Mushroom Wellington

Mushroom Wellington is a gorgeous, delicious, protein-rich centerpiece for a memorable holiday dinner table.

It will please omnivores and vegetarians alike. It’s deeply satisfying with a rich mushroom and lentil filling wrapped in flaky puff pastry.

Our recipe is easy to make, also in advance, and perfect for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Mushroom Wellington is our meatless take on beef Wellington.

A rich, flavorful, lentil-based filling is infused with the rustic charm of aromatic herbs and wrapped in crisp and flaky puff pastry.

Like our lentil loaf, stuffed butternut squash, and vegetarian lasagna, it is the perfect main dish for a festive holiday meal or a cozy family dinner.

Pair it with our mashed or roasted potatoes, mushroom gravy, vegetarian stuffing, sautéed green beans, or roasted Brussels sprouts to make one of the most satisfying meat-free dinners.

Our recipe is straightforward and uses simple ingredients. You can make the filling days ahead to prepare for the big event.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page. Substitutions are in the chapter below.

1. Gather your ingredients

To make mushroom Wellington, you’ll need olive oil, leek, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, tomato paste, rosemary, sage, thyme, mushrooms, canned or cooked lentils, walnuts, soy sauce or balsamic vinegar, rolled oats, salt, black pepper, and puff pastry.

You’ll also need heavy cream, non-dairy milk, or a beaten egg to brush the top of the pastry before baking it.

Tip: the mushroom filling needs to cool down completely before you use it, so we recommend making it a few hours in advance or the day before.

2. Make the flavor base

Finely chop an onion, a rib of celery, a carrot, and four cloves of garlic.

Then, cut the leek in half lengthwise, rinse the inside to remove dirt, and cut it into thin slices.

You could pulse the vegetables in a food processor without overmixing to speed things up.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. 

Add the vegetables, and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes or until they soften and sweat.

Add 1/2 cup of water if the pan dries.

Stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste, a teaspoon of rosemary and sage, and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and sauté on medium heat for 2 more minutes.

Tip: if you use fresh rosemary, sage, and fresh thyme, we recommend chopping the leaves before adding them to the pan.

3. Add mushrooms and lentils

Rinse and coarsely chop one pound of mushrooms (stems and gills included) with a sharp knife.

Optionally, you can pulse the mushrooms in a food processor. But do so in small batches and don’t overprocess.

Add chopped mushrooms, a can of drained and rinsed lentils, a cup of chopped walnuts, and four tablespoons of rolled oats to the pan.

Season with two tablespoons of soy sauce, a teaspoon of salt, and a few twists of black pepper, and cook on medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, and herbs. If you like a meatier and richer flavor, add more soy sauce.

You should have a tasty mushroom filling with a coarse and compact texture at this stage. There should be no liquid in the skillet.

Set it aside and let it cool down for about 1 hour.

Tip: To speed cooling, spread the mushroom filling on a baking sheet in an even layer.

3. Shape and bake

To give you an idea of the loaf’s size, we are using a standard half-sheet baking pan (18 x 13 inches with a 1-inch border or 45 x 33 x 2.5 cm).

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line the baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the puff pastry sheet on it.

Roll out puff pastry directly on parchment paper to create a rectangle of about 12 x 8 inches (30 x 20 cm).

Make diagonal cuts on the side of the puff pastry sheet (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm wide).

Arrange the mushroom filling in the center of the puff pastry, leaving some space at the margins. Then, press it down with a spoon or with your hands to compact it.

Tip: If your puff pastry comes with parchment paper, discard the paper it comes with and use a fresh sheet of parchment paper.

If you use frozen puff pastry sheets, let them thaw at room temperature beforehand.

Fold in the cut strips to create a cross-hatch pattern and seal the mushroom filling.

Fold in one strip from the right, one from the left, one from the right, one from the left, and so on to cover the whole loaf.

Brush the top with heavy cream, milk, or their non-dairy substitutes.

Bake at 350°F or 180°C for about 30 minutes, until the mushroom Wellington is golden brown.

Let it cool down briefly before cutting it with a serrated knife.

Mushroom Wellington is an excellent centerpiece meal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a special family dinner.

We recommend serving it with our creamy mushroom gravy and with one or two side dishes:

• Sautéed green beans or green bean salad
• Roasted potatoes or roasted potatoes and carrots
• Mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes
• Smashed potatoes
• Roasted butternut squash or roasted kabocha squash
• Roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted carrots and Brussels sprouts
• Braised red cabbage
• Sweet potato casserole or vegetarian stuffing

Mushroom filling: make it in advance so that it has time to cool down before you wrap it in puff pastry. You can even make it a day or two before.

Hand chopping vs. food processor: you can chop the veggies in the food processor, but if you do so, don’t overprocess them. We did blind tests, and our families preferred the Wellington with hand-chopped veggies because they keep their texture better.

Puff pastry: The easiest way to make this is with refrigerated (not frozen) puff pastry that comes in a roll. The best shape is rectangular (not round).

Storage & Make Ahead

Make ahead: We recommend making the mushroom filling ahead of time (from a few hours to a day in advance) so it has time to cool down before wrapping it in the puff pastry.

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. The filling keeps very well. However, the puff pastry layer loses its flakey and crunchy texture.

Freezer: You can freeze mushroom lentil Wellington for up to 3 months before baking it. When you are ready to cook it, let it thaw in the fridge for at least 3 hours and bake as per instructions.

You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Let them cool down completely and transfer them to a freezer-friendly container.

Reheat: Warm this in the microwave for a couple of minutes. You can also reheat it in a preheated oven at 350°F or 180°C for 10 minutes.

LENTIL RECIPES: Lentil loaf, vegetarian lasagna, lentil bolognese, lentil stew, lentil soup, zucchini boats, stuffed eggplant, Mujadara, lentil pasta, barley soup and lentil patties.

For more lentil ideas, check out our compilation of our best lentil recipes.

HOLIDAY RECIPES: Stuffed butternut squash, roasted sweet potatoes, eggplant parmigiana, whole roasted cauliflower, roasted vegetables, sweet potato soup, butternut squash soup, cannelloni, vegetable lasagna, stuffed mushrooms.

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