Savory lentils, sweet potatoes, and veggies are wrapped in puff pastry in this rich and nutritious vegetarian take on a wellington. This recipe is perfect for dinner parties and holidays!
This savory lentil puff pastry is very loosely inspired by beef wellington and is the perfect vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish!
Puff pastry is flaky and buttery (even though it's actually vegan) and surprisingly easy to use. The filling has a blend of sautéed veggies, aromatics, and herbs. The entire recipe is vegan without the egg wash!
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Why this recipe works
- Hearty: Lentils, sweet potatoes, and veggies combine to make a satisfying and balanced vegetarian main dish. Chopped walnuts are added for a little extra richness.
- Easy assembly: Despite the appearance, frozen puff pastry is easy to work with and it's quite forgiving. The filling only takes about 30 minutes to make, and it can even be made in advance.
- Great for holidays: If you're looking for a vegetarian main dish, this is a great option. I also think it would be a great centerpiece for dinner parties.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry: I use frozen Pepperidge Farms puff pastry. It comes with two sheets of frozen puff pastry, but only one is needed for this wellington.
- Sweet potatoes: I use one large sweet potato and keep the skin on, but you can peel it if you prefer. Regular potatoes like Russet or Yukon gold also work well.
- Mushrooms: White or baby bella (cremini) are my go-tos.
- Brown lentils: For a speedier recipe, I use one can of lentils. This is equivalent to 1 ½ cups cooked lentils, or about ½ cup dry lentils. I don't recommend using red or orange lentils here, as they are softer than brown and green lentils.
- Flavor trio: Tomato paste, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar are key ingredients that add umami flavor and depth.
- Herbs and ginger: Dry or fresh herbs work. Dry herbs can be replaced with 3 times the amount of fresh chopped. Fresh ginger can be used in place of dry ginger.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you begin: Puff pastry needs to thaw for at least 20 minutes before rolling out. In colder kitchens, it may take 30-40 minutes to thaw.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once hot, add the diced vegetables. Saute until golden and tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, walnuts, and herbs and saute another few minutes, until the garlic is golden. Then stir in the remaining ingredients: tomato paste, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, lentils, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile, roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface or baking mat. Roll it out until it is 12x12 inches or roughly two times the width and slightly longer than the initial length. Add the warm (not hot) filling to the center of the pastry.
- Fold the longer sides over the filling, overlapping no more than 1 inch. Press to form a seam. Fold the bottom up to the edge of the filling, pressing into the other pieces to form a seam. Brush with water, if needed, to stick the pastry together. Use a sharp knife to cut vents into the pastry. Brush with egg wash, if desired, to make a golden crust.
- Bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden throughout. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Top tips
- To ensure that the puff pastry cooks evenly all the way through, try to avoid overlapping the seams too much. Aim for just an inch or less of overlap.
- If the seam isn't sealing well, brush it with a small amount of water. This should act as a glue to hold the pieces of puff pastry together.
- Don't add the filling directly to the puff pastry from the stove, as the high heat can melt the fat in the pastry and cause it to cook unevenly. Instead, remove the pan from the burner and let rest for at least 15 minutes but ideally 30 minutes to an hour.
- No rolling pin? While a rolling pin is the easiest option, if you don't have one you can use a clean, smooth glass jar (like an empty marinara jar) or wine bottle instead.
- I love using my silicon baking mat when rolling out things like puff pastry and pie crust. If you don't have a baking mat, simply place the puff pastry between two layers of parchment paper or wax paper, or roll it out on a very lightly floured surface.
FAQ
Can I make the pastry in advance?
The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. While the actual pastry can likely be prepared a day in advance, I have not tried this myself so I recommend proceeding with caution. Wrap the pastry tightly in plastic wrap after assembling and score just before baking.
Storage tips
- Storage: Best within 3-4 days. Keep refrigerated in a closed container
- Reheating: Reheats best in the oven. I recommend wrapping the slices in foil and baking at 350F for 10 minutes, then unwrap and let crisp up for just 3-5 minutes.
- Freezing: I have not tried freezing the entire pastry, but the filling should freeze well.
More vegetarian mains
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Vegetarian Lentil Wellington
Loosely inspired by beef wellington, but made with a savory filling of lentils, veggies, and walnuts.
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry see note #1
- 1 large sweet potato diced into ½ inch pieces; does not need to be peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces white mushrooms diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium shallot diced
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup raw walnuts roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 ounce can brown lentils see note #2
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cream or milk or half & half
Instructions
- Set the sheet of puff pastry out on the countertop to thaw for at least 20 minutes. In colder kitchens it may take longer to thaw.
- Add the diced sweet potato to a small pot. Cover with an inch of cold water. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat. Boil until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once hot, add the mushrooms, carrot, shallot, and zucchini. Saute until golden and tender, about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Stir in the salt, garlic, walnuts, rosemary, and thyme. Saute until the garlic is aromatic and the walnuts are toasted, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, toasting another 30 seconds. Then add the cooked sweet potato, drained and rinsed lentils, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, ground ginger, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool for at least 15 minutes before adding to the puff pastry.
- Meanwhile, roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface or baking mat. Roll it out until it is 12x12 inches or roughly two times the width and slightly taller in length. Add the warm (not hot) filling to the center of the pastry.
- Fold the longer sides over the filling, overlapping no more than 1 inch. Press to form a seam. Fold the bottom up to the edge of the filling, pressing into the other pieces to form a seam. Brush with water, if needed, to stick the pastry together.
- Gently transfer the pastry to a baking sheet seam-side down. Use a knife to gently score the pastry.
- For golden crust, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk or cream. Brush this on top of the pastry.
- Bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Puff pastry: I use frozen Pepperidge Farms puff pastry. It comes with two sheets of frozen puff pastry, but only one is needed for this recipe.
- Brown lentils: For a speedier recipe, I use one can of lentils. This is equivalent to 1 ½ cups cooked lentils, or about ½ cup dry lentils. If cooking lentils from dry, add ½ cup dry lentils, 1 ½ cups vegetable broth, and a pinch of salt to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. Simmer until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- I love using my silicon baking mat when rolling out things puff pastry. If you don't have a baking mat, simply place the puff pastry between two layers of parchment paper or wax paper, or roll it out on a very lightly floured surface.
- No rolling pin? While a rolling pin is the easiest option, if you don't have oen you can use a clean, smooth glass jar (like an empty marinara jar) or wine bottle instead.
- Reheating: Reheats best in the oven. I recommend wrapping the slices in foil and baking at 350F for 10 minutes, then unwrap and let crisp up for just 3-5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 15gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gSodium: 576mgPotassium: 931mgFiber: 10gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 12256IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 5mg
Did you make this?I love hearing how it went! Leave a review or tag me on Instagram @cozypeachkitchen so I can see your creations!
Al Hanson says
Can you make ahead some or all of this?
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
You can make the filling ahead. You should be able to assemble it completely in the puff pastry and refrigerate, then bake when ready. I just haven’t tested that out myself so don’t want to say it will for sure work.
Frankie says
Made this for Thanksgiving - it surpassed my expectations. Even a dedicated meat eater said it was delicious and asked for the recipe. Thanks for a healthy alternative. I didn’t make any substitutions, but I did forget the zucchini, and I used Dufour brand Puff Pastry I purchased @ Whole Foods
Cassidy Reeser says
Wonderful! Always love hearing when the vegetarian dish impresses meat eaters. Thanks for the review!
Karen says
For the comment because I was wondering about leaving out the zucchini