Pea and bean pies recipe

Sweet little personal-size pies that are quick and easy to make.

These pea and bean pies are a brilliant vegetarian option. You can serve them alongside a salad as a main meal. Alternatively, make them into pretty starters to serve at a dinner party. If you want to take things up a notch, add a little layer of cream cheese before you put the toppings onto the pies and bake them. You can make your own pastry for these. However, shop-bought puff pastry is so good, we think these work just as well when you do it the easy way.

This recipe is part of our cheap family meals collection – under £1 a head

Ingredients

• 150g shelled peas
• 150g shelled broad (fava) beans
• 1 packet puff pastry
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 6 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and white and green parts finely chopped
• 2 eggs beaten
• 150ml double cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the peas and beans for 4 mins. Drain well and rinse in cold water. Set aside in cold water.
2. Divide the pastry in to 6. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out into 6 roughly shaped 20cm circles. Drain the peas and beans well and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Put in a bowl and mix in the cumin and all but 2tbsp spring onions.
3. Carefully pile on to the centre of each pastry circle, and brush the edges with a little of the egg. Bring up the sides of the pastry, pleating and pinching together to enclose the vegetables and make a case, but leaving the top open – make sure you seal the sides well to avoid the filling leaking during cooking.
4. Beat 2 eggs together with the cream and plenty of seasoning, and pour in to each pie. Bake for about 20 mins until golden. Sprinkle with remaining spring onions and serve hot or cold with wholegrain mustard.

Top tip for making pea and bean pies

You can follow the same basic recipe used but substitute the peas and beans with blueberries and raspberries to make dessert pies instead. Leave out the onions and swap the cumin for a pinch of cinnamon. Top with a teaspoon of sugar.