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Easy Vegan Mushroom & Nut Wellington with Lentils

An easy vegan mushroom, lentil & nut wellington made with ready-rolled puff pastry. Perfect for special family gatherings like Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Mushroom, Lentil & Nut Wellington.

Easy Vegan Mushroom & Nut Wellington with Lentils

Just look at that mushroom and nut Wellington with lentils!

All that golden, flaky pastry! Mmmmmm!

Now, imagine it on a plate with just-cooked roast potatoes, all crispy and golden on the outside and fluffy inside.

Served with a selection of seasonal vegetables. 

Now pick up the gravy jug and pour rich onion gravy over the mushroom wellington.

Who could resist such a meal?

This easy mushroom vegetarian wellington will soon become a family favourite.


What is Vegan 'Beef' Wellington


A classic beef wellington is made with steak, pate and mushrooms and encased in golden brown puff pastry. 

It's a traditional Sunday dinner dish that was named after the Duke of Wellington after his victory at the Battle of  Waterloo.

Freshly made thin crepes were often used between the pastry and filling to stop moisture leaking into the pastry, but there's no need to do that with this version.

Mushroom Wellington is a good alternative for vegetarians and vegans.

Crisp, golden puff pastry pie stacked full of rich flavours and textures, with protein from the lentils.

It's the perfect family dish to serve for Sunday dinner or for special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas where everyone is gathered around the table to enjoy good food and good company.



chopped chestnut mushrooms

Which mushrooms are best for a Wellington?



When making this easy vegan wellington, you want to go for gutsy mushrooms for the mushroom mixture.

None of your fancy wild mushrooms, just your bog standard, large flat cap mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, white closed cap mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms, or cremini mushrooms.

Don't wash the mushrooms!


To get the best out of mushrooms and bring out all the flavour, you just need to take a little care.

Before you think about cooking them you need first need to prepare them. 

NEVER and I mean never soak mushrooms as they will just end up wet and won't brown and take on all that lovely flavour. 

Peeling Mushrooms


My advice is to trim the stem and peel the mushrooms.

You can clean with damp kitchen paper, but to be honest it is easier to just peel them catching the edge near the stalk with a sharp knife and peel towards the top of the mushroom dome.

A small vegetable knife is useful for this. 

You choose the method, but NEVER soak them!

If you love mushrooms try a few of my favourite mushroom recipes, Scottish mushroom stew, mushroom rice bakemushroom potato dauphinoise (which makes a rather sensational Christmas side dish) or my mushroom and chestnut sausage rolls (which are also really popular at Christmas.


Getting lots of flavour into the mushrooms


For the best mushroom wellington, add mushrooms to sauteed chopped onion and garli to cook gently, seasoning the mushrooms as they cook.

Then add thyme (you can use fresh or dried), wine, and half a crumbled vegetable stock cube and season with salt and pepper

A third of the mixture is whizzed with oats and nuts to make a pate and lentils are added to the rest of the mushrooms.


Mushroom, Lentil & Nut Wellington.The most luxurious puff pastry pie to serve up as a vegetarian and vegan main course with roast potatoes, vegetables and onion gravy for Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. #mushroomwellington #veganthanksgiving #veganChristmas #veganpie

What you need to make the best vegan Wellington



Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this easy vegan Wellington.

  1. Olive oil
  2. Onion - red or brown
  3. Mushrooms
  4. Thyme - fresh or dried
  5. Red wine - for flavour, although you could use a mixture of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar instead
  6. Vegetable stock cube
  7. Salted cashews - or you could use peanuts or walnuts
  8. Porridge oats - also known as rolled oats
  9. Sunflower seeds
  10. Green lentils - canned lentils drained (brown lentils would work too)
  11. Puff pastry - I like to use a ready-rolled puff pastry sheet, but you can roll a block of pastry
  12. Spinach - fresh spinach
  13. Hummus - shop-bought or homemade hummus
  14. Salt
  15. Pepper

Can you use dried lentils?



Dried lentils are a cheaper option long term, even if they aren't as convenient.

If you prefer to soak and cook your own lentils, you can use these instead of using tinned lentils, you can.

You can find an easy guide to soaking and cooking brown dried lentils on the Planetarian website.


 

Is puff pastry suitable for vegetarians and vegans?



The flaky puff pastry encasing this vegan lentil wellington is puff pastry.

It can be made from scratch at home or bought in the supermarket, chilled or frozen.

Store-bought puff pastry comes in a block of pastry or ready-rolled puff pastry sheets which is wrapped in parchment paper it can be baked on.

Most shop-bought puff pastry is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Just avoid those that say 'all butter' as it's definitely not vegan butter and it's not vegan puff pastry.

If you aren't sure, check the ingredients on the box.


Can you make this vegan roast gluten-free?


Yes, it's simple to make this mushroom and lentil wellington gluten-free.

Simply use gluten-free puff pastry and gluten-free porridge oats.

It's as simple as that and it will be just as delicious.

Mushroom, Lentil & Nut Wellington sliced and served with bowls of roast potatoes, carrots and broccoli

Getting that golden finish on puff pastry without the egg wash


It's true an egg wash on puff pastry gives a wonderful golden finish, but you can achieve this without the egg.

Just brush the pastry with olive oil or dairy-free milk (or your regular milk) with a pastry brush before you pop it in the oven to bake.

I do find that olive oil gives a better finish.

Decorating a Wellington

 

Pastry decoration on top of the Wellington can be as fancy or simple as you like.

You can simply cut slits in the top (which is recommended to let the steam escape) or use any excess pastry to add decoration.

Cut shapes in any excess pastry by hand or with a small cookie cutter and brush a little water on the pastry where you are adding them to help them stick.

I quite like to add small leaves, which you can see on my other Christmas favourite, Butternut Squash, Red Pepper & Potato Plait, which is also simple to make but looks quite spectacular on a Christmas or Thanksgiving table or just as a main course for a family Sunday dinner.

Also, I sealed the pastry on the side, but you can place the log shape filling in down the middle of the sheet of puff pastry, pull the side of the pastry to the middle and seal, then flip over, so the join isn't visible.

Then you are free to slit the top and add pastry decorations.


Making it ahead



There are two ways to make this vegan Wellington recipe ahead to save time on the day.

  1. Prep the filling - to save time you can prepare the vegetables and filling mixture, as well as the pate and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge until you are ready to make the Wellington.
  2. Freeze before you bake - the other option is to make the Wellington, but don't bake it. Instead, flash freeze the entire wellington on a tray, then pop in a freezer bag or in an airtight container and cook it from frozen.


Freezing leftovers or single portions



If you have leftover vegetarian mushroom Wellington, you can slice it and freeze the slices with freezer-friendly parchment paper between the slices to prevent sticking.

To reheat, cover in foil and bake in the oven until hot.

Alternatively, if you are serving single portions, you can either slice and freeze then bake from frozen on a baking sheet or bake the whole Wellington, then slice and freeze, to be reheated covered with foil later.

air fryer roast potatoes.

How to serve a vegan mushroom Wellington for a special occasion



If it's just you and your family at home, you may just load the plates for everyone with slices of this vegan version of an easy lentil wellington, veg, and potatoes.

However, if it's for a special occasion, it's nice to serve it in the middle of the table.

A large platter or long wooden chopping board is perfect for serving this Christmas pie.

You can even add some fresh herbs around the pie for a bit of decoration, then whoever is at the head of the table can slice the Wellington and serve it to everyone.


What to serve with mushroom lentil Wellington



Mushroom Wellington is traditionally served like a nut roast is for Sunday dinner with a selection of vegetables, roast potatoes, and gravy, but it can also be served with different sauces and vegetables.

Here are a few ideas:

Sauces to serve with Wellington

  • Onion Gravy
  • Mushroom gravy - this one can be served with mushroom slices in it or blended smooth
  • Cranberry sauce - which is served at Thanksgiving and Christmas, I like this cranberry sauce made from frozen cranberries and flavoured with orange juice
  • Red pepper sauce - this one is often served with nut roasts, but is also delicious served with a veggie wellington

Potatoes to serve with Wellington


Shallot Pastry Crown with a bowl of cranberry sauce in the centre.

More Vegan Christmas Dinner Recipes



Here are a few more Vegan festive main courses for you to try next, they are all perfect for a delicious holiday dinner.

  1. Butternut Squash, Red Pepper & Potato Plait
  2. Cheesy Vegetable Puff Pie
  3. Easy Vegan Haggis
  4. Shallot Pastry Crown
  5. Miso Mushroom Nut Roast
For more easy vegan Christmas recipes check out my page Vegan Christmas.

Have a fabulous Christmas.

Happy Holidays!!


mushroom wellington, lentil wellington, vegetarian wellington, vegan wellington, dairy-free wellington, wellington, Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner
dinner
British, vegan, vegetarian
Yield: 6-8 slices
Author: Jacqueline Meldrum
Easy Vegan Mushroom & Nut Wellington with Lentils

Easy Vegan Mushroom & Nut Wellington with Lentils

An easy vegan mushroom, lentil & nut wellington made with ready-rolled puff pastry. Perfect for special family gatherings like Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1kg (2 1/5 oz) chestnut mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)
  • 4 tablespoons red wine
  • ½ vegetable stock cube crumbled
  • 100g (3 1/2 oz) salted cashew nuts (peanuts or walnuts)
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons porridge oats
  • 200g (7 oz) tinned green (or brown) lentils, rinsed and drained well
  • 375g (13 oz) ready rolled puff pastry
  • 100g spinach, wilted
  • 6 tablespoons hummus
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200c / 180c fan / 400f / gas mark 6 and take the pastry out of the fridge. Remove it from the box and place the rolled-up pastry on a plate and let it come to room temperature so it doesn't crack when it is unrolled (if it's hot in the kitchen just take it out a few minutes before using).
  2. In a large frying pan saute the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it is soft, then add the mushrooms and cook them gently until they are soft as well. Season with salt and pepper then add thyme, red wine and crumble in the half stock cube and season with salt and pepper. Gently cook until all the juices are gone, then turn off the heat.
  3. In a blender or food processor and whizz up a third of the mushrooms with the oats, seeds and nuts until you have a pate texture. Set aside.
  4. Add the lentils to the rest of the mushroom mixture in the frying pan and mix well.
  5. Rinse the spinach in a colander, then wilt the spinach by pouring boiling water over it. Refresh it with cold water, squeeze out as much water as you can then pat dry on kitchen paper.
  6. Carefully unroll the pastry and place it on a large baking tray (sheet pan), still on the baking parchment it was rolled in or on non-stick baking paper.
  7. Gently make a line down the centre of the pastry, lengthways. Spread the hummus from the middle seam across one half of the pastry, leaving a border at the top side and bottom. Top with a layer of dried wilted spinach and the mushroom pate. Next, add the mushroom and lentil mixture in a mound over the pate layer.
  8. Brush a little water around the border of the pastry. Pull the other side of the pastry over the filling and seal to make a large sausage roll shape. Crimp the edges with a fork and use a knife to cut diagonal slits in the top to let out steam. Brush with the rest of the olive oil.
  9. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden and crisp.
  10. Serve slices with roast potatoes, vegetables and onion gravy.
  11. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don't want to use wine, you can use a mixture of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar instead.
  • You can use brown or green lentils, but NOT red lentils are they go mushy and don't hold their shape.
  • You can leave a little pastry to decorate the top, just make your shapes and brush with a little water so they will stick.


There are two ways to make this vegan Wellington recipe ahead to save time on the day.

  1. Prep the filling - to save time you can prepare the vegetables and filling mixture, as well as the pate and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge until you are ready to make the Wellington.
  2. Freeze before you bake - the other option is to make the Wellington, but don't bake it. Instead flash freeze it on a tray, then pop in a freezer bag or in an airtight container and cook it from frozen.

If you have leftover Wellington, you can slice it and freeze the slices with freezer-friendly parchment paper between the slices to prevent sticking. To reheat, cover in foil and bake in the oven until hot. Alternatively, if you are serving single portions, you can either slice and freeze then bake from frozen on a baking sheet or bake the whole Wellington, then slice and freeze, to be reheated covered with foil later.


Calories

6 slices = 663 calories per slice

7 slices = 569 calories per slice

8 slices = 498 calories per slice

Nutrition Facts

Calories

497.51

Fat (grams)

28.01 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.16 g

Carbs (grams)

47.46 g

Fiber (grams)

10.1 g

Net carbs

37.37 g

Sugar (grams)

4.27 g

Protein (grams)

16.24 g

Sodium (milligrams)

185.41 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

0 mg

29 comments

  1. This looks fantastic! I love mushrooms so much, and I'll never say no to puff pastry!

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    1. I love them too and yes it is hard to say no to puff pastry ever!

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  2. I have been looking for a veggie alternative for Christmas dinner and this looks perfect!

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    1. Oh yes this is definitely the perfect dish for Christmas dinner. It would be good with a tomato sauce too, if you don't fancy gravy.

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  3. Oooh I've never tried a veggie wellington before but I have to say mushrooms are one of my favourite foods ever so I can just tell how delicious this would be!

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    1. Oh my goodness you must, they are so tasty and easy to make too.

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  4. All those layers sound heavenly, especially the hummus, which must boost the flavour profile beautifully.

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    1. It does, the hummus worked so well with the other flavours and was different enough from the mushroom mixture to add another note.

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  5. I love a good wellington and cannot wait to try your mushroom version! How delicious looking!

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    1. Thanks Carmy. I do hope you try it. Let me know what you think.

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  6. You can stuff pretty much anything in puff pastry and I'll eat it hah! These flavors do sound delish though - great recipes!

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    1. Haha, I am with you there lauren, so tempting. Yes this was really good.

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  7. This would do me very nicely for christmas dinner - just my sort of thing. I pinned it before I was halfway through the post. The recipe is fascinating - the hummus is something I would not think to do. But I guess it adds to the texture. I have been playing with a cashew cream that might do the same thing though it is a little thinner than hummus. And I am not a huge fan of mushrooms - a huge portobello mushroom in a burger is too much for me but I think they add great flavour and texture to any dish so am happy to eat them when they are in any dish.

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    1. Maybe serve the cashew cream with it rather than in it Johanna. If it is thinner it could make the pastry wet and who wants soggy pastry? Do give it a go if you can manage how mushroomy it is or maybe half and half mushroom and aubergine?

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  8. 2 out of 3 of my children will not eat mushrooms - They will always be an enigma to me who will eat anything with mushrooms in. I adore the sound of your wellington!

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  9. This looks utterly delicious Jacs, I'm sure my whole family would love it as we all love green lentils and spinach:-)

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  10. This looks delicious! I am having a dinner party in a few weeks and wasn't sure what to cook for the veggies / vegans. Think I'm sold on Wellington now!

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  11. What a delicious dish! I have never had a Wellington before. Have an amazing holiday week, Richa!

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  12. Oh good, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did.

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  13. Thank you, I have been looking for a suitable main course for my holiday dinners, so my vegan/vegetarian daughter feels included. I'm thinking I would like to try to make it early, do you know if this freezes well? Thanks again.

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    1. I've not tried freezing it. Pastry udually freezes well but there is moisture in mushrooms so I am not 100% how good it would be. Why not buy ready rolled and prepare the filling a night or two before then you just have to fill the pastry before it goes in the oven?

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  14. Made this for xmas dinner -- it did not disappoint! Absolutely delicious and beautiful. Definitely will be my new go-to for special occasions. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it Sarah and thanks so much for letting me know x

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  15. This looks delicious! Do you think it would be possible for me to make it at an earlier date and then freeze it, to use on the day?

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    1. Yes definitely. Make it up and freeze it instead of baking. Flash freeze it on a tray them move to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen with a brush of olive oil for a golden finish

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  16. I made this ahead of Christmas last year and put it in the freezer. It was very easy to make and absolutely delicious to eat, went down very well with all of the family.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the lovely Comment Gwen and I am so pleased you enjoyed it.

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x