Festive meals tend to be meat dominated, so it’s easy to feel hard done by if you aren’t eating meat! However, this does not need to be case. You can still enjoy an indulgent Christmas dinner without waiving your commitment to vegetarianism! Let me show you how! There are many options for a vegetarian Christmas dinner centre piece. The classic is a nut roast, which I absolutely love. However, you might want to switch it up a bit if you’re used to eating nut roasts every year. Enter your email & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Hurry the Food Up. That’s where a vegetable wellington comes in. Crispy, golden flaky pastry decorated with festive star shapes, wrapping a hearty vegetable mixture with feta – what’s not to love? Plus, it’s a healthier option than some of the heavily processed fake ‘meats’ that you can find on the shelves near Christmas time. I don’t want to even think about all the weird ingredients that go into making that ‘meaty’ flavor! Not to mention that, in my opinion anyway, they are usually quite bland tasting…I’d pick a flavorful vegetable wellington over fake turkey any day!
Ingredients
Leek I love leeks for their sweet, rich, oniony flavor, and soft texture. They complement the sweet potatoes beautifully. Sweet potato These add bulk and a pop of color to the wellington stuffing, aside from the obvious – their delicious flavor! Feel free to substitute for butternut squash if that is all you have access to! The effect is much the same. Chestnuts A festive favorite! Sweet, soft, buttery chestnuts are the perfect addition to this veggie wellington. If you want to up the festive flavors even more, why not throw in a handful of dried cranberries too? If you need a replacement, tried chopped portobello mushrooms, walnuts or smoked tofu! Spinach Spinach is a great healthy addition to any dish and I love it in this wellington. If you don’t have spinach, some finely chopped kale will also work! Thyme Fresh thyme adds a gorgeous herbaceous flavor to this dish. You are welcome to use dried thyme if you can’t get hold of the fresh stuff, or to switch it out for rosemary or sage. Or whack them all in and see what happens! Salad cheese Salad cheese is a soft cow’s milk cheese, a little like feta. If you can’t get hold of any, then feta will also do the job. The sharpness of the cheese balances the earthy, mild flavors of the nuts, veggies and thyme. Puff pastry Flaky puff pastry is what makes this dish so irresistible and indulgent. It is easiest to buy ready made pastry (though you are of course welcome to try to make it yourself!). What’s more, if you buy vegan puff pastry and cut out the cheese, then you have yourself a vegan Christmas dinner!
How many calories are in this vegetable wellington?
This vegetable wellington contains 776 calories per serving, and it contains 13g protein per serving. Here’s a quick overview of 1 serving:
Health benefits
I’m not too worried about the health benefits for holiday meal! It’s Christmas after all – if there is any time to put aside those concerns and indulge yourself, it’s the festive season! So this isn’t one of our super lean, protein packed, calorie controlled dishes. However, you can rest assured that it is made of healthy whole food ingredients and is considerably healthier than a classic beef wellington.
How to make the best vegetable wellington?
Chop the leeks and onions and fry in butter in a large skillet over a medium heat. To lower the saturated fat, fry in olive oil instead.
Dice the sweet potato and add to the frying pan with garlic and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes.
Crush the chestnuts with a fork and add to pan. Cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the spinach and turn off the heat. Keep stirring. Let it cool.
Crumble the cheese into the mix.
Pour onto a sheet of cling film spread out on your work surface.
Shape the mixture into a ‘log’.
Wrap the clingfilm tightly around the ‘log’ and store in the fridge for an hour.
Lay the sheet of puff pastry out and slide the log of filling into the center of the puff pastry.
Wrap the pastry around the filling, dabbing a little water at the edges and pressing down with a fork to help them stick together.
Cut any leftover pastry into fun festive shapes and decorate the top of the wellington. If you want, use a pastry brush to apply an egg wash now.
Bake for 35 minutes on a sheet of parchment paper, with your oven temperature at a medium-high heat! Serve in thick slices.
If you have any questions about preparing/storing/reheating this vegetable wellington, we have answers for you here!
Can I make this ahead?
Yes! You can make the filling ahead and store it in the fridge in an airtight container / plastic wrap for a few days. However, I would not recommend assembling the wellington in the pastry until the day you intend to cook it, as it will get soggy and not become golden brown and crispy.
How to store and reheat?
Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer and reheat in the oven! You can store this in the fridge for up to 3/4 days, or in the freezer for a month. You can also microwave your leftovers, but this will make the pastry go soggy.
What to serve with vegetable wellington?
Roast potatoes or roast vegetables are nice to serve with vegetable wellington. And all your usual Christmas side dishes work too! Roast potatoes, roast vegetables, gravy, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce etc. You don’t even need to serve it with anything, as it works well by itself.
What does Wellington mean in food?
Wellington refers to a dish where meat or vegetables are wrapped in pastry in a long cylindrical shape and baked. It can either be made in individual portions or as a large pastry to be sliced into individual portions. The classic wellington is a beef wellington, but there are many a vegetarian-friendly version of beef wellington.
What is vegan wellington made of?
Any vegan filling of your choice and vegan pastry (easy to buy in shops – vegan pastry simply uses a plant-based source of fat instead of butter). You can get creative with fillings and try different mixes of vegetables, legumes, maybe tofu even!
Can you freeze a vegetable wellington?
Yes! I recommend slicing it into individual portions first before freezing as this makes it easier to reheat when you need it.
Vegetable wellington variations and alternatives
To make a vegan vegetable wellington, cut the cheese and either replace with smoked tofu, a vegan feta alternative, or just leave it out completely. Choose flaky pastry that is made without butter (easily accessible in most big supermarkets!). Fry your vegetables in olive oil instead of butter. To make this gluten-free, choose a gluten free pastry alternative, of which there are quite a few! You can also experiment with fillings – a mushroom mixture can be a delicious option, or you can try various other vegetables such as diced bell peppers, red onions, butternut squash, carrots etc. Why not experiment with cheese as well? Goat cheese makes an awesome alternative to feta. And instead of chestnuts, you could use walnuts or pecans.
More festive vegetarian and vegan recipes
If you enjoyed this vegetarian wellington recipe, why not try some of my other festive favorites, such as this incredible nut roast, this banging brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar recipe or these awesome vegetarian pigs in blankets. I’ve even got a whole list of vegan Christmas recipes for all courses, complete with suggested set menus! I hope you enjoyed this vegetable wellington recipe – it’s one of my favorite main courses ever! Let me know what you thought in the comments.
