Traditional Tomato Pie Recipe

When you hear the word "pie," your mind may conjure up tempting images of blueberry, apple, or cherry filling inside a sweet crust. You may even think of a chicken pot pie, a shepherd's pie, or maybe a tomato pie ... wait, a tomato pie? Okay, a tomato pie may not be the first direction your mind wanders in, but after following this recipe by developer and wellness coach Miriam Hahn, it just might be.

"This is an easy, make-ahead recipe that is savory and satisfying," Hahn says of her traditional tomato pie recipe. Not only does this pie taste good, but Hahn also notes that making this dish is "a great thing to do with summer tomatoes when [they] are overgrowing in your garden or in prime season at the farmer's market." Indeed, once tomatoes are ripe, there isn't much time before they turn to mush. But this recipe will save them from an untimely fate. 

Tomatoes are the star of this recipe, but there are plenty of other tasty ingredients that will help round out the dish. To make this pie, you'll also need a frozen pie crust, a sweet onion, mayonnaise (or vegan mayo, as Hahn uses), mozzarella cheese, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic granules or powder, salt and pepper, avocado or olive oil, and some fresh basil.

Okay, let's talk nutritional yeast, perhaps the one odd-ball item in this list. "The nutritional yeast adds an extra dimension of the cheesy flavor while also adding extra protein and B12," Hahn says of the special ingredient. "It also acts as a thickening agent, which helps counteract the extra water that the tomatoes may have."

Before you do anything else, preheat your oven to 350 F. Then, thinly slice the tomatoes until you have 7 to 10 slices. Layer a baking sheet with paper towels, then lay the tomato slices in a single layer across. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt onto the tomatoes, then layer more paper towels on top. Let the tomatoes sit like this for 15 minutes. Halfway through, pat the paper towels down onto the tomatoes to absorb some drawn out moisture, then discard the top layer and place fresh, dry paper towels back onto the tomatoes. This process helps remove some of the excess liquid in the tomatoes, which will prevent your pie filling from becoming soggy.

As your tomatoes rest on the paper towels, you can turn your attention to the pie filling. In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, cheese, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic granules, the remaining salt, and pepper. Mix everything together then set the bowl aside.

Once the paper towels have absorbed a decent amount of the tomatoes' excess liquid, you can begin to build the pie. Grab your crust, then layer the tomatoes at the bottom in a circular pattern — it's okay to overlap the slices. Save a few extra slices on the side, as you'll use those to top off the pie. 

With the tomatoes at the bottom of the pie, next scatter the onion slices on top of them, then drizzle on the oil. Sprinkle half of the basil on top, then spoon in the creamy filling. Finally, add the remaining few tomato slices on top, gently pressing them down so they stick to the filling. Now, you're ready to bake the pie!

It will take 45 to 50 minutes for the pie to cook in the oven, and when you first take it out, it may look a little jiggly. Fear not, as it will have plenty of time to firm up. Just be sure to let the pie rest and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing into it. 

Once the pie has had a chance to cool, top it off with the remaining basil. Then, you're ready to slice into it, serve, and enjoy!

If you're looking for pairing options, Hahn has plenty of suggestions. "I think this pairs well with a green salad, steamed broccoli, or a vegetable soup if you are serving it for dinner," she says. "For lunch or brunch, it can be served on a bed of greens, with asparagus, sliced avocado, or fresh fruit." You could even serve this buffet-style, along with an assortment of other quiches. Who knows? Maybe you'll also want to serve it right alongside a dessert pie. Both deserve a place at the table.