This Vegan Beef Wellington is the ultimate holiday centerpiece! Hearty vegan ground beef and a mushroom duxelles are wrapped in buttery puff pastry then baked to golden brown perfection. Family and friends won’t believe it’s vegan!
It’s hard to believe how realistic Vegan Beef Wellington is, but it’s true! Made with a savory vegan ground beef filling and mushroom duxelles, this puff pastry-wrapped main dish is impossibly meaty and hearty. Serve it to family and friends during the holidays to see if they can tell that it’s vegan!
While this vegan wellington does make an extravagant holiday meal, you can serve it year-round for any type of celebration or weeknight dinner. It pairs so well with vegan gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and salad. What more could you want in a hearty vegan dinner?
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Vegan wellington ingredients
- Mushrooms - Cremini mushrooms are sauteed with onion, butter, and herbs to make the mushroom duxelles. This herbaceous and aromatic mixture will be placed on top of the vegan meat filling before assembling the wellington.
- Vegan ground beef - I love the flavour of Impossible or Beyond ground beef, have not tested with any other brand of vegan ground beef.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Regular and gluten free breadcrumbs work.
- Vegan worcestershire sauce - Or use soy sauce or tamari if you can’t find worcestershire.
- Herbs and seasonings - You’ll need fresh parsley, garlic, onion pwder, and ground fennel to season the beef mixture.
- Puff pastry - You can ususally find vegan-friendly puff pastry in the frozen aisle of most major grocery stores. Pepperidge Farm brand puff pastry is vegan and delicious!
How to make a vegan wellington
A vegan wellington is surprisingly easy to make at home. It’s the perfect main dish to serve for the holidays or when you’re in the mood for something extra special for dinner. Here’s how it’s done:
- Cook the mushroom duxelles: Saute the mushrooms, onions, thyme, and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Once the mushrooms have cooked down, take the pan off the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
- Make the beef filling: Mix the vegan ground beef and the rest of your filling ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Assemble the wellington: Lay the puff pastry on a baking sheet and scoop large spoonfuls of the filling into the middle of the pastry. Form it into a loaf shape and brush the top of the filling with mustard. Spread the mushroom mixture on top of the beef.
- Fold the pastry: Fold the long ends of the puff pastry sheet over the filling and follow with the short ends. No need to seal the tops or try to hide them! Brush the tops and sides with plant milk and score the top with a knife to allow the steam to release.
- Bake and serve: Bake the wellington until the pastry is golden brown and flaky. Let it rest for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven, then slice and serve! For full ingredients and instructions see recipe card below
Tips for success
- Save time by pulsing the mushrooms a few times in a food processor instead of chopping them all by hand.
- There’s no need to cook the vegan ground beef first! It’s mixed into the filling raw, just like meatloaf. I use this technique for my cabbage rolls and vegan meatloaf and the results are always juicy and delicious.
- Do not add parchment paper to the baking pan or else the bottom of your wellington will be soggy. Instead, use a non-stick baking sheet so it can crisp without sticking.
- Keep the defrosted puff pastry wrapped in the fridge until it’s time to assemble. It could dry out and crack and will be too soft if you leave it unwrapped at room temperature.
- Score the puff pastry loaf by dragging a sharp knife 3 or 4 times across the top of the loaf. Repeat going the other direction so you end up with a criss-cross pattern.
What to serve with vegan beef wellington
Beef wellington isn’t complete without the gravy! Serve each slice with regular vegan gravy, mushroom gravy, cranberry sauce, aus jus, peppercorn sauce, or a dollop of creamed horseradish.
This impressive holiday dinner would be perfect next to mashed potatoes, stuffed acorn squash, vegan cauliflower soup, and roasted carrots and potatoes. In fact, it’s delicious with all of your favorite side dishes!
Frequently asked questions
Beef wellington is made by wrapping beef tenderloin (filet mignon) and duxelless in puff pastry and then baking. The goal is to bake the wellington so the pastry is crisp while the beef stays red in the center. It’s easy to veganize this classic recipe by replacing the beef with a vegan substitute, like vegan ground beef, lentils, or mushrooms.
Of course! Simply omit the mushroom duxelles from this recipe if you’re not a fan of mushrooms.
Not always, but finding store-bought vegan puff pastry is not hard! Pepperidge Farm makes a delicious vegan-friendly pastry that can be found in the frozen aisle at most major grocery stores.
Sure! To prepare it ahead of time, assemble the wellington fully but don’t bake it. Instead, wrap it in plastic and store it in the fridge. Let come to room temp and bake it the next day.
If you end up with leftover wellington, feel free to wrap up the slices and keep them in the fridge for a day or two. It makes for delicious leftovers!
Hungry for more impressive vegan main dishes?
- Vegan Turkey Recipe (Seitan)
- The Best Vegan Bolognese
- Impossible Burger Vegan Meatballs
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
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Vegan Beef Wellington
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Beef Wellington is the ultimate holiday centerpiece! Hearty vegan ground beef and a mushroom duxelles are wrapped in buttery puff pastry then baked to golden brown perfection. Family and friends won’t believe it’s vegan!
Ingredients
Mushroom duxelles:
- ½ lb cremini mushrooms, chopped really small*
- ¼ cup yellow onion or small shallots, diced small
- 1 tablespoon oil or vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
'Beef' Filling:
- 2 packages vegan ground beef, either impossible meat or beyond*
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs, regular or gluten free
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic (powder)
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- ½ teaspoon salt and pinch of black pepper
The rest:
- 1- 10 x 15 sheet vegan puff pastry, defrosted (see notes*)
- 1 tablespoon or so of mustard, dijon or regular
- Plant milk for brushing on pastry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° and set aside a non-stick baking sheet (10 x 15 inch or larger) Keep the defrosted puff pastry wrapped in the fridge until needed
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Cook mushroom mix: In a large skillet over medium heat saute mushrooms, onions, thyme, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper for 7 minutes or so until they have cooked down. Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Remove to a plate to cool.
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Mix beef filling: In a large bowl mix together the vegan ground beef and rest of ingredients.
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Assemble the wellington: Lay the puff pastry on the baking sheet. Place big spoonfuls of the filling down the middle of the pastry sheet and form into a rectangular loaf shape (I use the back of the spoon) You want to leave room on the ends and sides to fold up the pastry. The loaf should be approximately 1 and ¼ inches high, 4.5 inches wide and 10 inches long.
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Brush the top of the meat with mustard. Spread mushroom mixture evenly over the top.
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Now fold up the long ends of the pastry over the loaf, stretching a little if necessary and then fold up the short ends. No need to flip it over, you won't notice the seams!
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Brush top and sides with a little plant milk. Vent the pastry by scoring the top with a knife in a criss cross pattern. Season with a little salt
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Bake: Bake for 50 minutes. Slice and enjoy! For FAQ, Tips, suggestions and more see above post
Notes
- Puff pastry: 10 x 13 inch pastry sheet will also work. Some pastry sheets are 10 x 10 so just use 1 and a ½ sheets and pinch them together. Pepperidge farm is vegan and 10 x 15 inch.
- I pulse mushrooms a few times in my food processor much easier than chopping them
- Do not cook the vegan meat first, it gets mixed raw, much like a meatloaf would. (binds beautifully doing it this way) I use this technique for my cabbage rolls and meatloaf
- Important to use a good non-stick pan so that way the bottom of wellington stays crispy without sticking. Do not use parchment paper or you will not get a crispy bottom crust
- I much prefer impossible meat over beyond for this recipe but either will work
- Important to make a somewhat uniform loaf so it cooks evenly and of course it makes a nicer presentation
- To store leftovers: wrap up leftover slices and keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can freeze them but I don't recommend it.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Category: Mains, Vegan Holiday Recipes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Lou
Getting ready to make this for Thanksgiving. Please, can you specify the size of the "packages" of vegan meat substitute? Are they the 8 oz or the 16 oz packages that you refer to? Both are available here. Thank you.
Verna Rindler
Hi, I use two -12 oz packages, 24 oz total. I will have to add that to the recipe card - thanks and enjoy 🙂
Veganne1
This isn't vegan, if using puff pastry.
Verna
There is vegan puff pastry available in grocery stores. Enjoy
Rita
This was a hit over the holidays and good instructions to make ! Thank you
Verna
thank you so much!
Rick
Absolutely delicious, the whole family loved it. Great dish with easy to follow instructions.
Verna
Glad you all enjoyed it, thank you!
Rebecca
Making this for New Years! Thank you
Verna
Enjoy!
Barbara
Cannot wait to make this, but I’ll be using Hungry Planet ground beef instead. Their plant based meats are amazing and work similar to real meat.
Sounds like we use the same method for meatloaf etc. Love my food processor. This will be a beautifully presented meal to serve guests and easy on the cook as well. Thanks for all of your hard work!
Verna
Thank you, enjoy! Sounds awesome Barbara. I haven't tried that brand yet, will have to check out out! Happy holidays to you 🙂