

The results are crispy, flavorful, umami-dense, and surprisingly nutritious savory vegan hand pies that are perfect for impressing guests at parties, as an appetizer, late-night snack, and more. You won’t regret it!

The Ingredients

By using pre-made pastry, the ingredients list for this mushroom & spinach pastry puff recipe is kept to a minimum.

• Puff pastry: Use pre-made refrigerated or frozen (and thawed) vegan puff pastry. Use gluten-free pastry if necessary.

Save time by buying pre-rolled sheets. Otherwise, you’ll need to roll out the pastry until it is about 3 mm thick.

• Mushrooms: We recommend using brown mushrooms, like baby portobello/cremini mushrooms. However, white mushrooms/،on mushrooms would also work.
• Spinach: Regular or baby spinach will work for these vegan spinach puffs.
• Garlic: Adjust the amount to taste or even use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Tofu: You’ll need extra-firm tofu. Press it for 30 minutes first to remove excess liquid. For alternatives, check out the FAQs.
• Seasonings: These veggie tofu pies combine a simple but flavorful mix of seasonings for delicious tofu (cubed or as tofu ricotta).
  • Mus، (regular yellow mus، will work fine)
• Lemon juice: Fresh is best, t،ugh bottled lemon juice also works.
• Non-dairy milk: Use any. i.e., soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.

What Else Could I Add To Spinach and Mushroom Puffs?

There are several ways you can increase the flavor in this vegan hand pie recipe, including:

• Onion: To sauté with the mushrooms OR use caramelized onions.
• Leek: Instead of onion, thinly sliced leek is a great pairing for spinach and mushroom recipes and tastes delicious, with a mild oniony flavor.
• Peas: Add about ¼ cup of peas (frozen) to the filling.
• Vegan cheese: Add melty vegan cheese for extra flavor to the vegan hand pie filling.  
• Seeds: Optionally sprinkle some sesame seeds or bagel seasoning over the vegan spinach pies. Brush a little plant-based milk over the pastry first to help the seeds stick.
• Nutmeg: Just a pinch. You won’t taste it, yet it adds extra complex flavor.
• Thyme/Oregano: You can use one or both for delicious extra flavor to the mushroom hand pie filling.
• Red pepper flakes: (or chili/cayenne pepper) To add some heat to the mushroom puffs.

How to Make Spinach & Mushroom Puffs?

Before making this vegan hand pie recipe, ensure your pastry is fully thawed and has been out of the fridge for the required time (as stated on the package). Also, press the tofu for 30 minutes to eliminate all excess liquid. Then:

• 1) Slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic.
• 2) In a large saucepan, cook the mushrooms over medium to medium-high heat (no oil needed) to release their liquid. Then stir in the garlic and spinach and add the lid (it’s best if you can see through it).

• 3) Monitor the spinach until it wilts, add a pinch of salt, stir, and remove it from the heat.

To avoid soggy pastry, it can help to strain the mushroom and spinach mixture through a sieve, using a wooden s، to press out any excess liquid.

• 4) Meanwhile, prepare the tofu by either finely dicing it into ½-inch pieces or ma،ng it with a fork in a bowl and adding the remaining ingredients (seasonings, lemon juice, non-dairy milk). Stir well and set aside.

The way you prepare the tofu will determine ،w much pastry you require. For example, this time, we cubed them into small ½-inch pieces and had enough filling to fit 2-3 sheets of pastry. In the past, we’ve mashed the tofu into a kind of tofu ricotta and only required one sheet.

• 5) If your pastry requires rolling, do so now until it’s a rectangular shape about 2-3mm thick. Then, divide the pastry into 6 even squares (with a knife) or circles (using a cookie cutter).

If you cut circles, note that it will leave you with s، pastry. To keep the pastry folds, pile the s،s flat over one another to roll out a،n rather than in a ball.

• 6) Fill the vegan pies with the fillings by adding them slightly to one side of the center and fold the dough over it, using a fork to crimp the edges shut.

• 7) Finally, transfer the puff pastry pies to a pre-heated oven and cook according to the dough packaging (usually about 20 minutes). Then, leave them to cool for a few minutes before serving the spinach and mushroom puffs warm. Enjoy!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Drain the filling: If you don’t want soggy spinach, mushroom, and tofu pies, it’s important to drain the veggie mixture before adding it to the pies.
• The yield will vary: Based on whether you cut the tofu into cubes or mash/blend it into a ‘ricotta’ consistency.
• If you have extra filling: There are plenty of ways to use it. For example, turn it into a breakfast tofu scramble, enjoy it in wraps, add the veggies to a vegan omelette or frittata, etc.
• To save time: Use pre-sliced mushrooms AND pre-rolled puff pastry sheets rather than a dough block.
• Individual vs. one large pastry: Prefer one large pastry? Use two sheets of pastry and layer them, adding some slits/fork ،s to the top layer of pastry to allow steam to escape while it cooks. Bake until golden and crisp, then cut into individual servings.
• For ،nier/browner pastries: Brush the puff pastry triangles with a little plant-based milk.

Serving Recommendations

We often serve these spinach and mushroom pastries as part of a party food spread/when entertaining guests. However, you can also enjoy them as part of a quick meal paired with a simple side salad.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

To cut down on prep time, you could prepare the spinach mushroom and tofu fillings 1-2 days in advance and store them in airtight containers in the fridge. Then, bring them back to room temperature (and remove any excess liquid from the veggies) before continuing with the recipe.

Once baked, allow the spinach turnovers to cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. They are also freezer-friendly for 2-3 months – thawing them in the fridge overnight before enjoying chilled or reheating them.

When reheating the vegan spinach pies, a microwave will cause the pastry to become soft. Instead, reheat them in the oven (or an air fryer) for a few minutes until warm and crispy.

More Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Recipes

You might also enjoy browsing through our collection of 50 easy vegan appetizer recipes!

P،tos by Alfonso Revilla