A method for recovering hydrocarbon diluent from tailings comprising bitumen, particulate solids, hydrocarbon diluent and water, is provided comprising introducing the tailings into a high pressure stripping vessel operating at a pressure greater than 100 kPa; and introducing a stripping gas into the high pressure stripping vessel to strip the hydrocarbon diluent and water from the tailings and form a stripped tailings pool at the bottom of the vessel.