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This meaty Vegan Wellington features a mushroom, tofu, and vegetable filling wrapped and baked in golden, flaky puff pastry. It’s an impressive main dish perfect for Thanksgiving and special occasions! Vegan and Nut-Free.
This Vegan Mushroom Wellington is a mouthwatering holiday centerpiece inspired by classic beef wellington. To make it, a filling made from tofu, dried mushrooms, and vegetables is rolled up in a puff pastry crust and baked to golden brown perfection. You’ll be amazed at how meaty it is, even without any vegan beef!
Table of Contents
A Main Dish You’ll Be Thankful For
You know what I’m thankful for this year? This Vegan Wellington Recipe. It’s an impressive main dish and one of the best alternatives to your typical store-bought holiday roast (just like my Tofu Turkey).
Yes, this is very different from your traditional beef wellington, but it tastes just as meaty thanks to a few simple ingredients. An umami-rich filling made from tofu, dried shiitake mushrooms, and sunflower seeds is wrapped in puff pastry and then baked until the inside is cooked through and the outside is golden brown and crisp. Slice it up and serve it with plenty of this Mushroom Gravy for a vegan holiday meal to remember!
What Makes this Vegan Wellington Different?
There are a lot of vegan wellington recipes on the internet – so I knew mine needed to deliver! After several rounds of testing, I made the following changes to help this wellington recipe stand apart from its peers:
- NO lentils or walnuts: these seem to be the most common substitutions for the “meat” in wellington recipes, but I found that lentils made the wellington dry and mushy, and walnuts have a very distinct texture. Instead, we’ll use shredded tofu (for a not-mushy texture) and sunflower seeds (for a nut-free and more neutral flavor) to bulk up this recipe
- DRIED mushrooms: most wellington recipes use fresh mushrooms, which are very water-heavy and again, will either make the wellington soggy or drastically increase your cook time. Instead, we’ll be rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms – the dried mushrooms have a much denser and meatier texture, and also absorb a lot less water than if you used fresh.
- Extra Umami: this recipe calls for a dry red wine, lots of spices and herbs, and nutritional yeast – all of which boost the flavor complexity of the dish and make it taste like a layered, restaurant-quality meal.
Ingredients for Vegan Wellington
Like I mentioned previously, I opted for fresh ingredients and affordable and simple pantry staples for a more wholesome, homemade filling. Here are the key components you need:
- Super Firm Tofu: the firmer your tofu is, the more chewy and firm the wellington filling will be. Super firm tofu is the best option, but extra firm tofu (pressed for 20 minutes ahead of time) will also work.
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: this recipe will only work with dried mushrooms. After testing it with fresh mushrooms, I found that the filling became too wet, which took away from the meaty texture. You can usually find dried shiitake mushrooms in the Asian section of well-stocked grocery stores, at Asian grocery stores, and online.
- Sunflower Seeds: ground sunflower seeds are yet another piece of the meaty puzzle in the filling. Walnuts also work really well here (or a 50-50 mix of both).
- Herbs and Seasonings: fresh or dried thyme leaves, paprika, and black pepper add warm flavors to the filling.
- Red Wine: use any vegan red wine you like. I typically use dry red wine for cooking, such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Tamari and Soy Sauce: seasoning the filling with a 1:1 mix of tamari and dark soy sauce adds a boost of umami and a dark, beef-like color. Feel free to use all soy sauce if you don’t have tamari on hand.
- Puff Pastry: vegan puff pastry is pretty easy to find in the freezer section of most major grocery stores these days. Look for a brand made with shortening and not butter or lard.
How to Make a Vegan Wellington
- Place the dried mushrooms in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak until they’re rehydrated, then drain the water.
- Process the sunflower seeds in a food processor, then set aside. Add the onion and celery to the food processor, pulse to chop, and set aside. Finish by pulsing the soaked mushrooms until chopped.
- Sauté the onion and celery in a large pot until soft, then add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, paprika, and black pepper.
- Combine the wine, tamari or soy sauce, and dark soy sauce in a small bowl. Add the shredded tofu, mushrooms, and sunflower seeds to the pot, then deglaze the pot by pouring in the red wine and soy sauce mixture.
- Remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle in the ground flax and nutritional yeast. Mix, then set aside to thicken and cool.
- Roll a sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle. Spoon the wellington filling into the center, shape it into a log, and fold the edges of the pastry over the filling to seal it. Transfer the wellington to a prepared baking sheet and score the top with a knife.
- Chill the wellington in the fridge or freezer, then brush the top with oil or butter. Bake the wellington until the pastry is golden.
- Rest the baked wellington for 10 minutes, then serve the warm slices. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop everything by hand instead. Personally, I prefer to save time with the food processor.
- Scoring the puff pastry is a must: Scoring, AKA dragging a knife over the pastry to make shallow slits, allows steam to escape and helps the wellington look stunning. Skipping this step will result in a watery filling and a soggy crust. I went with horizontal lines, but a cross-hatch pattern would also look pretty.
- Chill the wellington before baking. A quick 10 minutes in the fridge or freezer before baking gives the pastry time to firm up (it will be warm and soft after assembly) and yields a buttery, crisp baked crust.
Serving Suggestions
I’ll be making this vegan mushroom wellington for my holiday dinners from now on. It’s a real crowd-pleaser and pairs perfectly with my creamy Tahini Gravy or this Vegan Mushroom Gravy. For a holiday meal to remember, serve every gravy-slathered slice alongside these Vegan Mashed Potatoes, this Classic Vegan Stuffing, and this Roasted Honeynut Squash. Just don’t forget the Pecan & Pumpkin Custard Pie for dessert!
If you’re looking for more vegan Thanksgiving recipes to try this year, you’ll also love this Vegan Lentil Loaf, this Vegan Mushroom Stuffing, and this Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole!
Or, browse these Vegan Thanksgiving Menus for All Occasions or my round-up of 60+ Vegan & Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes for even more ideas.
How to Store Leftover Mushroom Wellington
Wait for the leftover wellington to cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge or freezer. For easy storage and reheating, pre-slice the wellington and store the slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Leftovers are best reheated in a 350ºF oven or toaster oven for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also reheat them in the air fryer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the crust is crisp.
Substitutions and Variations
- Dried Mushroom Options: If you can’t find dried shiitake mushrooms, try another dried mushroom variety, like dried oyster, porcini, or portobello mushrooms. Or, try a combination of two or three to experiment with the flavor profile!
- Gluten-Free Variation: I haven’t tested it, but this recipe should still work well with a quality gluten-free puff pastry. Remember to replace the soy sauce with tamari in the filling and to dust the pastry with gluten-free flour as well.
- Red Wine Substitute: If you’d prefer to make this without alcohol, replace the red wine with 1/4 cup of vegetable broth or vegan beef broth and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. The filling can be cooked 1 to 2 days in advance, or you can prepare the wellington up to step 10 in the recipe directions (fully assembled but not baked). Cover it and chill it in the fridge overnight. Let it come to room temperature on the kitchen counter before baking it as normal the next day.
I haven’t tested it, but you could try replacing the tofu or dried mushrooms with store-bought vegan ground beef, like Beyond or Impossible meat. The flavors and textures will be slightly different, though.
Your filling will be wet or loose if you don’t give the red wine and soy sauce mixture enough time to evaporate from the filling. After combining it with the filling in the pot, simmer it for about 5 to 7 minutes or until you no longer see any excess moisture.
Nowadays, vegan puff pastry is easy to find! I like Pepperidge Farm’s puff pastry best. Just check the ingredients on the package to make sure the pastry is made with vegetable shortening and not lard or butter.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Incredible Vegan Wellington
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 8 ounces super firm tofu shredded on a box grater (about 1/2 block)
- 2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms
- 3/4 cup unroasted unsalted sunflower seeds or sub walnuts
- 1 small yellow onion peeled, cut in half and then quartered
- 2 stalks celery cut into 2” pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5-7 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon tamari or sub soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce for color; or sub more soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons ground flax meal mix in at end
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
For the Pastry:
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed according to package instructions
- All purpose flour for dusting
- Extra olive oil or melted vegan butter for brushing the pastry
Instructions
- Rehydrate the Mushrooms: Add the dried mushrooms to a large bowl or measuring cup. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in an electric kettle or on the stovetop (or microwave for 2 minutes). Carefully pour the water over the mushrooms and place a smaller bowl or plate on top of the mushrooms to fully submerge them. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain and set the mushrooms aside.
- Chop: In the meantime, add the sunflower seeds to a food processor with an S-blade attachment. Process until they resemble a coarse meal, then set aside with the shredded tofu. Add the onion and celery to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, then set aside in a separate bowl. Finally, add the soaked mushrooms to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped; set these aside with the sunflower seeds. You can also opt to finely chop everything by hand, but I prefer to save time with the food processor.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 415F and set a lined baking sheet aside. Remove one sheet of puff pastry from the freezer and set out to let thaw slightly. (Note: do not let the puff pastry cool for more than 30 minutes, or it will become too soft and sticky. I recommend taking it out of the freezer right after you deglaze the pan in step 7)
- Sauté: Warm the olive oil in a large pot or sauté pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion and celery; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and completely translucent.
- Aromatics: Add the tomato paste to the pot along with the garlic, thyme, paprika, and black pepper. Sauté for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all of the moisture is gone from the pan and browned bits start to stick to the bottom.
- Deglaze: Add the wine, tamari or soy sauce, and dark soy (if using) to a small bowl and set aside. Add the shredded tofu, mushrooms, and sunflower seeds to the pot and mix well until combined with the veggie mix. Deglaze the veggie mixture with the red wine and soy sauce mixture. Mix to combine, then sauté for a final 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, to combine all flavors and eliminate any extra moisture.
- Thicken: Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the ground flax and nutritional yeast over the mixture. Mix well, then let sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly and to let the flax thicken the filling.
- Prepare Puff Pastry: Dust a large cutting board with flour and place the thawed puff pastry sheet on top. Dust the pastry with flour lightly, then use a rolling pin to roll it until it forms a 12 x 14” rectangle. If using a lattice cutter, run it over the pastry now (if scoring with a knife, wait until the next step)
- Wrap: Spoon the wellington filling into the center of the dough, then use clean hands to form it into a log that is 4-5” wide and 10” long, leaving about 1” of pastry on the top and bottom. Fold the top and bottom of the puff pastry over the ends of the wellington, then wrap the left and right sides towards the center to seal it completely. Carefully flip the wellington onto the prepared baking sheet so the overlapped pastry is now on the bottom. Use a sharp knife to score a pattern into the wellington and allow air to escape – horizontal lines or a cross hatch pattern work great!
- Chill: Place the wellington and baking sheet in the fridge (or even better, freezer) and let it cool for 10 minutes, to allow the pastry to firm up slightly
- Bake: Remove the baking tray from the fridge and brush the top of the pastry with olive oil or melted butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
- Serve & Store: Let the wellington sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with mushroom gravy, or as desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Leftovers can also be pre-sliced and frozen for up to 2 months; I recommend reheating in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer for the best texture.
Recipe Notes
- Super Firm vs. Extra Firm Tofu: I recommend using super firm tofu for this recipe as it is pre-pressed and has a firmer, meatier texture. You can also use extra firm tofu in a pinch; make sure to press it first and remove any extra liquid.
- Dried Mushrooms: I do not recommend using fresh mushrooms for this recipe – only dried! Dried mushrooms absorb and release less moisture than fresh and have a much meatier texture. I have been able to find dried shiitake mushrooms in the Asian section of my standard grocery store, at my local Asian grocery store, and online.
I made this for Christmas and it was a big hit! one of my guests is French and she liked it so well, she asked for the recipe. So far all the recipes I have made from you have been wonderful!
I’m so happy to hear that, Debbie!
Hi Caitlyn! Thank you for giving us such wonderful creative recipes ! I’m making this mushroom Wellington now and I’m wondering if you have tested if it can be frozen before it’s baked?
I haven’t but I think it would work out! You would probably need to increase the baking time slightly, or let it thaw partially before baking.
Thank you for your response ! This was so delicious ! It added such an elegant vegan option to our Thanksgiving table .
I made the filling 3 days in advance and wrapped it the night before we cooked it and it came out perfectly .
I am planning to make one now and freeze before baking . I’m sure it”ll come out beautifully !
So glad you enjoyed!!
I cannot do Soy.
So I am subbing Coconut Aminos vs Soy Sauce.
And will try subbing PUMFU
(a pumpkin seed based Tofu product).
Idk how firm that is tho.
Any other soy-free subs for the Tofu? Cannit do Seitan or Wheat Gluten, either. Or Peanuts.
There isn’t a true sub other than soy free tofu, you can try chickpea or fava bean based tofu!