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Summer is here. Enter this sweet and tangy strawberry rhubarb pie wrapped in the easiest, flakiest, most tender pie crust. And as if it couldn’t get any better – this pie is also vegan! P.S. just don’t forget the (vegan or not) vanilla ice cream.
Fruity filling.
I par-cook all of my fruit pies. This means that I cook the fruit with the sugar, cornstarch etc. on the stove before I put the filling into the crust. I find that this method ensures the pie will have a wonderful thick sauce that clings to the fruit. What can I say? I like it saucy. The key is to not cook the fruit for too long as it will continue to cook in the oven when you bake the pie. I find that 15 minutes is usually enough for the sauce to thicken beautifully without the fruit getting mushy.
The pie crust.
I have been working on this crust for years. And I think I have finally perfected it. This pie crust is extremely versatile and can be used for all sorts of sweet and savoury pies. It’s unbelievably tender and flaky. And the best part is it comes together in minutes (less mixing is better here) and doesn’t require any chilling time. Oh and have I mentioned, by a lucky happenstance it’s also vegan? What?? Since I make this crust with oil, you don’t have to worry about cutting in any chilled butter! And there’s no egg required. Isn’t that magical?
That being said, this is not the pie crust for making beautiful braids or lattices. This crust is purely for when you desire a rustic vibe for your pie. Don’t be shy when flouring the counter and the crust while you are rolling it out. A bench scraper is very useful while working with this dough. This dough has a tendency to be sticky and crumbly but since it’s *rustic* you don’t need to fear when it breaks or tears. Just patch it up with a bit more dough or pinch it back together with your fingers. No worries – imperfections are perfect.
And again, because this pie is *rustic*, I don’t bother trimming the edges of the crust. Fold over, pinch and tuck the edges of the crust into the pie dish. Plus, by not trimming the edges, you get more of this flaky and tender pie crust. You will be thankful, trust me.
Check out the recipe video below for a tutorial on how to make this gorgeous pie:
Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
- 1 lb strawberries thickly sliced
- 1 lb rhubarb thinly sliced
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- zest & juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Pie Crust
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- ⅓ cup ice water or more as needed
Topping
- 1 tbsp heavy cream or vegan milk of your choice
- 1 tbsp raw sugar
To Serve
- vanilla ice cream optional (sort of)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and take out a 9 inch pie plate.
- Combine the rhubarb and strawberries in a large pot over medium heat.
- In a separate bowl, stir the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt together then add to the fruit.
- Add the zest, juice and vanilla paste.
- Cook until the mixture is boiling and the liquid has thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
- Set aside to cool slightly while you make the crust.
- In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix gently with a spoon or spatula until crust just comes together, about 30 seconds. If dough isn't sticking together and seems dry, add in more ice water 1 tbsp at a time. I highly recommend watching the YouTube video to see how the dough is supposed to look.
- Turn dough out onto lightly flowered surface and knead once or twice so that the the ball of dough is mostly sticking together. Take care not to knead more than a few times as you could overwork the dough. If it isn't sticking together 100%, that's ok. It'll come together when you roll it out.
- Divide the dough into two balls, one slightly bigger than the other.
- Roll out the larger ball of dough taking care to use lots of flour for your counter while rolling. The dough is a bit crumbly and sticky. It may break apart a bit but that’s ok. It’s supposed to be rustic.
- Roll the dough to be a bit bigger than the pie dish.
- Transfer the dough to the pie dish. I like to roll it up onto the rolling pin to help with the transfer process. Use a bench scraper to help you. It’s ok if the dough breaks, just press it back together in the dish.
- Scoop the pie filling into the pie dish.
- Roll out the top crust the same as the bottom crust and transfer overtop of the pie.
- Roughly pinch together the edges of the pie crust. I like to tuck it in the edges instead of trimming them for maximum crust-age.
- Brush the top of the pie with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the raw sugar.
- Cut 3 slits into the pie to release steam.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool completely before slicing and serving with vanilla ice cream.
