Serve this Vegan Wellington for the holidays! It’s made with an oh-so meaty vegan beef and lentil filling, wrapped in puff pastry, and ready in about 1 hour. You can even make it ahead of time!
Make this year’s holiday dinner the best one yet by adding this Vegan Turkey Roast, this Vegan Maple Glazed Ham, and my Vegan Cornbread Stuffing to the menu.
“Your recipes are all great but this one is fantastic! I made this for Christmas Eve and even the non-vegans liked it. The ingredients and seasonings give this meal a wonderful flavor! I could not believe how good it was. I wish I would have made two to have some leftovers.” – Lourdes
When I picture my perfect vegan Thanksgiving dinner plate, there are always a few slices of this Vegan Wellington on there. I see them next to my green bean casserole and mashed potatoes, all drizzled with mushroom gravy. How could a vegan holiday meal get any better?!
Now, making a vegetarian beef wellington for the holidays may sound like a lot of work, but I promise it’s easier than you think. You just have to lightly cook and combine the vegan beef and lentil filling, wrap it all up in puff pastry, and then bake it in the oven. No fancy ingredients or complicated techniques included.
If you’re looking for a just-as-tasty main dish that makes plants the star, try my Vegan Mushroom Wellington as well. It never hurts to have two wellingtons at dinner!
Why you’ll love this vegan beef wellington
- Wow-worthy holiday main dish – When I bring this vegan wellington to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, everyone asks for a slice, vegan or not!
- Rich and “beefy” filling – The “beef” filling is what makes this a real showstopper of a dish. A mix of vegan ground “beef,” lentils, oats, soy sauce, and winter herbs makes it taste so hearty and savory.
- Make-ahead friendly – Your time is precious around the holidays, so prep it the day before the dinner to save yourself the stress.
How to make a vegan wellington
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Start by making the filling. Sauté the onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegan beef and cook until it’s browned. Stir in the garlic.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the thyme, sage, paprika, black pepper, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and quick oats. Set it aside to cool.
Combine the ground flaxseeds and water together in a small bowl to make the flax eggs.
Mash the lentils in a large bowl until they’re slightly broken down. Add the cooled filling and flax eggs to the bowl and stir to combine.
Next, assemble the vegan wellington. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle and dump the filling in the middle, leaving about 1 inch of space on all sides. Pack the filling into a tight, tall loaf.
Fold the sides of the pastry over the top of the filling. Pinch to seal the edges.
Transfer the wellington to a sheet pan, seam side down. Brush the tops and sides with melted butter, then use a paring knife to score the top of the dough in a criss-cross pattern.
Recipe Tip
Scoring (or slicing) puff pastry helps the steam escape from the filling and makes for a beautiful presentation. To score, gently drag a sharp knife diagonally through the top of the wellington 3 or 4 times, then repeat going the other direction to end up with a criss-cross pattern.
Bake the wellington until it’s golden brown all over. Set it aside to cool for 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy with my Easy Vegan Gravy poured over top.
Frequently asked questions
A traditional beef wellington wraps beef tenderloin in puff pastry and bakes it until the steak is medium-rare and the pastry is golden brown. It’s a notoriously difficult yet impressive recipe. I much prefer my vegan version, though!
Most store-bought frozen puff pastry is surprisingly vegan-friendly. Pepperidge Farm makes an accidentally vegan puff pastry that’s delicious and really easy to work with. You should be able to find it or similar brands in the frozen section at most major grocery stores.
Yes. Swap the soy sauce for tamari and oats for gluten-free breadcrumbs in the filling. For the crust, try gluten-free puff pastry (I haven’t tested this) or use my Gluten-Free Pie Crust instead.
Yes, you can prepare the vegetarian beef wellington up until the point of baking. Cover the unbaked pastry-wrapped wellington in plastic and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. I don’t recommend freezing the unbaked wellington because the pastry will likely burn before the inside is warmed through.
Wrap the wellington slices in plastic wrap or keep them in airtight containers. They’ll keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. You can thaw the leftovers or reheat them from frozen in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Vegan Wellington
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry vegan
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
- 12 ounce package vegan beef I used Impossible
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- few shakes black pepper
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 5 tablespoons water
- 15-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
- fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
Thaw puff pastry and preheat oven
- Set the frozen puff pastry out to thaw while you prepare the filling. It will take about 30 minutes to thaw.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a baking pan.
Prepare the filling
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, then add the vegan beef.
- Use a wooden spoon to break the "beef" into crumbles, and cook until browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Remove from heat, and add the thyme, sage, paprika, black pepper, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and quick cooking oats. Stir and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Make your flax eggs – Stir the ground flaxseeds and water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the drained and rinsed lentils. Mash with a potato masher or fork until they are broken down a bit, but they shouldn't be pasty. Leave some texture. Add the slightly cooled mixture from the pan along with your flax eggs and stir well to combine.
Assemble the wellington and bake
- Once the puff pastry is thawed, roll it out to about 9×12 inches.
- Scoop the meaty mixture in the middle of the puff pastry. Leave an inch of space on all sides. Pack the filling tightly using your hands, into a loaf type shape.
- Fold the sides of the pastry over the top of the mixture. Pinch and seal the edges. If needed, use a little water to help it seal.
- Place the wellington on the prepared pan, seam side down. Handle gently.
- Brush the tops and sides with melted vegan butter. Use a sharp knife to score the dough in a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Puff pastry is usually vegan, but check the ingredient list to make sure. I used Pepperidge Farm.
- I used Impossible brand, but Beyond or other brands work just as well. You could also use rehydrated TVP, or even a combination of mushrooms and chopped walnuts for a more “whole food” version.
- I used canned lentils to make the recipe easier, but feel free to cook your own from scratch. Or use a different bean, like chickpeas or black beans.
- Make ahead – Prepare the unbaked wellington ahead of time and wrap well in the refrigerator for up to a day.
- Leftovers – Leftover wellington heats up well and will keep for 3-4 days. If serving for a holiday, I recommend baking it right before serving for best results.
My brother sent me this recipe and GIRL it was so good!!
What I changed:
– I doubled it and found that only one yellow onion was needed (it was a pretty big onion tho, lol)
– I made it without Worcestershire sauce bc I couldn’t find a vegan one in time
– I made a bunch of mini ones instead of a big one
And even with all those little changes it was a hit, did super well at the vegan potluck I went to!! Definitely looking forward to making it again in the future. Thank you!
Hi MJ. I am absolutely thrilled that your brother sent you the recipe and that you loved it! I really enjoyed reading about your recipe experience and love that you made mini Wellington’s! Thank you for taking time to share this with me. I also appreciate your stellar review! Wishing you happy cooking!