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Impress your guests with this gorgeous Vegan Wellington! The filling is meaty, satisfying and ever-so-tasty! It's surprisingly easy to make too!
If you haven't tried a Vegan Wellington before, you may want to try it out this year. It really makes a statement! You'll need very simple ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store.
The base of the filling is made with mushrooms and chickpeas that are broken down for a nice meaty texture. Then I mixed it together with perfectly sautéed veggies, mouth-watering seasonings and then wrapped it all in a puff pastry. It's heavenly!
If you want to get crazy, you can make this Vegan Holiday Roast that I posted last week, too. Options are always nice to have!
For sides, you can serve Sourdough Stuffing, Sautéed Veggies, Apple Cranberry Sauce, and a big festive salad. Oh, and you gotta have Savory Mushroom Gravy too!
Is puff pastry vegan?
YES!! Most store-bought puff pastry sheets are accidentally vegan. Can you believe it? You can find them in the freezer section and some are in the refrigerated section.
Pepperidge Farm is the most readily available and can be found at most grocery stores and I believe Walmart and Target carry it too.
Aussie Bakery has cleaner ingredients than most puff pastry brands and it's nice to work with too. However, it's almost impossible for me to find. I purchased at Whole Foods a few times, but I haven't seen it in a long while.
Wewalka can be found in the refrigerated section and it's by far, my favorite puff pastry to work with. It's soft, pliable and can easily be sealed with your hands. The ingredients are fairly clean and I think it tastes the best too. *note: on the package, it says "may contain traces of milk". I called the company and they confirmed that they don't use any animal ingredients in their puff pastry.
How to make Vegan Wellington Filling
(printable version in recipe card below)
STEP 1 - Sauté onion, celery, and carrots over medium heat until softened.
STEP 2 - Add garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary and sauté for one minute.
STEP 3 - Now add mushrooms and sauté until softened and their moisture is fully released. The pan should be dry.
STEP 4 - Add the tamari sauce and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.
STEP 5 - Mash chickpeas in a large bowl just enough to break down beans. Leave lots of texture.
STEP 6 - Add the cooked mixture, breadcrumbs, walnut meal, flax mixture, Worcestershire, tomato paste, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Combine well. Taste for seasoning and add more if preferred.
How to wrap puff pastry
If your pastry sheet is frozen, you'll need to thaw for about 30 minutes before beginning. Also, you may need to roll it out to approximately a 10x13 size.
Shape the mixture into a solid log and place it in the middle of the pastry sheet. Pick up one side and wrap it over the loaf and repeat on the other side. Gently press to seal together. *If it doesn't seal easily, just brush a little non-dairy milk in that area and seal.
Roll up each end and press gently to seal. If you have a lot of extra length, trim the dough first before sealing to avoid a doughy texture at the ends. I cut a V-shape out of the top flap of each end (see above photo).
Flip the loaf over so and brush the top and sides with melted vegan butter. Now gently cut diagonal slits across the whole top of loaf about 1-inch apart and repeat in the opposite direction.
Place in the oven until heated throughout and the pastry is golden brown (about 30-35 minutes.) Let sit 10 minutes before gently cutting with a sharp knife. Don't forget the gravy! ENJOY!!
Can Vegan Wellington be made ahead?
Absolutely!! Just prepare it up to the baking point and refrigerate it in cling wrap or a tightly sealed container.
The baking time will be approximately 20-30 minutes longer and I would reduce the heat to 375 °F. You can turn the heat up the last 15 minutes if the top needs more browning.
To reheat fully cooked leftovers, cover the portion you'll be eating and heat in the oven at 375 °F until heated throughout.
Need more holiday dinner inspiration? You'll find so many tasty options in this recipe roundup by Stacey Homemaker. They are all unbelievably drool-worthy!
I'd love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Wellington, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don't miss it.
Recipe
Vegan Wellington
Ingredients
- 1 sheet vegan puff pastry , thawed if frozen (about 10X13)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 5 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil , or preferred cooking oil
- ½ medium onion , diced
- 2 small carrots , diced small
- 2 stalks celery , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 8 ounces mushrooms , minced or finely chopped
- 1.5 tablespoons tamari sauce , low sodium (sub soy sauce)
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) , drained well but NOT rinsed
- ¾ cup unsalted walnuts , ground into a course meal (measured whole)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs , more if needed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt , more to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter , melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 min. It will thicken and gel up a bit.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Now add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until softened about 6-8 minutes.
- Add garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until they soften and release their moisture about 5-7 minutes. You want the pan to be dry. Now add the tamari and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add chickpeas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher. Don't over mash - just mash enough to break down whole chickpeas, but leave lots of texture.
- Now add the cooled mixture, breadcrumbs, walnut meal, flax mixture, Worcestershire, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Combine well with a spatula and use your hands if needed. Taste and add more seasoning if preferred. (If the mixture seems too wet, you can add another ¼ cup of breadcrumbs or rolled oats - You should be able to form it with your hands easily)
- Using your hands, shape the mixture into a solid log that will fit in the middle of the pastry sheet (with a few inches of slack). Make sure log is packed well.
- Unroll puff pastry sheet and lay it over the baking sheet (or a flat surface if you need to roll it first). Place the loaf in the middle of the pastry sheet. Pick up one side and wrap it over the loaf and repeat on the other side. Gently press to seal together (don't force if it doesn't close, just thin & lengthen the loaf or remove some mixture and form again). *If pastry doesn't seal easily, just lightly brush a little non-dairy milk in that area and seal.
- Now roll up the ends and press gently to seal. If you have a lot of extra length, you may want to trim the dough first before sealing. Otherwise, the ends of the loaf will be very doughy. Flip the loaf over so the sealed edges are facing the baking sheet.
- Brush the top and sides with melted vegan butter. Using a sharp knife, gently make diagonal slits across the whole top of loaf about 1-inch apart. Now repeat going the other direction to criss-cross slits (see process photos in post above).
- Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes until heated throughout and the pastry is golden brown. Let sit 10 minutes before gently cutting with a sharp knife. I felt it was easiest to cut into the slits that were made earlier. Serve with Gravy if desired. Enjoy!
Annika Lavigne
Wow. Wow. Wow!!! This was sssssso good!! My husband and I ate half the thing between the two of us. We will be making this for Christmas dinner! I added two beyond meat sausages to it. Hands down one of the best vegan meals I’ve ever made. Instant fan!!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Annika! Thank you so much for this amazing review! We are so happy to hear that you both loved the recipe so much! 🙂
Barb Wilson
Absolutely delicious! Used chia seeds in place of the flax. It was a huge hit with vegetarians and non vegetarians alike. Thank you. Looking forward to making it again!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Barb! So happy to hear that you all loved the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! 🙂
Bonnie
Hello!
I am looking forward to making this for Canadian Thanksgiving next week. What kind of mushrooms do you recommend?
Thanks so much
Melissa Huggins
Hi Bonnie, I'm sorry that this response is late. I usually use baby bellas but any variety will work. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 🙂
Sharon
I love this recipe. Easy to make, looks beautiful. Have to make the gravy to go with, it’s outstanding, and I am not vegan!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Sharon! A seal of approval from a non-vegan is always exciting! We're so glad you loved it, thank you for sharing 🙂
Maureen Cram
This looks perfect for TG dinner... but I have a family member attending this year and she eats GF. I can't find GF breadcrumbs that are vegan here in South Africa... what is the best sub for them? Oats? Any other suggestions very welcome.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Maureen, you can use unsalted crushed crackers, corn flakes, pretzels, or oats. I hope this helps. 🙂
Shaz
Hi Melissa, could I completely omit the walnuts and there would still be enough filling? Or else what would be a good substitute? Thanks!
Melissa Huggins
Can you have pecans? That would be my next choice. The nuts give the mince more chew. If you can't have nuts, you can try using crumbled tofu (drained and pressed). I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
nicola pullen
This recipe is amazing! Just made it for my family and everyone loved it. Definitely a favourite 🙂
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad everyone loved it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
TerriTerri
Made it. Loved it. Fed it to my carnivore neighbour....he was floored. Awesome recipe for a special occasion.
Melissa Huggins
Yay! Thank you for giving it a try. I'm so glad you and your neighbor liked it! 🙂
Charlotte
This dish is delicious and leftovers keep very well. It will be a keeper in our family. Several of our friends have asked for the recipe
Melissa Huggins
Hi Charlotte, this is such a nice compliment. I'm so glad your family liked it. Thank you! 🙂
Emily
Is there anything i can use in place of the tomato paste? I dont have any and was planning on making this tonight.
Thanks!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so sorry for the late reply...your comment landed in spam. 🙁 You can omit the tomato paste if you don't have it. It just deepens the flavor. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
Patti
Hi there!
What are some vegan substitutes for the flax meal? I have everything EXCEPT that!
Melissa Huggins
You can also use ground chia seeds. Do you have those? If not, you can try 1/3 cup quick oats to help bind or extra bread crumbs.
Angela
Hi, this recipe sounds great. Excited to try. What can I use instead of mushrooms? I’m allergic to them.
Y R
We love this. We serve it with mustard and/or hotsauce. We think a nice gravy would go well with it too! Thanks for this lovely recipe.
Y R
To add one: we make this for Shabbat meals! Since becoming whole foods plant based, w've had to totally rethink a big part of our culture-- Shabbat meals-- and figure out how to make our meals feel "Shabbosdik" (giving proper honor to the holiday) without meat, dairy, fish, or eggs. This recipe was a great addition to our new and growing WFPB-friendly Shabbat meals repertoire. So thank you!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so happy you liked it! Sounds perfect with the mustard or hot sauce. Thanks for giving it a try. 🙂
Georgia Solomon
I was told (by meat eaters) that this was one of the best meals ever’
Melissa Huggins
This is the greatest compliment! Thank you so much. 🙂
Lesley Desborough
Made this for our vegan family and my husband for Christmas Day lunch - everyone loved it, was so tasty,savoury and satisfying. Took leftovers in our New Year break where it was devoured and enjoyed all over again. This is a keeper. By the way, as some of the grandchildren can’t have mushrooms I substituted them with vegan mince, the kind that looks frighteningly like meaty mince but is delicious .
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lesley, I'm so glad everyone loved it! So nice that it worked out with vegan mince too. I'll have to give that a try next time. Thank you for making it 🙂