This gorgeous Vegan Wellington will be an absolute hit amongst everyone at the Holiday table this year! It looks so elaborate and uses a few ingredients to really build up the flavors, yet the steps are surprisingly easy. I’ve been perfecting this recipe over the last 3 years, and I don’t think it gets any better than this! We’ve really layered the flavors and textures with toasted nuts, mushrooms, fresh herbs, aromatics, and everything in between. Trust me, this is the center piece your Christmas table deserves!!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Deliciously Flavorful: The combination of sauteed vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, and toasted nuts creates a complex taste that is absolutely divine.
- Perfect Texture: Crispy puff pastry encases a rich, hearty filling, offering a lovely contrast in textures.
- Visually Stunning: The lattice pattern on top makes this Wellington a gorgeous centerpiece for any table.
- A Healthier Option: The filling is loaded with nutritious ingredients like lentils, vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms and won’t leave your guest feeling heavy afterward! It’s both satisfying and nourishing.
- Prep-Friendly: You can prepare it the day before for a relaxing hosting experience, and it freezes very well! This recipe makes for 8 servings, divided between 2 lovely loaves. Even if there are only 2 or 4 people at your table, I would still recommend making the 2 loaves, as it requires a few ingredients. Freeze the other loaf before baking for up to 3 months. You can even freeze individual slices after they have been baked and reheat in the oven whenever you feel like a slice!
Main Ingredients
Lattice Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan Puff Pastry: Provides a light, flaky base for the rich filling. Most puff pastries in grocery stores are accidentally vegan. Make sure to check the ingredients. In the USA, Pepperidge Farm puff pasty is vegan.
- Walnuts and Cashews: Add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor.
- Mushrooms: Shiitake and brown mushrooms offer a meaty texture and luxurious earthy and umami flavor.
- Lentils: Add a hearty, protein-rich element to the dish. They’re very effective as plant-based meat in this vegan Wellington.
- 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. You can grind them yourself if needed, by processing them in a blender for a few seconds. Keep in the fridge once ground.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by bringing the puff pastry to room temperature. Preheat your oven for optimal cooking. Chop all the vegetables finely. Cook walnuts and cashews until fragrant. Combine flaxseed with hot water to form an egg-like mixture.
Sauté carrots, leek, and onions, then add garlic, mushrooms, and herbs. Stir in the tamari, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and lentils.
Mix with oats, the flaxseed mixture, and nuts. Lightly process half of the mixture and add back to the rest of the mixture, mixing and combining.
Shape the filling on puff pastry, creating a lattice pattern. Brush with our vegan “egg wash” and bake until golden brown.
Variations and Tips
- Swap the mushroom: I really like the combination of shiitake and Swiss brown mushrooms, but if they are not available to you, any mushroom mix will work!
- Golden Crust: Don’t forget to use our vegan “egg wash” made of maple syrup and dairy-free milk.
- Perfect Shape: Allow the Wellington to rest after baking for a firmer structure, making it easier to slice.
- Frozen Dough: I find the puff pastry easier to work with when it’s still slightly frozen, so I take it out of the freezer only 10 minutes before using it and take the second sheet once I’m almost done prepping the first Wellington!
- Enhance with Sauce: Serve with our mushroom gravy to complement and elevate the flavors.
- Food Processor: You can dice the vegetables using a knife or a food processor. If you’re not using a food processor, mash the lentils using a fork and use quick oats.
- If you’re looking for some other delicious items to add to your Christmas lunch or dinner menu, check out our Mushroom Gravy, our Baked Harvest Salad, our stunning Holiday Salad, these Maple Glazed Carrots, or our Cream Cheese Carrot Lox Canapés.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Wellington TLDR
- Stunning
- Delicious
- 100% vegan
- Easy to prepare in advance
- A nourishing take on the classic Christmas Wellington
Vegan Wellington
Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 tbsp (45 ml ) olive oil - divided
- ⅔ cup (67 g) walnuts
- ⅓ cup (43 g) cashews
- 2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
- 5 tbsp (75 ml) hot water
- 1 carrots - finely chopped
- 1 leek - finely chopped
- 2 yellow onions - finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- 3.5 oz (100 g) shiitake mushroom - finely chopped
- 7 oz (200 g) Swiss brown mushrooms - finely chopped
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3 leaves (3) sage - finely chopped
- ½ tsp (3 g) sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tamari
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 cups (300 g) cooked brown lentils
- ¾ cup (60 g) oats
- ⅓ cup (20 g) fresh parsley - finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Pastry
- 2 (330 g) squares of store-bought vegan puff pastry
- 2 tsp (13 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) dairy-free milk
Instructions
- Wash and chop all the vegetables using a knife or larger chopping setting of a food processor. Remove the thym from its sprig. Roughly chop the walnuts and cashews.
- Prepare the flaxseed "egg": Add the grounded flaxseed and hot water to a bowl, stir well and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the filling: To a large pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, the walnuts, and cashews, and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly golden, stirring frequently. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning. Set aside
- To the same pan, on medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, the carrot, leek and onions. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms, salt, thyme, sage, and salt. Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the tamari, Worcestershire sauce, and lentils. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Transfer the filling to a large mixing bowl. Add the oats, parsley, flaxseed egg, and chopped nuts and stir well until combined.
- Transfer half of the mixture to a food processor and lightly process (refer to the blog photos for visual clues). Transfer back to the mixing bowl and combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the fridge to cool down for 20 minutes, this will make it easier to shape.
- Assemble the Wellington: Preheat the oven on fan assist at 375 degrees F (190 C).Take the puff pastry out of the freezer 10 minutes before using.
- Place a square of puff pastry onto some baking paper. Pour half of the filling mixture onto the middle of the paper and shape it into the form a log. Leave about 1 cm (1/3 inch) of dough at the top and bottom.
- Using a sharp knife, score diagonal strips 4 cm long and 1cm apart from top to bottom along the pastry on each side (use the blog photos for visual clues). Fold the pastry at the top and bottom over the log. Crisscross each strip of pastry across the filling to form a lattice. Continue this process, alternating strips over the log until you reach the end.
- Repeat steps 10 and 11 with the second square of puff pastry and the rest of the mixture to create a second Wellington.
- Prepare the "egg-wash": Combine the maple syrup and milk, and lightly brush over the wellington.
- Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden, rotating your baking tray halfway to ensure even baking. If you have multiple dishes in the oven, it might take a little longer. The Wellington is ready when it looks golden. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Video
FAQ
If you’re using gluten-free puff pastry, it can be made gluten-free. Ensure tamari and Worcestershire sauce are gluten-free.
This recipe is freezer-friendly! You can freeze an entire loaf before baking or individual slices after they’ve been baked. Reheat in the oven when ready to eat!
If freezing a whole loaf, allow to thaw completely in the fridge overnight, brush with the vegan egg wash and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden.
Lots of Worcester sauce are accidentally vegan these days, but if you cannot find it, tamari or soy sauce is a great alternative.
Yes you can prepare it a day ahead. Wrap it in cling film or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Brush with the egg wash when ready to bake.
Replace the tamari with coconut aminos, and add extra salt.
How do I make this nut free due to allergies please?
Hi lovely, if you can do seeds, I would substitute for 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, and add 1/2 cup extra lentils 🙂 Hope you love it!
Hiya, have just seen your Wellington recipe and it looks amazing, I would love to do it for Christmas day, only thing is, although I adore mushrooms, I cannot tolerate them – would you have any suggestions of replacements? Also, the gravy looks amazing but is mushroom too, any other gravy ideas? Sorry to be a pain xx
Hi Louise, a lot of people have made it without mushrooms over the years and have reported great results! I usually recommend adding a little more of the other ingredients, but someone just suggested using finely diced eggplant instead, and I love this idea, so I wanted to share if this is something you’d like to try it.
The original recipe uses about 4 cups of raw mushrooms (about 2 cups volume once cooked), so I would replace the mushrooms with about 2 cups worth of a mix of the other vegetable ingredients (onions, garlic, carrots, celery and lentils), and maybe a dash more tamari to infuse a bit more umami🙂
For the gravy, a delicious alternative is to make a caramelised onion gravy. Cook a couple of sliced onions on low for about 40 minutes, then follow the usual gravy steps (while skipping the mushrooms).
Let me know if you need some more ideas, and happy holidays 💚
Looks delicious…Where can I find the gravy recipe please?
Thank you Juliette, here is the Gravy recipe, hope you love it!
https://plantbaes.com/easy-vegan-mushroom-gravy-recipe/