Looking for a vegan main that will knock everyone’s socks off? This vegan wellington is filled with French lentils and crimini mushrooms, so it’s as filling as it is flavourful…and it’s a lot easier to make than you think!
The perfect plant-based main that will satisfy even the meat eaters! Easy to make ahead for low stress entertaining.
I’ll be honest with you…one of the trickier meals to navigate, whether you’re fully vegan or just trying to eat more plants, is the special occasion dinner. Whether it’s a Saturday night dinner party or Thanksgiving, if you’re serving a crowd, the absence of the “protein main” can be glaring for meat eaters.
Unless, that is, you make this incredible baked vegan wellington. I’m serious: this is the kind of vegan main that will feel impressive even to the omnivores in the crowd…and I should know, because this is what I serve my omnivore family every holiday!
The inspiration for this recipe came from my friend Tori’s book, Fraiche Food Full Hearts…which I slowly started to adapt over the years to 1) add PROTEIN!!! As a dietitian, I think a main course should have some protein otherwise you’re just going to be hungry later. Rich French lentils fit the bill.
I also wanted to 2) streamline the recipe a bit to make it quicker because whether it’s dinner for friends or the holidays, you’ve already got a lot going on in the kitchen! The combination of lentils, mushrooms, onions, garlic and my not-so-secret weapon mean that this recipe is bursting with a rich umami flavour that is so savoury and satisfying that I know you’ll fall in love.
BONUS: this is a surprisingly low-stress main course because you can do most of the work the night or morning before. Oh, and don’t worry…even if you’re more of a beginner cook, there are zero complicated techniques and using storebought puff pastry creates this flaky – never soggy – crust that will make you look like a pro.
PSA: you MUST thaw your puff pastry or phyllo dough the night before … or it’s going to be a frantic afternoon trying to fix things before guests come over. Ahem, not that that has ever happened to me…multiple times…just, um, trying to help.
Another win, when serving a crowd: this recipe makes 8-12 servings, depending on how many sides you whip up. My favourite way to serve this is with my garlicky mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts…but if you’d prefer a salad, my winter pear and kale salad would be amazing too! Plus, it’s soy and nut free, because I know navigating allergies AND plant-based recipes can sometimes be tough.
Cooking for 2- 4? You can A) easily halve this recipe or B) make both and wrap that second wellington up to freeze it for a nice dinner later.
How to make this baked vegan wellington, step by step
There is a LOT of detail here but don’t freak out! I just want you to feel fully supported if making a wellington is new to you…but it’s actually pretty simple: chop, cook and mix filling. Roll, fill and fold wellington…and bake!
I’ve timed myself the last 5 times I made this, and it’s 90 minutes from chop to serve…so you can make it all in one go…but one of my favourite ways to do this is to actually prep the filling in advance and I’ve got a make ahead planner below the cooking instructions to help keep you organized!
Secret to success: chop and measure everything ahead of time for easy cooking.
This is one recipe where you really want to take the time to chop everything finely…it makes a difference!
Sound good? Let’s talk ingredients.
The full ingredient listing is in the recipe card below but I want to highlight a few tips and tricks.
The first is the puff pastry…most are accidentally vegan but just double check ingredients! Here in Canada, the main brand is Tenderflake, which is vegan, as is Pepperidge Farm brand in the US.
The second are the lentils and the mushrooms. I use French lentils for their firmer texture, but you can use any lentils you want. Ditto the mushrooms, I like the flavour of crimini (brown button) mushrooms but this will also be delicious with white buttons too!
And last one: the Better than Bouillon Vegetarian Beef concentrate gives a major flavour boost. Don’t have it? I would substitute either 2 powdered beef-flavoured bouillon cubes or just 2 tbsp of soy sauce!
Now, for the cooking….
First things first: Thaw the puff pastry or phyllo dough in the fridge the night before. You’re using 2-10×15 inch puff pastry sheets (or 2 full packages of Tenderflake, for my Canadian friends).
Step One: Chop the onions, carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Take the time to chop everything quite fine, so the filling is quite fine. It makes a big difference. While you’re at it, you might want to measure out all the seasonings too so you aren’t scrambling to do it while the mushrooms cook.
Step Two: In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot until softened, about 10 minutes…don’t rush this! It makes a difference. Once cooked, place in a large mixing bowl with the cooked lentils.
…you also don’t want to rush the cooking, let the carrots and onions soften!
and cook the mushrooms well before adding the seasonings.
Step Three: In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms over medium heat until they release their water and look browned, 8-10 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
Step Four: To the mushrooms, add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cumin, bouillon concentrate, balsamic vinegar, and water. Cook until the liquid mostly evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.
Step Five: add mushroom mixture to the bowl with the lentils, mix thoroughly. Add the panko crumbs, mix again and taste. Need more salt and pepper? Go for it, then set aside.
Avoid a soggy wellington: let most of the liquid evaporate in the mushroom mixture!
The other key: panko crumbs, which act as a moisture sponge.
Step Six: Roll out your first puff pastry sheet on a well floured surface, so it’s about 10 x 15 inches in size. If using Tenderflake blocks, gently press the seam together and place seam side down as you roll out.
If your puff pastry comes in sheets, great! if it comes in blocks, place the pastry cut side down when you roll.
You want the pastry at least 10×15 inches for easy rolling and folding.
Step Seven: Place half of the lentil mixture in the centre of the sheet, leaving a 2 inch border. You’ll want to really press it firmly with your hands to help pack it down.
Step Eight: Fold the short sides over the filling first. Then, fold the long sides over the filling, it’s okay to stretch them a bit to make sure they overlap. Carefully flip over and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with the second sheet and filling.
Really firmly press the lentil mixture together!
Overlap the pastry to ensure that your filling doesn’t just fall out. Carefully flip and transfer to the baking sheet.
Step Nine: Bake at 400 F (205C) for 25-35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Let cool for 5 minutes and then slice each wellington into 4-6 slices.
This vegan wellington is delicious served warm or at room temperature…so if you need the oven for another side dish, just bake the wellington first!
Brush pastry with more oil or melted butter before baking.
Serve room temp or warm. You can also tightly wrap and freeze any extras!
Prep Schedule to Make this Vegan Wellington in advance
Want to prep this wellington ahead of time? That’s what I do…here’s how.
Night before: Place the phyllo dough or puff pastry in the fridge to slowly thaw.
Night before or morning of:
Cook and drain lentils (1 ¼ cup dry is about 3 cups)
Chop veggies, cook and mix the filling
Before serving:
Prep the pastry
Fill and fold the wellington
Bake!
Want to make this with phyllo dough instead? Here’s how:
Not a fan of puff pastry? I actually love serving this on phyllo pastry…which happened because the first time I tried to make it, the store was totally out of puff so I went with phyllo instead! Phyllo dough offers a delicate crust with plenty of crunch. It’s a little more effort than puff pastry but not much…and no soggy bottoms!
Unwrap the phyllo dough and place it on the counter and cover with a clean, damp tea towel (soak in water and ring out well). Pour some olive oil into a little bowl and grab a pastry brush. You’ll use 6-8 sheets of phyllo dough, depending how thin you want it. I like 8 sheets.
Place one sheet of phyllo on parchment paper and brush gently with olive oil. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top and continue, until you’ve added the last sheet. If it tears, don’t worry…just press it together.
Then add your filling, folding over the dough short sides first, then long sides. Carefully flip, repeat with other half of filling and more phyllo. Brush the outsides with more olive oil and bake as directed in the recipe card.
More Special Occasion and Vegan Holiday Sides
The Best Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice
Vegan Stuffing with Kale and Pecans
Sauteed Green Beans with Dijon Butter
Baked Vegan Wellington with French Lentils
Looking for a vegan main that will knock everyone’s socks off? This vegan wellington is filled with French lentils and crimini mushrooms, so it’s as filling as it is flavourful…and it’s a lot easier to make than you think! Serves 8-12
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
Lentil Mushroom Filling
3 cups cooked French lentils from about 1 1/4 cup dry ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter1 large yellow onion finely chopped3 medium carrots scrubbed and finely chopped1 pound crimini (brown button) mushrooms finely chopped, or white button5 cloves garlic chopped2 tablespoons nutritional yeast2 teaspoons dried thyme1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder½ teaspoon cumin2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Beef Concentrate or sub 2 tbsp soy sauce¼ cup water¾ cup panko crumbs
For the Wellington
2 sheets vegan puff pastry thawed overnight in fridge; see notes for phyllo variationflour for rollingextra virgin olive oil or melted butter, for brushing pastry
Imperial – Metric
Instructions
First things first: Make sure you thaw the puff pastry or phyllo dough in the fridge the night before!
Preheat the oven to 400℉ (205℃) now if you’re not prepping the filling in advance. And line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
Are your lentils cooked? If not, do that now, before you start chopping anything.
In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot until softened, about 10 minutes…don’t rush this! It makes a difference. Once cooked, place in a large mixing bowl along with the cooked lentils.
In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms over medium heat until they release their water and look browned, 8-10 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
To the mushrooms, add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cumin, bouillon concentrate, balsamic vinegar, and water. Cook until the liquid mostly evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. This is important, so your wellington is not soggy!
Add mushroom mixture to the bowl with the lentils, mix thoroughly. Add the panko crumbs, mix again and taste. Need more salt and pepper? Season well until it really pops.
Roll out your first puff pastry sheet on a well floured surface, so it’s about 10 x 15 inches in size. If you’re using a puff pastry block like Tenderflake, press the two halves together to close the seam, then place the block seam side down and roll.
Place half of the lentil mixture in the centre of the sheet, leaving a 2 inch border. You’ll want to really press it firmly with your hands to help pack it down.
Fold the short sides over the filling first. Then, fold the long sides over the filling, it’s okay to stretch them a bit to make sure they overlap well. Carefully flip over and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with the second sheet and filling.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Let cool for 5 minutes and then slice each wellington into 4-6 slices.
This vegan wellington is delicious served warm or at room temperature…so if you need the oven for another side dish, just bake the wellington first!
Notes
Using puff pastry blocks, not sheets? You’ll need 2 of the 397g boxes of Tenderflake puff pastry. I have tried this using just one box, divided into 2 blocks, but it is VERY difficult to roll out and the pastry is super thin.
Want to make this with phyllo dough instead? Here’s how:
It’s a little more effort than puff pastry but not much. Unwrap the phyllo dough and place it on the counter and cover with a damp tea towel. Pour some olive oil into a little bowl and grab a pastry brush. You’ll use 6-8 sheets of phyllo dough, depending how thin you want it.
Place one sheet of phyllo on your parchment paper and brush gently with olive oil. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top and continue, until you’ve added the last sheet. If it tears, don’t worry…just press it together.
Then add your filling, folding over the dough as described with the puff pastry above. Brush the outside with more olive oil and bake as directed.
Ingredients
Lentil Mushroom Filling
3 cups cooked French lentils from about 1 1/4 cup dry ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter1 large yellow onion finely chopped3 medium carrots scrubbed and finely chopped1 pound crimini (brown button) mushrooms finely chopped, or white button5 cloves garlic chopped2 tablespoons nutritional yeast2 teaspoons dried thyme1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder½ teaspoon cumin2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Beef Concentrate or sub 2 tbsp soy sauce¼ cup water¾ cup panko crumbs
For the Wellington
2 sheets vegan puff pastry thawed overnight in fridge; see notes for phyllo variationflour for rollingextra virgin olive oil or melted butter, for brushing pastry
Instructions
Notes
Want to make this with phyllo dough instead? Here’s how:
It’s a little more effort than puff pastry but not much. Unwrap the phyllo dough and place it on the counter and cover with a damp tea towel. Pour some olive oil into a little bowl and grab a pastry brush. You’ll use 6-8 sheets of phyllo dough, depending how thin you want it.
Place one sheet of phyllo on your parchment paper and brush gently with olive oil. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top and continue, until you’ve added the last sheet. If it tears, don’t worry…just press it together.
Then add your filling, folding over the dough as described with the puff pastry above. Brush the outside with more olive oil and bake as directed.
The post Baked Vegan Wellington with French Lentils appeared first on Desiree Nielsen.
