Name: Hairy Bikers Veggie Wellington Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, finely chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 450g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped; 180g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped; 1 x 400g tin cooked green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed; 60g walnuts, toasted and chopped; 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp vegetable stock; 50g breadcrumbs; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 x 320g sheet of all-butter puff pastry; 1 large egg, beaten (or 2 tbsp plant-based milk for a vegan glaze)

This golden veggie wellington is made with mushrooms, chestnuts, lentils, walnuts, and root vegetables wrapped in crisp all-butter puff pastry. It makes a proper vegetarian centrepiece for a roast dinner or Christmas table. Serves 6 in about 1 hour 10 minutes.

I started making this every Christmas when half the family went vegetarian. It is the one dish that meat eaters always want a slice of too.

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Veggie Wellington Ingredients

For the filling:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
450g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
180g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
1 x 400g tin cooked green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed
60g walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable stock
50g breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For assembly:

1 x 320g sheet of all-butter puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten (or 2 tbsp plant-based milk for a vegan glaze)

How to Make Veggie Wellington

Cook the base vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 10–12 minutes until soft and sweet. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for one more minute.
Brown the mushrooms: In a separate dry pan, cook the finely chopped mushrooms over medium-high heat. Let them cook until they release all their water and it evaporates completely, and the mushrooms are browned and concentrated.
Mix the filling: In a large bowl, combine the cooked vegetables, browned mushrooms, chestnuts, lentils, and walnuts. Stir in the soy sauce, vegetable stock, and breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Spread onto a tray and leave to cool completely.
Shape the wellington: Lay the puff pastry sheet on a piece of baking parchment. Spoon the cooled filling down the centre, forming a tight, even log shape with about a 5cm border on all sides.
Wrap and seal: Brush the pastry borders with beaten egg. Fold one long side over the filling, then fold the other side over to overlap and press to seal. Trim any excess pastry from the ends and fold them up to close the log completely.
Bake: Flip the wellington seam-side down. Score the top with a knife if you like, then brush all over with the remaining egg wash. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6) for 35–40 minutes until puffed up, deeply golden, and crisp. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

What Is the Secret to a Perfect Veggie Wellington?

Cool the filling completely: This is the most important step. Warm filling melts the butter in the puff pastry and gives you a soggy bottom instead of a crisp, flaky crust.
Cook all the moisture out of the mushrooms: Keep the mushrooms on the heat until they are dry and browned. This builds a deep, savoury flavour and stops the filling from making the pastry wet.
Chill the shaped filling: Wrap the cooled filling in cling film and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. A firm log is much easier to wrap neatly in the pastry.
Use all-butter puff pastry: It gives a much richer flavour and a better flake than pastry made with vegetable fats. If you enjoy pastry-wrapped bakes, the Hairy Bikers Chestnut and Mushroom Pie uses a similar filling in a shortcrust case.

What Should You Serve on the Side?

Serve thick slices with a rich vegetarian onion or mushroom gravy, creamy mash, and crispy roast potatoes. The Hairy Bikers Onion Gravy works well here — just swap the meat stock for vegetable stock.

For vegetables, roasted carrots and parsnips or steamed green beans are the classic choices. It also goes well with Hairy Bikers Yorkshire Puddings if you are doing the full roast dinner spread.

Does This Reheat Well?

Once completely cool, store leftover wellington in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat slices on a baking tray in a hot oven for 10–15 minutes to crisp the pastry back up.

This wellington freezes well. Wrap it tightly in cling film and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven. You can also freeze it unbaked — add about 20 minutes to the cooking time and bake from frozen.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/6th of the recipe
Calories: 560 kcal
Total Fat: 32g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Sodium: 450mg
Total Carbohydrate: 55g
Dietary Fiber: 12g
Protein: 18g

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was my wellington soggy on the bottom? A soggy bottom is almost always caused by the filling being too warm or too wet when wrapped. Make sure the filling is completely cool and that you have cooked all the moisture out of the mushrooms.

Can I make this wellington vegan? Yes. Most shop-bought puff pastry is already vegan — check the label. Use plant-based milk instead of egg wash for the glaze.

Can I prepare this ahead of time? You can assemble the wellington up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Brush with egg wash and bake when you are ready — it may need an extra 5 minutes if going in cold.

How does this compare to Jamie Oliver’s veggie wellington? Jamie Oliver’s version uses butternut squash and mushroom as the main filling, while this Hairy Bikers recipe builds the base from chestnuts, lentils, and walnuts for a denser, nuttier result. Both wrap in puff pastry.

Can I make this gluten-free? You will need gluten-free puff pastry and gluten-free breadcrumbs for the filling. Use tamari instead of soy sauce as standard soy sauce contains wheat.

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