I had been wanting to make a vegan meatloaf in puff pastry for a long time, and here it finally is! And it’s not only vegan but also relatively light even though I didn’t set many limits since this is a recipe for the holidays, perfect for Christmas or New Year.
This idea is inspired by the classic Beef Wellington, which is prepared with a piece of filet wrapped first in ham and then in pastry, to put it briefly! For the vegan version, I created layers of lentils, spinach, mushrooms inside the puff pastry. Delicious!
The vegan meatloaf in puff pastry made this way turned out really tasty, and even the Dutchman approved. Let’s say he was quite skeptical at first but then enjoyed it with gusto.
You can get 12 slices from it, and I would say that 2 slices are enough as a serving. Now let’s see how I prepared it!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
Regarding the Weight Watchers Propoints, it will also depend on the brand of vegan puff pastry used. I counted the light version by Vivo Meglio, but from what I read online, the Esselunga one is also vegan and even lighter, but smaller, only 230 g for the whole roll. See what you find and know that the Vivo Meglio pastry points are a total of 24 for a 275 g roll.
This recipe also includes 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 preferably light)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (about 1 measuring teaspoon)
- 2 cups cooked lentils (about ½ cup dry)
- 18 oz spinach (fresh)
- 18 oz mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 carrot
- to taste spices (to taste: rosemary, sage, thyme, fresh or dried)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (1 heaped measuring 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
- Pans
- Food Processor
- Baking Tray
- Brush
Steps
Cook a halved garlic clove with the spinach and a pinch of salt, no need for water as it will be released by the spinach. Once the spinach has wilted, about 1 or 2 minutes, drain them. Once cooled, squeeze out a handful at a time thoroughly. Then chop them coarsely.
For the mushrooms, proceed as in this recipe: Sautéed Mushrooms, then cut the garlic in half and fry 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’s completely dry. Add some salt, turn off the heat, and let cool.
In a blender or mixer, first blend the onion, 1 garlic clove, and the carrot coarsely chopped to make them look grated. Then put in the rinsed and drained lentils, the spices, a bit of salt and pepper, and pulse again. The filling tastes better if it isn’t too smooth but still has small pieces. Finally, taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Unroll the puff pastry, keeping it on the provided parchment paper, and compose the filling starting with the lentil mix. Distribute it evenly over the pastry, leaving some space at the edges. Then make a layer of spinach over the lentils.
At this point, spread one 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 on the sides by pinching the edges that remain open. Make cuts on the roll, brush with 2 tsp of oil on the top and sides, and sprinkle 1 tsp of sesame seeds on the surface.
Transfer the meatloaf with the provided parchment paper onto a baking tray or sheet pan. Trim the excess paper and bake in the preheated oven at 350°F-400°F for 20-25 minutes. The times depend a lot 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 out of the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes, and our vegan meatloaf in puff pastry is ready to be sliced. If you want, you can also serve it at room temperature accompanied by some light sauces, a side dish of vegetables of your choice, and sandy potatoes. I made this recipe of mine: Crunchy Potatoes but by cutting the potatoes thicker and passing them in a bit of breadcrumbs, simple, right?
It turned out so good, I’m really happy with this experiment. Maybe I could have cooked the vegetables with the lentils first for a more compact 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
Suggestions
You can prepare the various filling ingredients one or two days in advance. But I recommend cooking the vegan meatloaf in puff pastry a few hours before serving it at most, or the pastry will lose its crispiness.
If you have leftover slices, you can reheat them in a lightly oiled pan or also reheat at 350°F in the air fryer.
I haven’t tried freezing the slices because it was finished… if you try, let me know if it worked well!
