Vegetarian “Beef” Wellington

This plant-based friendly wellington is packed with flavour and the perfect centrepiece for any holiday meal. It is seasoned with rich and diverse spices from across West Africa while maintaining all the components we all love from a beef wellington.

As a vegan, the holidays or special dinners can present a bit of a dilemma — what will be the centrepiece? Without the turkey, ham or chicken, the dinner plate might look empty or full of sides. This vegetarian wellington (which is also vegan-friendly) fixes this issue. It can be a showstopping centrepiece that is packed with protein, so you are not stuck indulging in all the carb sides (which are still equally as delicious). Plus, this wellington provides an opportunity to showcase a few indigenous West African spices that add a meaty flavour, bring umami and make this Wellington bursting with flavour.

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What is a Beef Wellington

A Beef Wellington is an English dish that consists of a beef tenderloin, surrounded with foie gras paté, mushroom duxelles and baked in a puff pastry. This is quite a luxurious dish as it contains an expensive cut of meat with a luxurious paté. There is not much available on the developments and origins of this dish but there are a few references to a Wellington from early 1900s cookbooks. In addition, historians have linked it to the first Duke of Wellington but there has not been much concrete evidence.

Obviously, vegans and vegetarians do not eat tenderloins so the vegan version tends to use mushrooms as a centrepiece or minced plant-based meats. These alternatives draw on the deep flavours of mushrooms, with some having “meaty” flavours and textures, as well as the meat-like flavour of recently available plant-based ground meats. My version uses both mushrooms and plant-based mince with some lentils for a diversity of flavour and body.

grains opf paradise efom wisa — dawa dawa

We also cannot forget that this is a blog that celebrates West African foods, so we are packing in the West African spices. Fermented Locust beans (also known as dawa dawa), grains of paradise, and Negro pepper are the shining stars of this dish. They add savoriness and umami that is unique to west African foods.

What you will need for this Vegetarian “Beef” Wellington

Plant-Based Meat Mince: I use either Beyond Meat or Impossible Plant-Based Ground Meat. I like the flavour of beyond meat better but Impossible has a more meat-like taste and texture. You can use whatever brand of plant-based meat grounds, just make sure its about 350g
Lentil: Lentils add bulk and an earthy flavour to this dish. I prefer brown lentils for the flavour and fibre.
Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a must for Wellington. Instead of duxelles, we are adding this straight into the filling. The best mushrooms for this filling would actually be shiitake because of their complex and meaty flavour and texture.
Spices: We are using an array of spices to add flavour to the dish. Spices include fermented locust beans, grains of selim, grains of paradise, cloves and many more. I tend to be heavy-handed with my spices but it’s always adjustable.
Aromatics: We are adding onions, ginger and tomato paste to this dish to add more flavour and savouriness to the dish
Puff pastry: Tenderflake makes an accidentally vegan puff pastry which is so easy to use. There are many more puff pastry brands that are vegan-friendly, including the kosher certified ones.
Panko bread crumbs: this helps hold the content of the filling together.

How to make the Vegetarian “Beef” Wellington

Soak and boil the brown lentils
In a pot, saute the aromatics, lentils and vegan beef mince
Add in your spices and cook the mixture for 10 minutes
Let the mixture cool down in the fridge
Mix in the breadcrumbs
Stuff into rolled-out puff pastry
Shape in whatever way you want.
Brush with a mixture of butter and soy milk and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes with a 2-minute broil to add colour
Let it cool down
Slice and enjoy

FAQ + Substitutions

Can I use another plant-based meat alternative? You are more than welcome to use whatever meat alternative you would like. If you are using something like tofu or TVP, you may want to add a binding agent like flax egg so that everything sticks together You can also double the lentils amount if you want to keep it “healthier”
Can I omit the mushroom? You are more than welcome to omit the mushrooms.
I can’t find the West African spices, any alternatives? You can omit the spices and sub for other spices like cumin, garam masala. Just make sure to taste the filling to ensure it is well-seasoned.
Can I make this gluten-free? You are welcome to make it gluten-free. Here is a gluten-free puff pastry recipe that might be of interest.

What Can I eat this with?

If you try this recipe, make sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the blog post.

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