Mushroom Wellington Recipe (Vegetarian)
This Mushroom Wellington is so stunning, it's worthy to crown your holiday table. Savoury mushroom filling flavoured with roasted garlic, thyme and Parmesan cheese, then baked in flaky puff pastry.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Food processor
- This is an affiliate link.Knife
- This is an affiliate link.Non-stick frying pan
- This is an affiliate link.Pastry brush
- This is an affiliate link.Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 500g/16oz mushrooms chestnut/cremini and portobello mix
- 3 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil divided
- 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 head garlic small
- 1 onion chopped
- 135g/1 cup canned or cooked green lentils
- 20g/1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 125ml/1/2 cup dry red wine
- 4 tbsp mushroom liquid from reconstituted dried porcini
- 50g/1/3 cup cooked chestnuts store bought
- 50g/2/3 cup mixed nuts chopped
- 50g/ 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 50g/ 1/2 cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese grated
- 350g/ 13 oz puff pastry one package
- 1 egg for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. In a small bowl soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 125ml/1/2 cup of boiling water for 15-20 minutes. In a roasting pan combine the fresh mushrooms with the olive oil, thyme and salt. Cut the top of a small head of garlic to expose the cloves, wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and place in the same pan as the mushrooms. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then take the mushrooms out but leave the head of garlic for 10 minutes longer or until the garlic is soft. Let the mushrooms and the roasted garlic cool slightly until needed.
- While the mushrooms are roasting, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the chopped onion over low heat with 2-3 sprigs of thyme or 1/4 tsp of dried thyme. Add the drained lentils, cooked chestnuts, drained and chopped reconstituted porcini mushrooms, chopped nuts, a pinch of salt, red wine and the liquid (vegetable stock in the video) from the dried mushrooms. Bring to a boil and let it simmer over low-medium until most of the liquid has evaporated for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the roasted mushrooms and peeled garlic cloves to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is minced and but still has some texture. Alternatively, you can mince the mushrooms and the roasted garlic by hand if you don't have a food processor.
- To the same pan add the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, mixed nuts and the minced roasted garlic and mushrooms mixture. Mix to combine, then add salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be moist but not wet. (Watch the video for the texture guidance.) Remove to a bowl and cool completely. (This could be done overnight)
- On a floured surface roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle of 1/4 inch thickness or use already rolled puff pastry. Add the mushroom mixture to the centre of the rectangle and form into a log, leaving 1 inch border on the shorter sides to seal. Brush all 4 sides with a beaten egg. Pick up the long sides of the puff pastry sheet and wrap them around the mushroom log making sure the edges overlap, then seal by pressing on the edge with a fork dipped into a beaten egg.
- Carefully transfer the Wellington on a parchment paper lined baking pan placing it seam down. Then brush with the egg wash all over. Score with a sharp knife to form an attractive pattern. (Crisscross is a classic pattern used for Wellingtons or you can decorate as you wish.) Bake in the preheated 200C/400F oven for 40-45 minutes until golden. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
- For the best combination of flakiness and good taste, always choose all butter puff pastry.
- Store-bought puff pastry makes this a far easier recipe. And be sure to brush with egg wash. Egg-washed puff pastry is the only way to get that lovely golden colour!
- While the scoring of the puff pastry does make the finished dish far more attractive, the slits also allow moisture to escape and prevent the Wellington from bursting as it bakes. Choose a very sharp knife to make this a far neater, easier job.
- You’ll get best results with the pastry if it is allowed to warm up slightly before use. You want it to warm up enough that it is pliable but not all the way to room temperature. Don’t let it warm up too much though as it will prevent flaky layers from developing. Place the puff pastry sheet on parchment paper to make it easier to work with.
- This recipe was created with vegetarians in mind, but it can also be tweaked for vegans. Use aquafaba or another substitute for egg wash, as well as vegan butter and vegan puff pastry to ensure that dairy isn’t part of the dish. Also leave out the Parmesan cheese.
- For more complex flavour, choose a mixture of mushrooms for your mixture. I used a mixture of chestnut/cremini and portobello mushrooms, but there are plenty of other varieties to choose from.
- If you are using a food processor, be careful not to chop the mushrooms too finely. You want to have some texture left, so don't let it turn into a paste.
- A great way to limit the work on the day you plan to serve this Wellington is to make the mushroom mixture the day before.
Nutrition
Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3mg