I’ve been wanting to make a vegan meatloaf in crust for a long time and here it is finally! And it’s not only vegan but also quite light even though I didn’t set too many limits, as this is a recipe for the holidays, ideal for Christmas or New Year’s.
This idea originates from the classic Wellington roast which is prepared with a piece of fillet first rolled in ham and then in pastry, to put it briefly! For the vegan version, I created layers of lentils, spinach, and mushrooms inside the puff pastry. Delicious!
The vegan meatloaf in crust made this way turned out really tasty and even the Dutchman approved. Let’s say he was very skeptical at first but then he devoured it with pleasure.
You can get 12 slices, and I would say that 2 slices are sufficient as a serving. Now let’s see how I prepared it!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
As for Weight Watchers Propoints, they will also depend on the brand of vegan puff pastry used. I counted the light version from Vivo Meglio, but from what I read online, Esselunga’s one is also vegan and even lighter, but smaller, only 230 g for the whole roll. See what you find and note that the points for the Vivi Meglio pastry are a total of 24 for a 275 g roll.
In this recipe, you’ll also find nutritional yeast; if you don’t know what it is, read here: Nutritional Yeast: what it is, how to use it, and why!
- 1 roll puff pastry (vegan and possibly light)
- 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 400 g cooked lentils (about 3.5 oz dry)
- 500 g spinach (fresh)
- 500 g mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 carrot
- to taste spices (as you like: rosemary, sage, thyme, fresh or dried)
- 10 g nutritional yeast (1 heaping tablespoon)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- Total points = 37 WW points
- Points per slice = 3 WW points
- Points per serving of 2 slices = 6 WW points
Tools
You will also need a blender or a food processor. If you’re interested, the model I use is this: Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor.
- 1 Pan
- 1 Blender
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Brush
Steps
Cook a clove of garlic cut in half with the spinach and a little salt, no water is needed since it will be released by the spinach. Once the spinach has wilted, about 1 or 2 minutes, drain them. Once cooled, squeeze them very well, a handful at a time. Then chop them coarsely.
For the mushrooms, proceed as in this recipe: Light Sautéed Mushrooms, then cut the garlic in half and sauté it in a teaspoon of oil. Then add the well-cleaned and sliced mushrooms and cook them. If they release a lot of water, continue cooking until it has completely evaporated. Add some salt, turn off the heat, and let cool.
Put the onion, 1 garlic clove, and the carrot cut into coarse pieces into the blender or food processor and pulse to make them look grated. Then also add the rinsed and drained lentils, the spices, a bit of salt and pepper, and pulse again. The filling is tastier if it’s not too smooth but with some chunks. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
Unroll the puff pastry, leaving it on its parchment paper, and assemble the filling starting with the lentil mix. Spread it evenly on the pastry, leaving a bit of space on the edges. Then make a layer of spinach over the lentils.
Now put a tablespoon of nutritional yeast over the entire surface and then distribute the mushrooms.
Now, with the help of the parchment paper, try to roll the pastry as tightly as possible and seal well at the sides by pinching the open edges. Make cuts on the roll, brush the top and sides with 2 teaspoons of oil, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds on the surface.
Move the meatloaf with its parchment paper onto a baking tray or sheet. Cut off the excess paper and bake in the lower part of a preheated oven at 350°F-390°F for 20-25 minutes. The times depend greatly on the oven.
If you make a smaller roll or even 2 rolls, you can cook them in an air fryer. I haven’t tried yet, but I think 20 minutes at 320°F should be fine.
Once taken out of the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes and our vegan meatloaf in crust is ready to be sliced. If you wish, you can also serve it at room temperature accompanied by some light sauces, a side dish of vegetables of your choice, and some crunchy potatoes. I made this recipe: Crunchy Potatoes but cutting the potatoes thicker and passing them in a bit of breadcrumbs, easy right?
It turned out so good, I’m really happy with this experiment. Maybe I could have cooked the veggies together with the lentils first to get a more compact filling, but even like this, we licked our lips! Let me know what you think when you make it; you can leave a comment below or in my Facebook Club.
Bon appétit!
By Giovanna Buono
Tips
You can prepare the various filling ingredients even one or two days in advance. But I recommend cooking the vegan meatloaf in crust a few hours before serving it at most, or the pastry will lose its crispness.
If you have leftover slices, you can reheat them in a lightly oiled pan or even warm them at 350°F in an air fryer.
I haven’t tried freezing the slices because it was gone… if you try, let me know if it worked well!
