This vegan Wellington is a showstopper centerpiece whatever the occasion. Richly flavored, it satisfies vegans and non-vegans alike! Balsamic seared mushrooms, roasted butternut squash, and caramelized onions mixed with chickpeas, wild rice, spinach, lots of garlic and herbs plus a of handful cranberries. This delicious savory filling is then wrapped in flakey puff pastry and baked to perfection!
Thank you to Stahlbush Island Farms for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
While this plant-based Wellington is not an exact vegan replica of the English originating Beef Wellington, it’s a fun, vegetarian spin on the original. Beef Wellington is beef coated in a pate and duxelles (a blend of minced mushrooms and herbs) and is then all wrapped in puff pastry and baked.
What is Vegan Wellington?
While you’ll find a wide variety of recipes for vegan Wellington, this particular vegan holiday main dish is a bit like a vegan sausage roll and vegan stuffing had a baby.
Made with simple ingredients, this vegetarian dish is easy to make. I went the convenient route of using frozen butternut squash from Stahlbush Island Farms. It’s already peeled and chopped into 3/4″ (2 cm) pieces and can be roasted from frozen. I also used Stahlbush Island Farms frozen garbanzo beans (chickpeas); they provide some nice texture to the Wellington filling. If this brand of frozen vegetables is not available where you live, you can substitute fresh butternut squash, and canned or homecooked chickpeas.
How to Make a Vegan Wellington
We start by making the savory vegetable filling for the vegan Wellington. The filling will be cooled and wrapped up in store-bought puff pastry.
While there are few steps in making the filling, most can be done at the same time. Roast the squash while the rice cooks and the mushrooms and onions are frying. It’s important that if you’d like to make the Wellington on the the same day as you are baking it, that you chill the filling so it’s not hot. If it is hot, it will make the puff pastry difficult to work with and it won’t be as flakey.
Steps for the Vegan Wellington Filling:
- Roast the butternut squash
- Cook the wild rice blend in vegan soup stock with the dried cranberries
- Sear the mushrooms, deglaze with the balsamic vinegar
- Lightly caramelize the onions, adding in herbs, garlic and soy sauce at the end
- Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until a few still remain whole. Do not over process so you have some texture
- Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. Chill the filling until room temperature. Make the filling a couple of days in advance if you prefer!
Steps for Assembling a Vegan Wellington:
Wrapping the vegetable Wellington filling with puff pastry is an easy process. I’ve broken it down into small steps to make it even easier! Check out the images below on how to wrap up a vegan Wellington, along with the instructions which follow.
- Brush the pastry lightly with olive oil. Scoop the filling onto the middle of the pastry, shaping into the shape of a log about 5″ (12.5 cm) long and 3″ (7.5 cm) wide. Press gently with your hands to make the log compact.
- Fold the sides of the puff pastry gently, but firmly, over the filling.
- If applicable, roll out the second sheet so it’s the same size as the first one. Place the second sheet of puff pastry evenly over the roll.
- With one hand over the roll, use your other hand to lift the parchment over the roll so you are turning the roll over slightly. Tuck the excess pastry under the roll. Repeat for the other side.
- Trim the corners of the excess puff pastry about 1/2″ (2 cm) from the filling. Trimming excess helps seal the roll so that the ends aren’t too doughy.
- Lift the top flap of pastry on each end and rest on the roll. Lift the bottom flap and press against the filling. Repeat for the other end.
- Fold the upper flaps down over the end of the roll. If your pastry is dry, you can use a bit of water to help seal it.
- Using a sharp knife, cut lines diagonally over the top of the Wellington taking care not to cut through completely. Repeat in the other direction so the surface appears to have diamond shapes over it.
- Brush the Wellington lightly with plant-based milk and then sprinkle the Everything but the Bagel Seasoning over the top.
Next, bake the vegan Wellington for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and heated through.
What to Serve with a Vegan Wellington?
This vegan Wellington is the perfect vegan main dish for any meal. For more a traditional holiday meal, you can serve all of your favorite sides like creamy mashed potatoes, green peas, roasted veggies, cranberry sauce and vegan gravy. For other special occasions, like a vegan brunch on Mother’s day or Easter, this vegan Wellington is lovely served with a crisp green salad.
Is Puff Pastry Vegan?
While traditionally puff pastry has been made with butter, many brands now offer products that aren’t labeled vegan but actually are! Examples of brands I’ve found in the freezer section of local grocery stores include Pepperidge Farms, Tenderflake, and 7 Days. When in doubt, check the ingredient labels.
Can This Vegan Wellington Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, in part! Prepare the filling and set in the fridge for up to 2 days before assembling and baking the Wellington. You may need to bake the Wellington a few minutes longer and cover with foil part way through to prevent the top from burning while the filling heats.
Can This Vegan Wellington be Made Smaller?
Yes! For a smaller vegan Wellington, cut the recipe in half and it will serve 5-6 people. Reduce the serving size at the top of the recipe card to 5 for the halved ingredient listing. Instead of two layers of pastry, you can use just one, as one will seal completely over less filling. The baking time will be reduced to 25-35 minutes depending on how cold your filling is before baking.
More Vegan Main Dishes:
- Colcannon &; Stout Shephard’s Pie
- Savory Skillet Stew with Baby Potato Topping
- Chickpea Pot Pie with Flakey Biscuits
- Tomato Galette with Pesto and Cashew Cheese
If you make this Vegan Wellington, please give it a rating in the recipe card and leave a comment below! Follow along on Instagram where you can tag me in your creations using my recipes! You can also follow me on Pinterest for vegan recipe inspiration and on Facebook. Thank you for reading!
Vegan Wellington
Ingredients
For the Roasted Butternut Squash:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 20 oz butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 3/4"(2 cm) pieces (about 4 cups)
For the Wild Rice and Cranberries:
- ½ cup wild rice blend, uncooked
- vegan “beef” soup stock (see instructions below for the amount)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
For the Balsamic Mushrooms:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced (may use other varieties like button, shiitake etc)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
For the Caramelized Onions:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried powdered sage
- ½ tsp dried rosemary, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
For the Rest of the Wellington:
- ½ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped, optional
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas, cooked and drained
- 4 oz frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 sheets (425g/15 oz) each vegan puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
- all-purpose flour for dusting
- extra virgin olive oil for brushing
- vegan milk for brushing
- 1 tsp Everything but the Bagel Spice (or coarse salt)
Instructions
For the Roasted Butternut Squash:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Toss the butternut squash with the olive oil and spread out evenly on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until lightly caramelized, tossing gently once halfway during baking.
For the Wild Rice and Cranberries:
- Meanwhile, cook the wild rice according to the package directions, except use vegan soup stock instead of water, adding an extra 2 tablespoons (30 ml) more broth than what is directed. Place the dried cranberries on top of the rice. The extra broth is to help the cranberries rehydrate.
For the Balsamic Mushrooms:
- In a large cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the mushrooms and cook them for 8-10 minutes or until they are cooked through and have some seared bits. To achieve this, let them cook undisturbed for a few minutes at a time before stirring. Do not add salt until they are cooked or they will release their juices. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Stir constantly until the liquid has evaporated and the glaze has become a bit sticky. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
For the Caramelized Onions:
- Rinse out the skillet and dry it. Set it over medium heat and add the oil. Once shimmering, add the diced onions and cook for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary and soy sauce. Stir well, cooking another 2 minutes then remove from heat.
To Make the Wellington Filling:
- In a large food processor, add the chickpeas, mushrooms, and half of the onion mixture. Pulse until the mixture has come together but texture still remains (you don't want to turn it into paste.) Add this mixture to a large bowl. Add in the roasted squash, cranberry wild rice mixture, remaining onions, spinach, and hazelnuts (if using). Stir well but gently to combine, cover and chill until it's room temperature or cooled. If it's hot, the pastry will be hard to work with and won't be as flakey once baked.
- At this point you can put the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge to bake at another time, or proceed to assembling the Wellington .
To Assemble the Vegan Wellington:
- Preheat the oven 400°C/200°C/gas 6.
- Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper lightly sprinkled with flour. The puff pastry I used measured 10" x 13" (25.4 cm x 33 cm). If yours is a little smaller (10" x 10" / 25.4cm x 25.4 cm is common), roll the pastry out a little with a lightly floured rolling pin. Brush lightly with olive oil – this will help prevent the pastry from becoming soggy.
- See the blog post for a series of images to help with the following steps to assemble the vegan Wellington.(1) Scoop the filling onto the middle of the pastry, shaping into a log about 5" (12.5 cm) long and 3" (7.5 cm) wide. Press gently with your hands to make the log compact.(2) Fold the sides of the puff pastry gently but firmly over the filling.(3) (If applicable, roll out the second sheet so it's the same size as the first one.) Place the second sheet of puff pastry evenly over the roll.(4) With one hand cupping the roll, use your other hand to lift the parchment over the roll so you are turning the roll over slightly. Tuck the excess pastry under the roll. Repeat for the other side.(5) Trim the corners of the excess puff pastry about 1/2" (2 cm) from the filling. This will help with sealing the roll and reducing any gummy bits once the roll is baked.(6) Lift the top flap of pastry on each end and rest on the roll. Lift the bottom flap and press against the filling. Repeat for the other end.(7) Fold the upper flaps down over the end of the roll. If your pastry is dry, you can use a bit of water to help seal it.(8) Using a sharp knife, cut lines diagonally over the top of the Wellington taking care not to cut through completely. Repeat in the other direction so the surface appears to have diamond shapes over it.(9) Brush the Wellington lightly with plant-based milk and then sprinkle the Everything but the Bagel Seasoning over the top.
- Bake the vegan Wellington for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
- Slice with a serrated knife and serve hot with sides of choice.
Nutrition Info:
Notes:
The Nutrition Information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the Nutrition Information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
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Emily
Friday 29th of January 2021
Hi Bronwyn, At what point does the spinach and the other half of the onion mixture get added? Does it get added to the big bowl of Wellington filling? Thanks!
Crumbs & Caramel
Friday 29th of January 2021
Hi Emily! Thanks for your interest in the Wellington, and good catch on the omission! I've updated the instructions - the spinach and the rest of the onions are stirred into the filling at the end so their texture isn't broken down in the food processor. I hope you enjoy it! ~ Bronwyn