Chicken Pot Pie with Spinach Salad Recipe

This chicken pot pie recipe combines tender shredded chicken, vegetables, fresh thyme, and a creamy chicken broth sauce beneath a flaky homemade butter crust. Featured on VEGANnotvegan with Maddie and Kiki Longo, the comforting pie is served with a fresh spinach salad featuring Granny Smith apple, dried cranberries, roasted pecans, and tangy Dijon vinaigrette.

The Inspiration

Inspired by classic chicken pot pie, this recipe brings together a creamy poultry-and-vegetable filling with a buttery homemade pastry crust for a satisfying comfort-food main. Chicken breast and thigh meat provide tenderness and richness, while onion, celery, carrot, peas, garlic, and thyme build familiar savoury flavours.

Paired with a crisp apple spinach salad, this VEGANnotvegan recipe balances a warm, creamy pie with fresh greens, tart fruit, crunchy pecans, and bright apple cider vinegar dressing—a combination that fits Maddie and Kiki Longo’s approach to contrasting traditional and plant-forward dishes.

Ingredients

For the Pie Crust

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten

For the Filling

1 lb cooked chicken breasts and thighs
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour or gluten free all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

For the Spinach Salad

1 (16 oz) container baby spinach
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup roasted pecans
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Make the Pie Crust

Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl.
Add the cold cubed butter and cut into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter.
Add 3 to 4 tbsp ice water and mix just until the dough comes together – it should still have a lumpy and coarse texture.
Form into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Make the Chicken Pot Pie

Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces with your hands or two forks.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add olive oil to skillet, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more.
Slowly add the chicken broth while stirring until there are no flour lumps.
Slowly pour in the milk while continuing to stir.
Stir in the chicken, frozen peas, thyme, and plenty of pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C). Transfer the pot pie filling to a 9-inch pie pan set on a baking sheet.
Take the pie dough out of the fridge and unwrap. Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out the pie dough to a 10-inch round. Transfer the dough to the top of the pie, trim off any excess, and crimp the edges. Brush the crust beaten egg and poke a small slit in the middle with a paring knife for the steam to vent.
Place the baking sheet with the pie pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Make the Spinach Salad

Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify.
Add the spinach, apple slices, dried cranberries, and roasted pecans to a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Serve with the chicken pot pie.

Serving Suggestions

This chicken pot pie with spinach salad is ideal for a cozy family dinner, weekend meal, fall gathering, or comforting cold-weather supper. Let the pie rest for the full 10 minutes before slicing so the creamy chicken filling has time to settle while the crust stays crisp and flaky.

The spinach salad makes an excellent pairing because the tart Granny Smith apple and apple cider vinegar provide freshness against the rich chicken filling, while dried cranberries contribute sweetness and roasted pecans add crunch.

For entertaining, bring the whole golden pot pie to the table and serve the salad separately so guests can enjoy generous portions of both.

Final Thoughts

This chicken pot pie recipe celebrates classic comfort food through tender chicken, creamy vegetables, fresh herbs, and homemade pastry. Using both chicken breast and thigh meat gives the filling a satisfying combination of textures, while onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and peas create the familiar vegetable base associated with a traditional pot pie.

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