Vegan Taco Pot Pie (Printable Copy)

Hearty plant-based casserole featuring seasoned black beans and fluffy cornbread topping for cozy dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Taco Filling

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
08 - 2 teaspoons chili powder
09 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
14 - 1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained if canned
15 - 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
16 - 1/2 cup vegetable broth

→ Cornbread-Style Topping

17 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
18 - 1 cup fine cornmeal
19 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
20 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
21 - 2 tablespoons organic sugar
22 - 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (soy, almond, or oat)
23 - 1/4 cup neutral oil (canola or sunflower)
24 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté diced onion for 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic, diced bell peppers, and diced zucchini, and cook for 5 additional minutes.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add drained black beans, corn, canned diced tomatoes with juices, and vegetable broth to the skillet. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning to taste.
05 - Pour the taco filling evenly into the prepared baking dish.
06 - In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine plant-based milk, neutral oil, and apple cider vinegar.
07 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
08 - Spoon cornbread batter evenly over the taco filling, spreading gently to cover completely.
09 - Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally garnished with fresh cilantro, avocado, or salsa.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, making it genuinely doable on nights when you're tired but hungry.
  • The contrast between the savory, seasoned filling and the sweet, buttery cornbread top is addictive in a way that surprises everyone.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, which means you're actually ahead of the game by cooking it.
02 -
  • Draining your black beans and corn properly prevents the filling from becoming watery and diluting all those beautiful spice flavors you worked to build.
  • Don't overmix the cornbread topping—it should look almost rustic when you spoon it over the filling, and that's exactly how you want it.
03 -
  • If your oven runs hot, tent the top loosely with foil halfway through baking to prevent the cornbread from browning too quickly before the filling has a chance to heat through.
  • Let the filling cool for just two or three minutes before adding the cornbread topping—if it's too hot, the bottom of the batter can cook before the top is done.
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