Description
This Vegan Mushroom Wellington with Rosemary and Pecans is a flavorful, elegant main dish perfect for holiday gatherings or special dinners. Featuring a savory mushroom and nut filling wrapped in flaky vegan puff pastry, it combines fresh herbs, toasted pecans, and optional truffle oil for a gourmet touch. The recipe is made ahead friendly and can be served warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight (cold, not room temperature)
Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegan butter)
- 2 pounds mixed mushrooms (cremini, king oyster, shiitake, portobello, wild mushrooms or a mix), sliced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4-6 fat garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or substitute sage or thyme)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sherry wine (not sherry vinegar), marsala wine, ruby port, or red/white wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans (or substitute hazelnuts or walnuts)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons truffle oil (optional)
Optional Additions
- 1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese such as pecorino, gruyere, goat cheese, cream cheese, meltable vegan cheese, or vegan ricotta, to mix into filling
- Egg wash substitute: nut milk, cream, or melted coconut oil for brushing pastry (or whisked egg with water if not vegan)
Instructions
- Prepare Puff Pastry: Ensure puff pastry is thawed in the fridge overnight until cold but pliable. If too stiff, let it rest a few more minutes before rolling. Avoid letting it get too warm to prevent it from falling apart.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cook Mushroom Filling: Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms, diced onion, garlic, kosher salt, and fresh rosemary. Sauté, stirring frequently, until mushrooms release their liquid. Then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the mushroom liquid evaporates. This step is crucial to avoid a soggy filling.
- Deglaze and Season: Splash in sherry wine (or alternative) and balsamic vinegar, then sauté on medium heat until all liquid evaporates. Add toasted pecans, black pepper, and optional truffle oil. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Optionally fold in your choice of cheese at this point for extra richness. You can prepare this filling 15-20 minutes beforehand or up to a day in advance and refrigerate.
- Assemble Wellington: Lay one sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and carefully unroll one sheet of puff pastry onto it. Gently roll out the pastry slightly to smooth and extend it about 1/2 inch, patch any holes. Place half the mushroom filling in a long mound along the center of the pastry. Quickly roll the pastry over the filling, sealing the seam on the underside. Repeat with the second sheet and remaining filling.
- Decorate Pastry: Use a sharp knife or razor blade to score your desired decorative pattern on the pastry surface such as cross-hatch, herringbone, leafy vine, or simple diagonal slits. This allows steam to escape while baking.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for about 35 minutes, checking at 20 minutes to rotate the pan for even browning. Look for a deep golden-brown color indicating the pastry is fully cooked and flaky. You may need to add 5 extra minutes if necessary. Using convection mode in the last 5-10 minutes helps achieve an even crisp finish.
- Rest and Serve: Let the Wellington rest for 5-10 minutes after baking before slicing. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve warm for best flavor, though it is also delicious at room temperature.
Notes
- Thaw puff pastry overnight in the fridge for best texture and ease of handling.
- The filling can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated to save time on the day of serving.
- You can substitute other nuts like hazelnuts or walnuts for pecans.
- To keep the dish vegan, use vegan butter and cheese alternatives or omit cheese altogether.
- The alcohol in the wine cooks off during sautéing, leaving a rich depth of flavor; if preferred, this can be omitted.
- Apply an egg wash substitute or egg wash to the pastry surface before baking to achieve a glossy finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/5 of one roll
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 1.7 g
- Sodium: 125.4 mg
- Fat: 30.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: Estimated 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.2 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
