A deliciously rich Mushroom Wellington with chestnuts, spinach, caramelized red onions, and crispy puff pastry. This is perfect for a festive dinner or as a showstopper for a vegetarian Christmas dinner. Packed with flavour and easy to make, your guests will love this!
Whether you're having a Vegetarian Christmas or you have veggie friends visiting over the Christmas period this Mushroom Wellington has you covered. It's rich and filling, packed with flavour and so easy to make!
A delicious filling of sautéed garlic and tarragon mushrooms, with caramelized red onions, chestnuts and spinach. All enclosed in a crispy golden puff pastry! This is such a tasty dish, even meat-eaters will love this!
But first, What is a Beef Wellington?
Beef Wellington is an indulgent dish of beef, usually fillet, covered in a mixture of mushrooms, herbs and sometimes foie gras, baked in pastry. The origins of beef wellington are sketchy, from the French speciality filet de bœuf en croûte to the Duke of Wellington. With some believing it to be a 20th-century dish. However what is clear is that it is very much a celebratory, showstopper dish.
What Goes in a Vegetarian Wellington?
- Mushrooms - I tend to choose chestnut/brown mushrooms for this, but you can use a mixture of wild mushrooms with the chestnuts.
- Red Onions - These are perfect for caramelising which brings a lovely sweetness to this dish.
- Spinach - Baby spinach is best for this, I use fresh spinach but you could use frozen too is you prefer.
- Chestnuts - These add a lovely festive flavour to this mushroom wellington with the added bonus of bulking up the filling too. Store-bought ready-cooked is perfect.
- Tarragon - this versatile herb has an intense flavour, so a little goes a long way. It has a unique taste of sweet aniseed and mild vanilla. If you can't find tarragon then fennel seeds may work instead. Fresh tarragon is best for this recipe.
- Pastry - Puff pastry works best here, I always use a store-bought, pre-rolled pastry.
How to Make Mushroom Wellington
- Start by caramelizing the onions, heat the oil in a pan add the onions with a little salt then cook until the onions are soft, at least 15 minutes. Then add the balsamic vinegar and stir well. Leave the onions to cool in a large bowl.
- Next, sauté the mushrooms. Heat the butter in a pan and cook the mushrooms until they have released all their juices. Now, add the garlic and tarragon and cook for a minute or two. Finally, turn up the heat a bit and add the red wine, cook, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Finally, crumble in the chestnuts and mix well. Transfer to the bowl with the red onions.
- Cook the spinach. Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the spinach until wilted. Then chop it finely.
- Combine the filling. Add the spinach to the bowl along with the mushrooms and red onions. Add a couple of tablespoons of fine breadcrumbs, a generous seasoning of salt and pepper and mix well.
- Make the wellington. Roll out the pastry then spread the mushroom mixture along the centre of the pastry. Fold over one side, brush with egg wash then fold over the other side. Fold up the ends then carefully turn the wellington over.
- Finishing touches. Using a very sharp knife score the pastry into diamonds then brush with egg wash. Bake until golden brown.
Top Tips for Making the Best Mushroom Wellington
- Cook the red onions until the are really soft, the longer the better, but if you are short on time 15 minutes will work. Keep an eye on them, stir them often and don't let them burn.
- Wipe or dry brush the mushrooms clean, mushrooms take in every drop of liquid, you don't want soggy mushrooms.
- Do yourself a favour and buy the pre-cooked chestnuts. I roasted chestnuts once and once only!
- Same goes for the puff pastry, store-bought is totally acceptable. Go for a pre-rolled all-butter puff pastry. This will save you so much time.
- Leave the filling to cool before you place it on the pastry. A warm filling will heat up the pastry, make it soft, and very hard to work with.
- Make sure your pastry is at room temperature, and make sure your hands are cold. All this will help with handling the pastry.
- If you want a golden pastry don't skip the egg wash. Be generous with it and brush the sides as well as the top.
- Leave the wellington to cool slightly before removing it from the baking sheet. It will be easier to lift off once it has cooled a little.
How to Serve Mushroom Wellington
If we're having this for Christmas dinner then I will serve this with all the trimmings, roast potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips Brussel sprouts, gravy and cranberry sauce. If we have this for Sunday lunch I serve it with creamy mashed potatoes and broccoli.
Can I Make This Ahead?
Yes! This is great for making ahead of time. You can make the filling a day or two in advance, just keep it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. You can make the entire dish a day ahead, just don't egg wash it. Keep in in the fridge until you are ready to bake it, remember to egg wash it before you bake it.
Can I Freeze this Mushroom Wellington?
Yes, you can. Freeze the completed dish before you bake it. Bake it from frozen, but please note it may take longer to cook and there may be some difference in the consistency of the filling.
Can I reheat this?
Yes, although this is really best eaten fresh from the oven. You can keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to two days. I had the best results by placing the pie in a dish covering with foil and heating for about 30 minutes until the filling is piping hot. I remove the foil about 10 minutes before the end of reheating so as the pastry doesn't get soggy.
More Festive Recipes:
- Nut Roast en Croûte
- Stuffed Squash with Wild Rice
- Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
- Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Tart
Have you made this Mushroom Wellington Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Mushroom Wellington
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion (150g) peeled, cut in half lengthways and sliced
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 tsp sea salt divided
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 280 g chestnut/brown mushrooms (approx 4 cups) wiped clean then sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
- 1 tbsp red wine optional
- 100 g cooked chestnuts (approx ¾ cup)
- 100 g baby spinach ( approx 3 ⅓ cups)
- 3 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
- 1 x 320g sheet of puff pastry
- 1 medium egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/ 374F.Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onions with ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and cook over medium heat until soft. At least 15 minutes. 20 - 25 minutes if you have more time.Once soft add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and stir well until the liquid evaporates.Remove to a large mixing bowl and leave to cool.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and they have released their juices. Add 4 minced cloves of garlic and 1 tablespoon of chopped tarragon. Stir well and cook for a minute or two.Turn up the heat then add 1 tablespoon of red wine and stir well. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated.Crumble the chestnuts into the pan and mix well. Remove this mixture to the mixing bowl with the red onions and leave to cool.
- Heat ½ a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the spinach and cook until wilted.Drain and squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can. Transfer to a chopping board then roughly chop.Add the chopped spinach to the mixing bowl with the mushrooms.
- Add 3 tablespoons of fine breadcrumbs along with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper to the mixing bowl. Mix everything together well.
- Roll out the puff pastry.Add the mushroom filling along the centre of the pastry and using clean hands shape into a sausage shape.Turn one side of the pastry over the mushroom mixture, brush the egg wash then turn the other side over. Use a fork to seal the pastry. Fold up the ends of the wellington and again use a fork to see them.Carefully turn the welling over so the seal is on the bottom. Using a very sharp knife score diamonds in your pastry. Start by scoring diagonal line in one direction along the whole wellington then repeat in the opposite direction.Brush the whole wellington in egg wash, remembering to do the sides too.Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the pastry is completely cooked.Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before transferring to a serving dish or board.
Notes
- Pastry - I use a store-bought, ready-rolled puff pastry. All butter puff pastry is great but regular puff pastry works well too.
- Mushrooms - Chestnut or brown mushrooms are my choice of mushrooms for this recipe. However, you can add wild mushrooms here too, just ensure the quantities are the same weight listed in the recipe.
- Chestnuts - I use store-bought pre-cooked chestnuts. If you have a nut allergy you could swap the chestnuts for pre-cooked puy lentils.
- Tarragon - I use fresh tarragon for this dish, if you can't find it then fennel seeds would be a good alternative. Or you could also make this with rosemary and thyme.
- Can I make this vegan? Yes, this is really easy to make vegan. Swap the butter for vegan butter or use olive oil. Swap the puff pastry for a vegan puff pastry and use plant milk instead of egg for the wash.
- Can I make this gluten-free? Yes, use a gluten-free puff pastry and make use gluten-free bread for the breadcrumbs.
- Can I freeze this? Yes, make it until the baking stage then freeze. Cook from frozen. You will need to cook it for longer than the recipe indicates though.
- Nutrition - Nutritional information is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on one serving.
Great recipe; switched spinach for broccoli and basil for tarragon as well as adding yeast flakes for extra protein / flavour. Came out great.
Thanks so much Lisa, I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Sorry any replacement for the chestnuts as can’t get them in Aberdeen Scotland? Thank yoi
Hi Maree, I haven't made this without chestnuts but if you read some of the comments some people have swapped the chestnuts for crumbled blue cheese. The other option would be to try it with walnuts. I'm not sure if you have a Sainsburys near you but they had plenty of cooked chestnuts in store here (Cambs) today. I hope this helps, Mx
Not near but I’ll go try there as a last attempt, I have made the filling so will add them in if I get them. Thank you for coming back so quickly. Happy New Year
Hi Maree, no worries, I hope you find some. Happy New Year to you too Mx
So delicious! Thank you for this recipe! Can a baked leftover loaf be frozen?
Hi Kathleen, I'm so glad you liked it. Technically, you can, but I haven't tried to freeze it after it has been baked. I don't think it will be as good frozen after it is cooked, the reason being that the puff pastry will change in texture and may become soggy. I hope that helps x
This was a hit for our Xmas lunch. One of the tastiest recipes out there !
Thanks so much Raj, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it 🙂
This is an excellent recipe - made last year for vegetarians amongst us but is so good we will all be having it for Christmas lunch this year. Last year I prepared it and froze it ahead of time which worked very well, allow for extra cooking time. Looking forward to a stress free and delicious Christmas meal!
Hi Antoinette, thank you so much! I'm so thrilled to hear that you all loved it and that you're having it again this year. I hope you have a lovely Christmas, Michelle 🙂
Wow! So so good! I’d recommend everyone cook this, veggie or not. I’d even argue it’s better than regular beef Wellington.
I doubled up to make 2 Wellingtons (for 7 people) - the wellingtons came out smaller than the pictures, no leftovers and certainly a 3rd would have been devoured.
I made with fine green beans & Raymond Blanc’s potato dauphinois.
Hi Amelia, gosh, thank you so much! I'm so happy you all loved it 🙂
I cooked it last night and it was absolutely fabulous! Seriously the easiest festive dish I have made, and it's definitely gained a place as a staple when entertaining guests, or when we are in the mood for a fancy dish.
Thank you, Michelle!
Hi Eirini, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I am so glad you love it and I'm thrilled to hear you found it easy to make too. M x
I am but a simple man. I want to try this but have what might be a stupid question.... When you say 'score the pastry', am I just making a cut in the pastry or actually cutting through the pastry?
Hi Steve, that's not a stupid question at all! You are not cutting through the pastry, you are just lightly breaking through the top layer of the pastry. This gives the pastry the chequered effect once cooked. I hope this helps, M
What size do I roll the pastry out to please?
Hi Sue, the pastry comes rolled, you just need to unroll it. You don't need to roll it out with a rolling pin. If you do want to roll it out though I would roll it out to approx. 350mm x 230mm. Hope this helps, Michelle x
This is my go to recipe when I want a seriously tasty meat free meal. I can't remember how may times I've made it but it works every time. If I can't find chestnuts I often add crumbled blue stilton ( delish) or grated gruyere cheese instead of breadcrumbs, this recipe is very accommodating. One thing I always do is wrap the cooled filling in clingfilm in a sausage shape to fit the pastry and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24. This really helps to banish a soggy bottom !!!! Thanks Michelle.
Thank you so much Maggie! I'm so thrilled to hear this and I love your tip for avoiding a soggy bottom 🙂 I've never tried adding grated gruyere cheese to this but will definitely give that a go! M x
Thank you Michelle, the Wellington was delicious and it will be making a regular appearance in our house .
Hi Sue, thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Wow! This is perfect!! The smells coming from the kitchen... mmm... I used ground walnuts instead of breadcrumbs and added a handful of cranberries. Thank you!
Hi Edden, thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Wow this was delicious & really easy to follow! My family loved it. I served it with some roasted potatoes and some tender stem broccoli and gravy, it was scrum!
Hi Anna, thanks so much! I'm so glad you all loved it 🙂
Really tasty, and the ingredient proportions were spot-on!! Thank you - this will become a new favourite! Thought I might try the mixture - minus the breadcrumbs - as a filling for lasagne or moussaka next time.
Thanks so much Julie, I'm so glad you like it. That is such a good idea! I'll have to try that!
I made the filling on Christmas Eve and assembled the Wellington in less than 10 minutes on Christmas morning. I replaced tarragon with freshly picked rosemary as suggested. My son, who is vegetarian, absolutely loved it and was delighted to have the leftovers for his Boxing Day lunch! I’m sure this will be a recipe we come back to again and again. Many thanks
Hi Lindsay, thanks so much for your lovely comment! I'm so glad your son loved it x
Made this for the first time today. I did want to have a trial run before Christmas but didn’t have time. OMG it’s amazing I precooked the filling yesterday and assembled and cooked today. Even the meat eaters loved it. I’ve got leftovers for tomorrow too 🙂 thank you so much for sharing. I ALMOST bought a supermarket version but decided against after looking at the ingredients on the packets! This was easy to make I’ll definitively be making again .
Hi Laura, thank you so much! I'm so glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Great recipe, absolutely delicious. We ended up with the dreaded soft bottom - the underside of the pastry wouldn't cook even as the top was starting to get very dark brown. Wonder if it might work with the seam on the top? Our scoring with a very sharp knife ended up bursting open so it might address that too!
Hi Richard, I'm so sorry you ended up with a soggy bottom. This can happen if the filling is too warm before you place it on the pastry or the filing was too wet. I haven't tried this with the seam on the top so I'm not sure that this would address a soggy bottom. If your pastry was too thin this could have caused the pastry to burst open. I actually had this happen to me with my nut roast en croute, I was a little overzealous with the rolling pin! I'm so glad you enjoyed it though. Michelle
Delicious, whole family loved this!!
Made this for my friends for an early Christmas dinner. Absolutely glowing reviews, cannot stress enough how delicious this was! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much AJ, I'm so glad you all enjoyed it! Mx