Despite what many think, eating plant-based is NOT difficult! The term ‘plant-based’ can mean different things to different people, but in short, it really just means eating mostly plants. And the benefits are endless!The evidence is stacked in favour of eating mostly plants from many angles including health, environmental and ethical reasons. There are SO many food options available for those looking to eat a plant-based diet, especially now with incredible new products coming on the market to make it so much easier and more convenient! But I’ll be honest, creating hearty, meatless main dishes have been the biggest challenge, especially for special occasions where a roast, ham or turkey is usually served. The last thing you want is for your guests to feel like there is something important missing from the table!
My cousin Jillian [1] and I wanted to create an entrée that wasn’t complicated but really stepped up to the plate as a showy main dish for any occasion. A traditional Wellington is extremely rich and is made with beef that is wrapped up in puff pastry, baked and served. This Mushroom Wellington offers a vegan-overhaul of this impressive main dish to serve guests and is deceptively easy and really satisfying! The use of different types of mushrooms cut into varying sizes gives the dish texture and a heartiness, and is packed with flavour thanks to herbs, garlic and Becel Vegan [2] for that rich taste without all of the saturated fat.
We’ve grown to realize that it is so important to find a really good substitute for butter if you want to create plant-based dishes that taste similar to their non-vegan counterparts, and Becel Vegan [2] has nailed it. It is plant-based and uses all vegan ingredients in this spread to create a gluten-free and lactose-free product, making it suitable for all types of diets which is important (like many families, we have a couple of family members with celiac disease who can’t eat gluten). Spreads have received a bad rap over the years due to the belief that they are loaded with unhealthy trans fats: Becel Vegan [2] is in fact non-hydrogenated, contains no trans fats and is low in saturated fat. It contains simple ingredients with no artificial preservatives, flavours or colours. Becel Vegan [2] can be used in baking, cooking or as a spread, making it a really versatile and heart-healthy product to stock in your kitchen! We make this lactose-
Back to this recipe: we tested the Mushroom Wellington with both puff pastry and filo pastry and both produced terrific results! If you want to keep the dish completely vegan use the filo pastry or source a vegan puff pastry (they exist), which gives you a more authentic Wellington. The instructions (including a visual step-by-step) are below! Be sure to remove the gills from the Portobello mushrooms as it will otherwise discolour the dish. Serve it with a tossed green salad for a simple dinner or as a main dish with loads of veggie sides for those bigger occasions!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
• 5 Tbsp. Becel® Vegan Margarine [2]
• 1 c. finely diced yellow onion (1 medium)
• 1 ½ tsp. crushed fresh garlic (3-4 large cloves)
• 4 Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and cut into ½” slices
• 4 large brown mushrooms, cut in quarters
• 4 c. sliced white and brown mushrooms (mixed)
• ½ c. red wine
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 large sheet of puff pastry plus 2 Tbsp. melted Becel Vegan Margarine [2] OR
• 5 sheets of filo pastry plus ½ c. melted Becel Vegan Margarine [2]
• extra thyme sprigs for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Thaw the filo or puff pastry according to the package directions and if using the filo pastry, cover with a damp cloth.
- In a large frying pan heat the Becel Vegan Margarine [2] on medium heat and add the diced onion. Sauté until the onion is transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring.
- Add all of the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to soften, approximately 10 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, salt and pepper and stir occasionally until the mushrooms are fully cooked and softened and the mixture is thick with no excess moisture at the bottom of the pan. Remove the mixture from the stove, place in a medium bowl and cool to room temperature.
- If using the filo pastry, place one sheet of filo on to the middle of the parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the filo sheet lightly with the melted Becel Vegan Margarine [2] using a pastry brush. Place another layer directly on top of the first sheet, lining them up, and brush again with the melted Becel Vegan Margarine [2]. Repeat until you have 5 layers on top of each other.
- If using the puff pastry, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to approximately 14”x 18”. Place the rolled sheet of puff pastry on top of the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Spoon the cooled mushroom mixture lengthwise in the middle of the pastry of your choice, leaving a 3-4” border along the edges of the pastry.
- Carefully fold the pastry over the mushroom mixture in a burrito style, rolling it from the long end and gently tucking in the ends as you roll.
- Lightly brush the exterior of the Wellington with the melted Becel Vegan Margarine [2] and bake until the pastry is golden brown, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, transfer the Wellington to a long plate or platter, and garnish with the fresh thyme sprigs. Cut into thick pieces using a large sharp knife before serving.
This post was created as a part of a paid partnership with Becel.
All opinions are my own.