Vegan Wellington – festive, vegan roast for Christmas

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 pack of puff pastry, from the refrigerated section (most are vegan)
• 2 tbsp flaxseed
• 5 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 130 g diced onion(s) (approx. 1 medium)
• 150 g carrot(s), diced
• 100 g celery, diced (approx. 2 sticks)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp sage, dried, ground
• ½ tsp rosemary, dried
• 350 g mushrooms, brown, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp tamari sauce or soy sauce
• 100 g walnuts, finely chopped
• 200 g almond(s), finely chopped
• 200 g chestnuts, pre-cooked, finely chopped
• 75 g date(s), dried or soft dates, finely chopped
• 30 g Panko, coarse
• 1 ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce, vegan (e.g. from “Appel”)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp liquid smoke, liquid smoke (e.g. from “Painmaker” or “Stubb’s”) optional
• 2 tbsp soy cream (soy cream cuisine)

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F), line a baking sheet with baking paper, and set aside. Mix the flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water and let it soak for 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat and sauté the diced onions, celery, and carrots until translucent (approx. 6-8 minutes). Add the chopped garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary and stir for 1 minute. Then add the finely chopped mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid and lose volume (approx. 5-7 minutes). The pan must be dry again. Now add the tamari sauce and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 3. While the mushroom mixture is cooling, mix the walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, dates, panko bread, flaxseed, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste in a large bowl using a wooden spoon or your hands. Add the cooled mushroom mixture and stir vigorously to form a firm, pliable mixture. If the mixture is too moist, add a little more panko. Season to taste with salt, fresh pepper, and optionally 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke. 4. Unroll the puff pastry according to the package instructions on the prepared baking sheet and let it rest briefly. Now you can place the filling on the puff pastry. To do this, use your hands to layer the mixture from top to bottom, about 4 cm from the left edge, and 1-2 cm from the top and bottom edges, and press it down to form a kind of “loaf.” Then press the short, left-hand side of the dough up onto the filling. Then place the long side of the dough over the filling, fold it in at the top and bottom, and press it down firmly against the left side. If there is any excess dough, simply cut it off and shape it into a long roll, which you can place around the roast (see video). Alternatively, you can cut out shapes from the leftover dough to decorate the roast. 5. Brush the finished roast with soy cream and score it with a knife in a diamond shape. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. The roast will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days. If you want to save some time, you can prepare the stuffing a day in advance and refrigerate it until ready to use. Tip: This vegan roast tastes wonderful combined with duchess potatoes, red cabbage, or green beans and a rich vegan gravy. Recipe for the vegan gravy: https://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/3439461512330822/Vegane-dunkle-Bratensauce.html