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This vegetable Wellington is loaded with healthy plant-based meat substitutes like lentils, mushrooms, and walnuts, then wrapped in a flaky, puff pastry crust. Enjoy as the perfect vegan holiday centerpiece with a side of vegan mashed potatoes and gravy.
What is a wellington?
Wellington is an English steak dish traditionally made by wrapping beef tenderloin in puff pastry and mixed vegetables (pรขtรฉ and duxelles). We thought it would be fun to challenge ourselves to make a vegan Wellington that was capable of being the star of the show for your holiday tables and are excited to share the outcome!
Ingredients Youโll Need
- Flax eggs: Flax eggs are used as a binder to hold the vegetable filling together. Make sure to use ground flaxseed – whole flaxseeds do not absorb water in the same way and do not make a good binder.
- Broth: In order to keep the vegetable Wellington filling oil-free, we opted for sauteing the aromatics in vegetable broth. If you prefer, substitute the vegetable broth for 1 tablespoon of your favorite cooking oil.
- Aromatics: We used a combination of onion, carrots, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. When cooked together, they create a beautiful, deep flavor and add nice texture to the filling.
- Herbs: For the best flavor, we highly recommend using freshly chopped rosemary, sage, and thyme but they can be substituted with ยผ teaspoon each of dried herbs.
- Vegan Worcestershire: Traditional Worcestershire sauce is not vegan-friendly as it is made with anchovies. With that being said, there are several vegan versions in grocery stores today to choose from. We used Edward & Sons, but Annieโs also makes a good one.
- Walnuts: Finely chopped walnuts add both texture and flavor to the loaf. Make sure to chop them fine enough so they mix well into the filling.
- Brown rice: Similar to the flax eggs, brown rice is used to bind the loaf together. Itโs the perfect whole food plant-based, nutritious substitute for breadcrumbs. If you happen to have bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs on hand that youโd like to use up, they can be substituted 1:1 for the brown rice.
- Lentils: Lentils are one of our absolute favorite healthy meat substitutes and work perfectly as a beef tenderloin substitute in vegan wellington. We used green lentils, but brown lentils would also work.
- Tomato paste: Adds a deep, rich flavor that ties all of the vegetable Wellington ingredients together.
- Garbanzo bean flour: Garbanzo bean flour, or chickpea flour, is used to absorb excess liquid. If needed or preferred, opt for using vital wheat gluten.
- Almond milk: Almond milk is essential to sealing the puff pastry around the vegetable wellington filling as well as giving the wellington a golden color after baking. Another unsweetened vegan milk would also work fine!
- Vegan puff pastry: Either store-bought or homemade will work here. We have not attempted to make our own puff pastry recipe, but there are many good ones out there! We used Pepperidge Farms accidentally vegan puff pastry sheets. You can find them in the freezer section of most grocery stores! Try our Puffed Pastry Cinnamon Rolls next!
Equipment Needed
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Large skillet
- Pastry brush
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen knife
How to Make a Vegan Wellington
- Prep the puff pastry. Most store-bought puff pastry is frozen and needs to be thawed beforehand. When ready, the puff pastry should still be cold, but easy to unfold. Thaw your puff pastry according to the recommended package instructions and set aside.
- Make the flax eggs. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and water and set aside for 15 minutes to thicken.
- Begin to saute the vegetables. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once warm, add in the onions, carrots, bell peppers, and celery, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, herbs, and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Add in the mushrooms and cook until the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms have browned and cooked down. Mix in the rosemary, sage, thyme, and vegan Worcestershire sauce and cook for an additional minute.
- Mix together the vegetable Wellington filling. In a large bowl, mash half of the lentils until they become similar to a refried bean texture. Then add in the remaining lentils along with the mushroom mixture, flax eggs, crushed walnuts, brown rice, tomato paste, garbanzo bean flour, salt, and pepper.
- Chill the Wellington mixture in the freezer. Before wrapping in puff pastry, the vegetable filling must be completely cooled. Set the vegan Wellington in the freezer for 25-30 minutes, or until cool enough to use.
- Roll out the puff pastry. Using a rolling pin on a clean, floured work surface, roll out each sheet of puff pastry until it is about 12 x 15-inches. It does not need to be perfectly rectangular.
- Place the filling onto the puff pastry sheet. Remove the vegetable Wellington filling from the freezer and place it onto the pastry, forming a log that is 1-inch away from the top and bottom of the puff pastry sheet and 4-inches away from the left and right sides. The vegetable Wellington filling should be piled up high!
- Brush the pastry with almond milk. You want to do this on all exposed part of the pastry sheet. Then, fold the pastry over the left and right sides of the wellington.
- Place the second sheet of puff pastry over top. Liberally brush the second piece of pastry dough with almond milk, then carefully pick it up from the floured surface and flip it over onto the vegan wellington (brushed side down). Carefully tuck the hanging left and right ends of the top sheet under the wellington.
- Seal it shut! Cut the two sides off of each end so that both ends are in the shape of a โVโ. Fold the โVโ up onto the log and then carefully fold the top โVโ down. Use your fingers and additional almond milk to seal the pastry together as needed.
- Freeze for 10 minutes. This is going to help set the wellington and seal the pastry.
- Brush with almond milk and agave and cut diagonal slits. In the small bowl with almond milk, add a squirt of agave. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of the mixture all over the pastry, being sure not to miss any spots. Grab a sharp knife and cut diagonal slits into the pastry from the left to right of the log. Once you reach the end, start from the top again and cut diagonal slits going in the opposite direction. This will form nice diamonds in the vegan Wellington, and it will also help steam escape so that the pastry does not get soggy.
- Preheat the oven. While the oven preheats, place the vegetable wellington back into the freezer.
- Bake. Bake the vegan wellington for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool for 30 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before carefully slicing and serving!
Recipe FAQs
How do you keep Wellington from getting soggy?
Make sure the filling is not excessively moist! When cooking the vegetables, particularly the mushrooms, saute them until the moisture they release has fully evaporated.ย
Is puff pastry vegan?
Puff pastry is traditionally made with butter and is not always vegan-friendly. However, there are several store-bought brands that are accidentally vegan and made with oil instead of dairy butter. Pepperidge Farms is our go-to store-bought brand.
Can I make this vegan Wellington ahead of time?
If youโre planning to make your Wellington for Thanksgiving or Christmas and want to prep in advance, you have two options. First, you can prep the Wellington filling 1-2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Or, make and freeze the vegan Wellington before baking. Follow the recipe instructions right through baking and tightly wrap the wellington in plastic wrap, then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Then bake the vegetable Wellington directly from frozen until warmed through and browned. This will likely take 10-20 minutes longer since Wellington is frozen.ย
Serving Suggestions
You canโt go wrong with serving vegetable wellington with a side of vegan mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a drizzle of vegan gravy for the perfect Thanksgiving meal.
Vegetable Wellington also pairs well with some of our other holiday classics: Vegan Green Bean Casserole, Vegan Stuffing, and easy vegan mac and cheese. Plan your full menu using our 50+ Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Guide.
Storage Instructions
Vegan Wellington is best enjoyed the day of, but leftovers will store best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, โโplace individual slices of vegan Wellington in the toaster oven/conventional oven or microwave and heat until warmed through.
More Vegan Entree Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Vegan Holiday Roast
- Veggie Meatloaf
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Stuffed Shells
- Skillet Biscuit Pot Pie
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
Print
Vegan Vegetable Wellington
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
This Vegetable Wellington is loaded with lentils, mushrooms, walnuts and more! A flaky puff pastry crust wrapped around the perfect savory and satisfying filling. It is the perfect holiday entree for vegans and nonvegans alike!
Ingredients
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp water)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 stalkย of celery, finely chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 16 oz white mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire (we used Edward & Son’s)
- 3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked brown rice, cooled*
- 1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils, cooled*
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons garbanzo bean flour*
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- Squirt of agave
- 1–2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed
Serve with
Instructions
- Prepare the puffed pastry according to the package directions. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
- Prepare the flax eggs by mixing the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and setting it aside for 15 minutes to thicken.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Once warmed through, add in the onions, carrots, bell peppers, and celery, and cook for 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more or until fragrant.
- Add in the diced mushrooms. The pan might seem dry at this point, but donโt worry! The mushrooms will release a lot of moisture while they cook down. Cook until no moisture remains and the mushrooms have browned, mixing often. Once cooked through, add in all of the herbs as well as the vegan Worcestershire and mix through. Cook for 1 minute more and then remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked lentils. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash half of the lentils until they become similar to a refried bean texture. Add in the remaining lentils, mushroom mixture, flax eggs, crushed walnuts, brown rice, tomato paste, garbanzo bean flour, salt, and pepper. Mix until uniform and then place into the freezer to cool. The mixture needs to be completely cooled, so it does not melt the pastry, so we set it in for 25-30 minutes.
- When the filling has almost set, prepare the puff pastry and get your almond milk wash ready. Add the almond milk to a small bowl.ย
- Flour a clean work surface and remove the pastry from its packaging. Roll out each sheet until it is about 12 x 15-inches. It does not need to be perfect.ย
- Remove the filling from the freezer and add it onto the pastry. Form a log so that it goes from end to end of the short side of the pastry. It should be about 1-inch away from the end and 4-inches away from the left and right sides. The filling will be piled up high, but that is what we want so that our Wellington has a good shape.
- Using the pastry brush, brush almond milk all along the naked sides of the puffed pastry. Fold the pastry over the left and right sides of the Wellington.
- Brush the second piece of pastry dough with almond milk (all over the upper side). Carefully pick it up from the floured surface and flip it over onto the Wellington so that the almond milk side is pressed against the log. Carefully tuck the hanging left and right ends of the top sheet under the log.
- Next up is sealing the roast. Cut the two sides off of each end so that both ends are in the shape of a V. Fold the first V up onto the log and then carefully fold the top V down. Use your fingers to seal the Wellington. Add some almond milk to work as โglueโ to stick the pastry together, if needed.
- Transfer the log to the lined baking sheet and then place it into the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
- Once the Wellington has set, remove it from the freezer. In the small bowl with almond milk, add a squirt of agave and mix. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of the mixture all over the pastry, being sure not to miss any spots. Grab a sharp knife and cut diagonal slits into the pastry from the left to right of the log. Once you reach the end, start from the top again and cut diagonal slits going in the opposite direction. This will form nice diamonds in the Wellington and it will also help steam escape so that the pastry does not get soggy. Place the Wellington back into the freezer for 10 minutes more. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400ยฐF.
- Remove the Wellington from the freezer and place it into the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes. Carefully cut slices with a serrated or very sharp knife. Be gentle, as it is very delicate!
- Serve with gravy and/or sides of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- It is ideal to cook the lentils and rice the day before so that they can full cool and release any extra liquid. If needed, strain anyย extra liquid out before using.
- Insteadย of brown rice, you can use panko crumbs or any breadcrumbsย you have on hand.
- Instead of garbanzo beanย flour, you can use vital wheat gluten or any flour of your choice. It is used just to absorb any extra liquid.
- To make things easier, I roughly chop the onions, garlic, carrot, bell pepper and celery to a food processor and pulse until everything is finely diced. Add that to the pan to cook and then add the mushrooms into the food processor and pulse to finely dice them.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Vegan
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Absolutely delicious and always a hit in my family for the holidays! Usually make it for either thanksgiving or xmas and everyone always compliments how great it tastes. 10/10!
This turned out so delicious as our thanksgiving centerpiece! So yummy and so beautiful! It took much longer than I had guesstimated because I usually add more time to the prep time listed but this one didnโt have that and I clearly didnโt guess well because I got way behind schedule. But now I know how to make it and itโs going to become one of our regular recipes to make because itโs that delicious! Next time I know I wonโt roll the pastry out that much because Iโd like more pastry on the sides and top rather than squished under the bottom. But even with so much pastry rolled underneath and squished it was sooo amazing. Thank you so much!
This was absolutely amazing! This dish is packed with flavour, couldnโt get enough of it.
I love this recipe. I just wish you had included nutritional information as Iโm lazy lol. I also made your gingerbread cookie recipe but used gluten free flour. I keep making them, they are so good.
Delish! Made this for Christmas and my non-vegan family loved it.
Dear Jasmine and Chris,
thanks for the recipe. Due to some time on my hands at the moment, I tried this.
We liked it a lot but we had the feeling that some spice were missing.
We might do it again for Christmas and play a little bit with the spices ????
Have a good one and keep up the good work. I like your insta and your recipes a lot.
Worth the effort. I save it for holidays and special events. It took me 30 years as a vegetarian to find my holiday meal. Now I have!
This recipe is INSANE!
Made this as an “isolation” meal for my family using up some bits and bobs that were in pantry/freezer. It is surprisingly pantry friendly.
The review from a non-vegan: “Who knew vegan food could taste so good?” I am lentil-crazy and am glad to have a recipe that everyone is as excited about as me.
Thanks a million!
Haha we love this so much. So happy to hear that your family enjoyed it so much ๐
I made anon vegan version with regular eggs, flour, milk and rice and it turned out great! We loved it! Thanks a lot from France
The ingredients were so delicious prior to putting it in the phyllo that I could eat it without cooking and no phyllo. I will however make more, do the phyllo etc. for Christmas dinner 2019. Do you have a scalloped potato type creation or a good potato creation to go with this?
We have a mashed potato recipe that is great with this!
Here it is: https://sweetsimplevegan.com/2018/11/best-vegan-mashed-potatoes/
Just made my practice loaf before Xmas. It’s definitely going to be the main course for the non-meat eaters. I ate it plain, but it’s going to be extra yummy with gravy and mashed potatos.
So glad you liked it!
Could I freeze and then thaw it out to bake it? I have all the ingredients in my fridge that I would like to use up before they go bad, but thanksgiving is still 2 weeks away!
I have not tested this, but from my experience with other recipes you can freeze it precooked and then bake directly from the freezer. It will take an additional 5-10 minutes to get golden brown so just keep that in mind.
Hi Kat, did you try this in the end? I’d like to freeze also….Thanks, Ella
This was so delicious! Made it for my non vegan family for christmas and it was a huge hit! Thanks so much for this recipe!
That makes us so happy to hear! Thanks so much for sharing ๐
Made this for my family Christmas dinner and it was a hit!! Definitely did not look as pretty as yours, but was still delicious lol. Thanks Jasmine and Chris ????????
Yay, we are so glad that everyone loved it. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ๐
Just made this and it is DELICIOUS! A lot of steps but not complicated at all, and the pasty was easy to work with. Love it! So fancy for Christmas. How should I store/reheat left overs?
AH thank you! So glad you enjoyed it ๐ You can store in the fridge and reheat in a toaster oven / conventional oven or microwave. Have a happy holiday!
Is it okay to cook the veg mixture the day before as well.
Yes, you can! It may actually be better that way since it will be less moist. Have a happy holiday! ๐
Can I ask where/when do you use the flax seed egg? I am making for Christmas dinner and canโt wait!
Hi Karen! You mix the flax egg in step 5. I changed the text and clarified it a bit more, thanks for pointing that out. So excited for you to try this!
really interesting recipes and amazing pics, perfect for these festivities!!!