Christmas is now just days away, and if you’re currently in panic mode trying to work out what to cook for your plant-based Christmas dinner, we’ve got you covered with this delicious – and vegan – beef wellington.

A wellington is a dish that typically consists of a fillet of beef wrapped in puff pastry, which is then baked. Originally named after the Duke of Wellington, this dish has become a popular choice for festive meals. Its popularity at Christmas can partly be attributed to its impressive appearance, making it an ideal centerpiece. In recent years, there has been a notable rise in the popularity of vegan wellingtons, which replace the beef with plant-based alternatives such as vegan meat, mushrooms, lentils, or other vegetables.

The below recipe comes from plant-based recipe developers Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, otherwise known as BOSH!. If you’re a vegan meat lover, you’re in luck – as it calls for plant-based burgers of your choice to use for the filling. By using meat, you can recreate all the flavors of a beef wellington, but without the cruelty. It’s an ideal choice if you’re new to the plant-based lifestyle, or if you’re cooking for guests who are used to eating meat.

“For newcomers diving into their first vegan Christmas, my top advice would be to embrace simplicity,” Firth and Theasby told Plant Based News. “Start with familiar dishes and adapt them to be plant-based. Additionally, explore new recipes—experimenting can lead to delightful surprises. And remember, it’s about enjoyment, not perfection!”

Vegan beef wellington recipe

This wellington is a perfect plant-based centerpiece for anyone craving something meaty this Christmas. Vegan burgers are a key ingredient here, and you can use any brand you like.

2.80 from 5 votes

Servings

Ingredients

For the filling

900 g meaty plant-based burgers (about 4 packs)
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Dijon mustard, for brushing the beef

For the mushroom duxelles

650 g chestnut mushrooms
180 g cooked chestnuts
1 garlic clove, peeled
Drizzle of olive oil
2 thyme sprigs
Sea salt and black pepper

To assemble

2x ready-rolled plant-based puff pastry sheets
Unsweetened almond milk, for brushing
Mixed black and white sesame seeds

Instructions

Make the wellington

Put the plant-based burger patties in a large mixing bowl
Season with salt and pepper and mash with a fork until they all break down and come together
Use your hands to shape them into one thick sausage shape that will make up the 'fillet' in the wellington
Wrap the sausage in clingfilm, place on a baking tray and put into the fridge to firm up while you make the mushroom duxelles

Make the mushroom duxelles

Clean and halve the chestnut mushrooms, then add them to a food processor with the cooked chestnuts, garlic clove and a pinch each of salt and pepper and blend to a paste
Heat the drizzle of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat
Once warm, add the mushroom paste, pick the leaves from the thyme sprigs and add them too
Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the paste has dried out
Once cooked, leave to one side to cool

While the mushroom duxelles is cooling, seal the fillet

Wipe out the pan youmade the duxelles in and heat a drizzle of olive oil in the pan over a high heat
Remove the cling film from the fillet and add it to the pan
Sear on each side until evenly browned all over
Transfer to a plate and brush all over with Dijon mustard, then set aside

Make the wellington filling

Lay a large piece of cling film on your work surface and spread the mushroom mixture on top to the width of the fillet
Lay the fillet at the edge of the mushroom layer
Tightly roll the fillet into a sausage shape
Twist the ends of the cling film so it holds tightly together, then refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up

Finish the wellington

Unroll one sheet of puff pastry onto a large baking sheet, keeping the paper on the bottom
Unwrap the fillet from the cling film and place it on the middle of the pastry sheet
Brush almond milk a thumbs width around the edge of the fillet
Place another pastry sheet over the top of the fillet and press down around the base where the almond milk has been brushed to seal the two pastry sheets together
Cut around the edge of the pastry, a thumbs-width from the fillet, to make a neat border, keeping any leftover pastry to decorate
Wrap the wellington tightly in cling film and chill for another 10 minutes, or overnight if you're super organised
Preheat oven to 190°C

Glaze the wellington

Remove the cling film and decorate the pastry with the off-cuts if you like, re-rolling and cutting them as necessary-we like to cover the wellington in pastry strips placed diagonally across the top
Make a hole in the pastry with a chopstick to prevent the pastry from splitting
Glaze the wellington all over with almond milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds