Buttery puff pastry filled with a delicious mixture of roasted chestnuts, lentils and mushrooms - these Vegetarian Sausage Rolls are the perfect party food snack. This tried and tested recipe is a family favourite and I can never make enough! They're easy to make and they taste amazing!
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Every single time I make these veggie sausage rolls they disappear in a flash! The whole family loves them. Even my kitchen smells delicious when I make these! And the best thing about them is that they're just as great cold as they are hot.
A tasty mixture of roasted chestnuts, mushrooms and puy lentils is cooked with herbs and garlic to make the perfect filling for these veggie rolls. Wrap that mixture in a buttery puff pastry and you have the tastiest vegetable sausage rolls.
❤️ Why This Recipe Works
- The filling is really delicious! It's packed with mushrooms, lentils and roasted chestnuts - so festive!
- Crispy butter pastry - no need to make your own (this recipe calls for pre-rolled pasty).
- Perfect hot or cold - these party snacks are great for lunch boxes too!
📝What Do We Need?
🥣 How to Make Them
This is a two-step process, make the filling then assemble the sausage rolls. This is just a quick visual guide please see the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions.
Step 1 - Make The Filling
- Add the onion to a skillet and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Once the mixture has reduced by about half, add the herbs and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Next, add the lentils and the chopped roasted chestnuts to the mushrooms. You'll need to stir this well so everything is combined.
- Pour in the vegetable stock, I use a vegetable bouillon for this, it's low sodium and vegetarian.
- Next, add the red currant jelly. Cook the mixture over a low to medium heat until the juices evaporate.
- Now stir in the breadcrumbs, mix it well then leave it to cool. You can check your seasoning now.
Step 2 - Assemble The Sausage Rolls
- Once the filling has cooled roll out the pastry. Cut the pastry in half lengthways, you should have four long rectangles. Divide the filling in four then place it on the pastry and shape into a long sausage, leaving more room on the side you will be turning over the filling.
- Fold over the pastry, wrapping the filling in the pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with milk then seal the edges with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Once chilled take the sausage rolls out of the fridge and place on two baking trays lined with baking paper. Cut the sausage rolls into small rolls, brush with egg wash. Then use a sharp knife to make a couple of slits in the pastry. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
- The sausage rolls should be a deep golden brown colour and the pastry should be crisp when they are done. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly on a wire rack.
📋 Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Puff Pastry - I use all-butter puff pastry, it will give you a lovely buttery pastry. But you can also use regular puff pastry and get really great results too. The pastry I used was pre-rolled, once unrolled it measured approximately 12 inches x 10 inches (30cm x 25cm). You will need two sheets.
- Roasted Chestnuts - Store-bought roasted chestnuts are perfect for this, I used a pack of loose chestnuts, they are better than the vacuum-packed ones you can get. If you can't find chestnuts then you could add walnuts instead.
- Lentils - Puy lentils are best for this recipe, I used store-bought pre-cooked lentils. If you can't get these then you could cook your own the night before.
- Mushrooms - Chestnut mushrooms (crimini or brown mushrooms) are more flavourful than white button mushrooms so I always use these. But, you can of course use white mushrooms instead. I would avoid using large portobello mushrooms though.
- Herbs - Fresh is best here, and rosemary and thyme are the perfect combination. You could switch it up to sage if you wish. Sage would work really well!
- Red Currant Jelly - Also known as red currant sauce (US) is an English condiment. It can be found in all larger supermarkets. It adds a lovely depth of flavour to these sausage rolls. So I recommend using it. If you can't find any then I would add a little red wine to the mixture instead. If you do add wine, make sure and cook it down until it is absorbed into the mixture. I would add it when I add the garlic and herbs.
- Breadcrumbs - I used store-bought dried fine breadcrumbs. Dry breadcrumbs work really well here as they soak up any juices and help bind the mixture. If you can't find these then homemade white or whole-grain breadcrumbs will work well too.
👩🍳 Top Tips
- Make sure the filling has cooled before you place it on the pastry. If the filling is too hot, it will heat up the pastry and it will be harder to work with.
- Always preheat the oven. You will get the best results for the pastry when you put it in a hot oven.
- A good all-butter puff pastry gives the very best results, but regular puff pastry works very well too. Nobody in my family has turned their noses up at these when I used a regular puff pastry.
- Brush the edges of the pastry with milk to seal the rolls.
- Pro Tip - Dip the fork into the milk then press the fork down on the edges to seal the pastry. The milk on the fork will stop it from sticking to the pastry.
- Be generous with the eggwash, I brush it underneath as well. This gives the sausage rolls a beautiful golden colour.
- Don't forget to make the slashes in the pastry, this will let any steam from the filling escape and avoid a soggy pastry.
- You can make these big or small it's up to you. If we're having these for a party I will cut them smaller, into 16 pieces per roll. If I'm making these for lunch then I'll cut them into larger sausage rolls. Then I'll have 8 per roll of pastry.
📖 FAQs
They will keep for up to 3 or 4 days. Just keep them in the fridge once cooled. Store them in an airtight container.
Yes, you can freeze these. Freeze them before you bake them. Place them on baking trays, place the trays in the freezer for a couple of hours, then when they are frozen take them off the trays and place them in labelled freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months, defrost and brush with egg wash before cooking. Make sure you buy chilled puff pastry that is suitable for freezing if you want to freeze them.
Yes, you can make the filling a day before if you wish, leave it to cool and store it covered in the fridge until you are ready to make them. You can make and cook the sausage rolls the day before if you wish, just keep them in the fridge once cooled and use them within 3 or 4 days.
To make these rolls vegan you will need to use a vegan puff pastry, swap the butter for a plant-based butter. You will also need to swap the milk for plant-based milk to seal the sausage rolls and to use as an egg wash.
🍽 How To Serve Them
These sausage rolls really are best served warm. We like them with a little ketchup, but I know some of you like mustard with your sausage rolls so whatever rocks your boat. I quite like spicy beetroot ketchup with these too. You can also enjoy these rolls cold.
🌿 More Tasty Vegetarian Party Food
If you're looking for veggie party food ideas then look no further! I have some very tasty options for you. Like my tasty Brie and Cranberry Parcels, perfect as an appetizer! These Puff Pastry Mince Pie Squares are so easy to make and are great for sharing. My Loaded Veggie Nachos with Homemade Guacamole is the ultimate party food.
Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium ( 170g/ .60z) brown onion finely chopped. Yields 1¼ cups
- 150 g / 6.4 oz of chestnut mushrooms wiped clean then roughly chopped. Yields 1 cup once chopped.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 250 g / 1½ cups cooked Puy lentils
- 180 g / 1 cup of cooked roasted chestnuts roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
- 150 ml ½ cup + 2 tablespoon of freshly boiled water
- 2 heaped tbsp red currant jelly
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more for topping the pastry
- 40 g / ⅓ of a cup of fine dried breadcrumbs white or wholewheat is fine
- 2 x 320g / 12" x 10" sheets of chilled all-butter puff pastry cut each sheet in half lengthways
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 medium egg whisked
- 1 or 2 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan/356F, 200C/392F conventional oven.Line 4 baking trays lined with parchment paper.If you don't have 4 trays you can do this in two stages. So line two baking trays, cook the sausage rolls and then repeat.
To Make The Filling
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent and springy about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and one tablespoon of butter and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms release their juices. Now add the thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.
- In a small jug mix the hot water and one teaspoon of vegetable bouillon. You can use half a stock cube if you prefer.Add the lentils and the chestnuts to the mushrooms then stir in the vegetable stock and the red currant jelly. Cook over a low to medium heat until the juices evaporate.Once the juices have evaporated stir in the breadcrumbs. Check the seasoning now. You may need to add more salt depending on the stock you use.Set the filling aside to cool.
To Assemble The Sausage Rolls
- Once the filling has cooled unroll both sheets of the pastry.Cut the pastry in half lengthways, you should have four rectangles.
- Divide the filling into four then place the filling along each strip of pastry and shape into long sausages, leaving more room on one side.Fold the pastry over the filling, wrapping the filling in the pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with milk then seal the edges with a fork.Place the rolls in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes take the sausage rolls out of the fridge and place on two baking trays lined with baking paper. Cut the sausage rolls into small rolls, one long sausage roll will yield 8 small sausage rolls.Using a sharp knife make a couple of slits in each sausage roll. Sprinkle a small pinch of sesame seeds and a little sea salt on each sausage roll.Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
- The sausage rolls should be a deep golden brown colour and the pastry should be crisp when they are done.Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly on a wire tray.Repeat with the remaining sausage rolls.
- Serve warm with good quality tomato ketchup or a little English mustard.
Notes
- Quantity - One sheet of puff pastry will yield 16 sausage rolls. Two rolls will yield 32. The filling listed is enough to fill two sheets of pastry. You can easily halve the quantities listed to make 16.
- Pastry - All-butter puff pastry will give you the best results, I have also made this with non-butter pastry and the results were very good too. Each sheet of pre-rolled pastry measured in at 12" x 10" (30cm x 25cm) once rolled out. Each sheet weighs approx 320g. I used two of these. Each sheet is then cut into two before being filled. So you should have four rectangles.
- Filling - Make sure the filling has cooled before you place in on the pastry. If the filling is too hot, it will heat up the pastry and it will be harder to work with.
- Lentils - Puy lentils give the best results for this, I used a pack of pre-cooked puy lentils. You can cook your own if you wish. I would do this the day before to save time.
- Chestnuts - I used a packet of pre-cooked chestnuts for this recipe. If you can't get chestnuts then walnuts are a good substitute.
- Egg wash - Be generous with the eggwash, I brush the underneath of the sausage rolls as well. This gives the sausage rolls a beautiful golden colour.
- Don't forget to make the slashes in the pastry, this will let any steam from the filling escape and avoid a soggy pastry.
- You can make these big or small it's up to you. If we're having these for a party I will cut them smaller, into 16 pieces per roll which will yield 32 pieces all together. If I'm making these for lunch then I'll cut them into larger sausage rolls. Then I'll have 8 per roll of pastry.
- Can I make these Vegan? Yes, swap the butter for olive oil, use vegan puff pastry and in place of the egg wash try a vegan eggwash, try 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup then brushed over the pastry.
- Can I freeze these? Yes, freeze them when they are filled and cut into individual rolls. Place them on baking trays, place the trays in the freezer for a couple of hours, then when they are frozen take them off the trays and place in labelled freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months, defrost and brush with egg wash before baking.
- Nutritional Information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool and is approximate. Calories are per sausage roll.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.
Nutrition
*First appeared December 7 2017. Updated December 2020 with new process shots, new photographs, step by step guide and nutritional information. Updated Dec 2021 for housekeeping.
Jenny
I'm looking to make these for Christmas and wondered if these would work with a bit of blue cheese added?
Michelle Alston
Hi Jenny, I haven't tried these with blue cheese added, but I think that would work. I wouldn't add too much cheese though as it will overpower the taste 😉
Catherine
These were delicious and very easy to make. I wasn’t sure if my youngest would like them as he can be a bit fussy, but he loved them. As a family of 5 (all veggie), I’m always looking for something tasty, nutritious and easy to make. We had them with mash, puréed swede, broccoli and gravy. I’m making them again tonight and will freeze half the batch. I took the advice from the notes below and egg-washed them all over. They were a gorgeous colour and the sesame seeds really added to the flavour and look. I shall be making more recipes from your blog. This is the first time I’ve bothered giving feedback which shows how delicious they were! Thank-you.
Michelle Alston
Hi Catherine, thank you so much for your lovely comment and for taking the time to get in touch. I'm so happy you all loved these, my family love them too. I love your idea of serving them as a main meal, I usually make these as a snack or for picnics but will definitely make them for dinner now. I hope you enjoy some of my other recipes, best wishes, Michelle.
Catherine
My pleasure:) I’ve been finding cooking a real chore for ages but we’re all foodies so ... I love you’re blog. In fact, I’m going to try the Teryaki Tofu recipe this evening. I froze half of the sausage rolls which I’ll probably have next week with roasted potatoes, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, carrots, stuffing and gravy (and Yorkshire puds, if I can be bothered). No doubt, you’ll be hearing from me again:)
Michelle Alston
That's so lovely to hear, thank you! I hope you enjoy the Teriyaki Tofu, it's a firm favourite in my house. Looking forward to hearing how you get on with it 🙂
Helen
Hi, I made them yesterday and I prefer them to meat sausage rolls. Thank you for an excellent recipe. Helen.
Michelle Alston
Hi Helen, I'm so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Pippa
These were delicious and have been demolished by my family - have had to hide some for Christmas day and those vegetarians among us!
Michelle Alston
Hi Pippa, that's so great to hear 🙂 I hope you have a great Christmas x
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
They're making my mouth water! They look so crispy and loaded with the good stuff. Love the addition of chestnuts and lentils!
Michelle Alston
Oh thank you so much, Nicoletta Xx
Amanda
Holy crap, these look yum, Michelle. Easily made vegan too. Bonus!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Amanda x
Jenni LeBaron
These look mouthwatering! These would be a wonderful option to bring to a party or for a holiday dinner appetizer.
Michelle Alston
Thanks Jenni x
Agness of Run Agness Run
Yummy! These sausage rolls seem so palatable. Excellent recipe for Christmas time, Michelle. What kind of milk do you usually use?
Michelle Alston
Thanks Agness x I use full-fat organic milk 😉
Albert Bevia
This recipe is really creative and it looks delicious! plus I am addicted to thyme and rosemary, so I have to give this a try
Michelle Alston
Thank you Albert, I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Kristen R.
So many things I love but would not have thought to combine in this recipe! You had me at pastry and mushroom, and then the chestnuts and currant jelly made me swoon. Fantastic looking recipe Michelle.
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Kristen x