I had wanted for a long time to make a loaf in crust and here it finally is. And not only is it vegan but it’s also fairly light even though I didn’t set too many limits for myself since this is a recipe for the holidays, ideal for Christmas or New Year’s Eve.
This idea comes from the classic Beef Wellington, which is made with a piece of tenderloin first wrapped in ham and then in puff pastry, to put it very briefly. For the vegan version I created layers of lentils, spinach, and mushrooms inside the puff pastry. Delicious!
The vegan loaf in crust turned out to be really tasty and my Dutch partner approved as well. He was very skeptical at first but then he ate it with pleasure.
You can get 12 slices out of it and I would say 2 slices are enough as a serving. Now let’s see how I prepared it.
Always on the subject of veggie balls:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
Regarding Weight Watchers ProPoints, they will also depend on the brand of vegan puff pastry used. I counted the light brand Vivo Meglio, but from what I read online, Esselunga’s is also vegan and even lighter; however, the roll is smaller, only 230 g total. See what you can find and know that the points for the Vivi Meglio pastry are a total of 24 for a 275 g roll.
- 1 roll puff pastry (vegan and preferably light)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (measuring teaspoons)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (about 1 measuring teaspoon)
- 2 cups cooked lentils (about 1/2 cup dry lentils)
- 1.1 lb spinach (fresh (about 16 cups loosely packed))
- 1.1 lb mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 carrot
- to taste spices (to taste: rosemary, sage, thyme, fresh or dried)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (1 heaping measuring tablespoon)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (measuring teaspoon)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- Total points = 37 WW points
- Points per 1 slice = 3 WW points
- Points per serving of 2 slices = 6 WW points
Tools
- Pan
- Stand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Brush
Steps
Cook one halved clove of garlic with the spinach and a little salt; no water is needed because the spinach will release its own liquid.
When the spinach has wilted, about 1 or 2 minutes, drain it. Once cooled, squeeze a handful at a time very well. Then cut it into coarse pieces.
Once cooled, squeeze a handful at a time very well. Then cut into coarse pieces.
For the mushrooms proceed as in this recipe: Sautéed mushrooms, so cut the garlic in half and sauté it in a teaspoon of oil.
Then add the mushrooms well cleaned and sliced and cook them. If they release a lot of water, continue cooking them until the liquid has completely evaporated.
Add some salt, turn off the heat and let cool.
Put the onion, 1 clove of garlic and the carrot cut into coarse pieces into a blender or food processor and pulse until they are grated-like.
Then also add the rinsed and drained lentils, the spices, a little salt and pepper, and pulse again intermittently. The filling is tastier if it is not too smooth but still has some pieces.
At the end taste and adjust salt if necessary.
Unroll the puff pastry leaving it on the provided baking paper and assemble the filling starting with the lentil mix.
Spread it evenly over the pastry leaving a little space at the edges. Then make a layer of spinach over the lentils.
At this point sprinkle one tablespoon of nutritional yeast over the entire surface and then distribute the mushrooms.
Using the baking paper to help you, try to roll the pastry as tightly as possible and seal the sides well by pinching the open edges.
Make some slits 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 loaf with the baking paper onto a baking tray or the oven sheet. Trim the excess paper and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F–392°F for 20–25 minutes. 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 it yet but I believe 20 minutes at 320°F should work well.
Once out of the oven let it cool for about 15 minutes and our vegan loaf 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 of vegetables of your choice and sandy potatoes. I made this recipe: Crispy potatoes but cut the potatoes thicker and toss them in a little breadcrumbs — simple, right?
How good it turned out, I’m really happy with this experiment. Maybe I could have cooked the vegetables together with the lentils first to obtain a firmer filling but even so 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.
Enjoy your meal!
By Giovanna Buono
Storage and tips
You can prepare the various filling ingredients one or two days in advance. But I recommend baking the vegan loaf in crust at most a few hours before serving or the pastry will lose its crispness.
If you have leftover slices, you can reheat them in a pan lightly oiled or also warm them at 356°F in the air fryer.
I haven’t tried freezing the slices because it was finished… if you try it let me know if it worked well!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is nutritional yeast?
In this recipe you will also find nutritional yeast, which is a deactivated yeast rich in vitamin B12. It is widely used in vegan cuisine because it gives dishes a cheesy flavor. To learn more read here: Nutritional yeast: what it is, how it’s used and why!
