This Wellington Nut Roast is a clever re-imagining of the definitive Vegetarian Christmas centerpiece, with delightful roasted nuts encased in flaky pastry. Veggie Sunday roast options are generally one of two things, a mushroom wellington or a nut roast, well we just resolute to put our hands together!
Ingredients:
- 500g chestnut and shiitake mushrooms (oyster too if you fancy it)
- 300g mixed nuts
- 2 banana shallots
- 1 large carrot
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp red miso paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 80ml olive oil
- 3 sprigs of thyme, stripped from stalks
- 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
- 3 sage leaves, chopped
- 250g pouch of chestnuts
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 roll puff pastry sheet (checking if it’s vegan is important)
- salt and pepperside bits:
- two handfuls of kale, without stalks
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tsp red miso paste
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tbsp agave syrup for the glaze
Instructions:
Step 1:
Preheat the oven at 200°C (or 180°C fan). Thank you. Now let’s take care of the mushrooms first. Chop them up into minor cubes, this can be as uneven as you like. After those, peel & dice up the shallots and carrots and through all of this in a roasting tray.
Step 2:
Strip the fresh herbs off the stalk by pulling them off (no, no stop it) and chop the fresh herbs up, to smoothen the process. Now take a small bowl, mix the 80ml of olive oil with those herbs, the balsamic, tomato paste, miso and mix till collective. Transfer that all over the veg in the roasting tray, and massage it in so everything’s equally covered. After doing this, Then pop that tray in the oven for 20-21 minutes.
Step 3:
In another tray, add your nuts and toast them in the similar oven for 4-5 minutes. Blitz those in a food processor together with some chestnuts, from a packet, not roasting over an open fire. Also, at this point, take out the puff pastry sheet from the refrigerator.
Step 4:
Now its turn for the kale. Strip the kale from its stalks and pop in a strainer. Pour boiling water over it so it can lighten a little and so it softens. Let it dry for a some minutes before adding it to a small bowl and mixing it with the mustard, miso and lemon juice.
Step 5:
Once your veggies have completely roasted, add the garlic, dark soy and the nut mix little by little. You might end up with more nuts than you requirement, so add half the mix first into the mushrooms and mix till it can grip its shape firm. You do this by pressing the mix collectedly and hoping it doesn’t crumble or fall apart. Let it cool down for a few minutes (its essential).
Step 6:
Now you’ve got that, time to roll out. Roll out your puff pastry and slice 1/4 sheet off for adornment. Then, length ways and slightly left from the mid of the sheet, spread the kale in a thin row from top to bottommost. Add the mushroom mix on top of that kale, and pack together to make sure it holds its form. In essence you make a nut roast log on top.
Step 7:
Delicately put the longer side of pastry on top of the nut roast log, like you’re rolling a sausage roll. Crimp the edges with a fork and stab a few holes in the top of the pastry with the same fork. Now make your beautifications however you want. Follow the image if you’d like for inspiration. If you need to save this for another day, freeze this when it cools to room temperature. It will be ready to eat afterwards as per your need.
Step 8:
Finish the pastry with a mix of olive oil and agave (details above) and bake for 19-20 minutes or till you get golden brown pastry. Serve with your roast and douse in gravy, Enjoy!
Notes:
- This is a very modest bake; you’ve to just keep one thing in mind: squeeze the water out of all your veggies! Both the mushrooms and spinach lose a lot of water when cooked and could decay your bake. Squash all the water out the spinach with the assistance of a fork or directly with your hand (it’s a great anti-stress therapy also), be patient and keep squeezing until they are a tenth of their initial size. For the mushrooms instead, let all the water evaporate completely while frying them – don’t skip any of the step, no one wants a soggy bottom.
- How to use the excess puff pastry? Why not make some appetizers? Cut it in minor squares, brush it with milk and dusting with some sesame seed. Or use your beloved biscuit cutter and spread a bit of tomato paste and put cheese on each biscuit – delicious! Both appetizers bake in 9-10 min at 180 C.
My Thoughts On Wellington Nut Roast:
I love to make this Wellington Nut Roast every Christmas. Cooking this dish ahead of time and contributing it to proceedings is always the right thing to do on Christmas. On many events I’ve been a (lone veggie) guest in other people’s homes (shout-out to everyone who welcomed me over the years with their love for me!) and each time the other guests around the table desired to try a slice. I’ve never written the recipe down before, but I’m sharing it now which I think so will help and result great for you all. Which I hope so end up great for you.
Other than cooking one enormous Wellie, I now make two medium-size parcels for a few good ins and outs. If you’re catering for people with particular dietary supplies, you can make two slightly diverse Wellies. Make one with all-butter puff pastry and the other with dairy-free, vegan-friendly or gluten-free pastry. Cooking the leeks in olive oil makes it a completely dairy-free variety.
It’s also much easier to make the parcel by packaging the filling in a single sheet of puff pastry, instead of patchworking two sheets together. It’s less disturbing to slip one smallish Wellie into someone else’s oven than commandeering an entire shelf for a single mammoth parcel. Plus, it also cooks quicker. In conclusion, these Wellies keep and reheat brilliantly, so if one gets eaten on Christmas Day you can still have a whole undamaged one to enjoy on Boxing Day.
