This is a puff pastry log built from four cooked layers: mushroom duxelle, roasted red pepper, a bread and bean loaf, and lemony spinach. It serves 12 and takes about 30 minutes in the oven once it is assembled. The real work is the prep, and most of that can happen a day ahead.
You are not cooking a roast here. You are packing cooked, cooled vegetables into a shape that holds when you cut it. Get that right and the pastry does the rest.
One warning before you start: warm filling will steam through the pastry from underneath. Cool every component to room temperature first. That single step decides whether you get a crisp base or a soggy one.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. On a baking sheet, drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread in an even layer. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway, until the squash is tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. On another baking sheet, spread out the kidney beans and chestnuts. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the excess moisture has released and the beans begin to crack down the middle. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
4. Prepare the duxelle (mushroom mixture): In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter begins to foam, add the shallot, mushrooms, thyme, and salt. Stir to combine and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates from the mushrooms and they begin to turn golden brown. Transfer the duxelle to a bowl and set aside to cool.
5. Return the pan to the stove (no need to clean), and heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and the frozen spinach. Break the spinach up with a wooden spoon and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is toasted and the spinach is warmed through. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
6. Return the same pan back to the stove over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and beginning to turn golden brown. Add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and the sage and sauté for 1 minute more, or until the garlic is just fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and bread. Stir until the bread is well-coated, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
7. Transfer the bread mixture to a food processor. Add in the roasted kidney beans and chestnuts and vegetable stock. Pulse a few times, until just combined. (The mixture should be an even consistency but still have texture to it. It should stick together when pressed in your palm). Transfer the bread mixture to a large bowl. Gently stir in the roasted butternut squash and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
8. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of puff pastry into rectangle slightly smaller than the prepared baking sheet. Transfer 1 piece of the pastry to the baking sheet and set the other piece aside.
10. Assemble the Wellington: Spread the cooled duxelle lengthwise down the middle of the puff pastry on the baking sheet, creating a rectangle the size that you want your wellington to be. Make sure to leave about a 2-inch border at both ends of the pastry. (You will be removing all excess dough and using it for decorations.)
11. Next, arrange half of the bell peppers over the duxelle. Make sure they lay flat, only overlap on the edges, and completely cover the mushrooms.
12. Top the bell pepper layer with the roasted squash and bread mixture by using your hands to pack the mixture into a loaf, making sure it doesn’t go over the edges of the peppers.
13. Layer the remaining roasted peppers evenly over the bread mixture.
14. Top the peppers with the spinach mixture. (This will be a bit messy, but it’s okay, it’s part of the process!)
15. Gently roll the second piece of pastry over the spinach layer, creating a blanket over all of the vegetable layers. Press the pastry gently around the filling to create a log shape. Trim the pastry so that there is about a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border around the log.
16. Fold the bottom layer of the pastry over the top layer and seal the dough together with a decorative crimp. Cut decorative shapes from the dough scraps and arrange over the log. Using a paring knife, cut a few vents into your wellington to allow steam to escape. You can hide the vents along the edges of your decorations.
17. Generously brush the top and sides of the wellington with the beaten egg.
18. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.
19. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
20. Enjoy!
Variations
Smaller loaves
roll the two pastry sheets separately and make two shorter Wellingtons. They bake faster, so start checking at 25 minutes.
Less acidic
if balsamic tastes sharp to you, stir 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into the bread mixture before it goes in the processor.
Jarred peppers
skip the whole-pepper roasting and use drained jarred roasted red peppers. Pat them dry, then pat them again.
Pro Tips
How to Store Holiday Vegetable Wellington
Refrigerator
Wrap leftovers tightly and keep them up to 3 days. The pastry softens each day, so reheat in a hot oven rather than a microwave.
Freezer
Freeze the unbaked log, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 425°F and add 15 to 20 minutes, checking the center is hot.
Reheating
Reheat slices at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes on a baking sheet. That brings the crust back partway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make it ahead?
Yes, and it's the sane way to do it. Cook the duxelle, spinach and bread mixture up to two days ahead and chill them. Assemble the log the morning of, keep it cold, and bake it just before dinner.
Q: Why is my Wellington soggy on the bottom?
Almost always wet filling or a warm build. Squeeze the spinach dry, pat the peppers, cool every layer, and assemble on cold pastry. If it still comes out pale underneath, bake it 8 to 10 more minutes on a fresh cold sheet.
Q: Can I use store-bought roasted peppers?
Yes. Six whole roasted peppers is a lot of work. A jar of roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry, gives you the same layer with far less time.
Q: How do I know it's done?
The pastry should be deep golden on top and firm when you press the side. The filling is already cooked, so you're really judging the crust. Rest it 15 minutes so the layers set before you cut.
Q: Is this vegan?
Not as written. It has butter, egg wash and puff pastry that usually contains butter. Swap in vegan puff pastry, olive oil for the butter, and skip the egg wash or use a plant milk brush.
Holiday Vegetable Wellington With Roasted Squash
A golden puff pastry log packed with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, spinach and red pepper. It feeds a crowd and slices clean at the holiday table.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 2On a baking sheet, drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread in an even layer. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway, until the squash is tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- 3On another baking sheet, spread out the kidney beans and chestnuts. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the excess moisture has released and the beans begin to crack down the middle. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- 4Prepare the duxelle (mushroom mixture): In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter begins to foam, add the shallot, mushrooms, thyme, and salt. Stir to combine and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates from the mushrooms and they begin to turn golden brown. Transfer the duxelle to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- 5Return the pan to the stove (no need to clean), and heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and the frozen spinach. Break the spinach up with a wooden spoon and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is toasted and the spinach is warmed through. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- 6Return the same pan back to the stove over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and beginning to turn golden brown. Add the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and the sage and sauté for 1 minute more, or until the garlic is just fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and bread. Stir until the bread is well-coated, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- 7Transfer the bread mixture to a food processor. Add in the roasted kidney beans and chestnuts and vegetable stock. Pulse a few times, until just combined. (The mixture should be an even consistency but still have texture to it. It should stick together when pressed in your palm). Transfer the bread mixture to a large bowl. Gently stir in the roasted butternut squash and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- 8Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 9On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of puff pastry into rectangle slightly smaller than the prepared baking sheet. Transfer 1 piece of the pastry to the baking sheet and set the other piece aside.
- 10Assemble the Wellington: Spread the cooled duxelle lengthwise down the middle of the puff pastry on the baking sheet, creating a rectangle the size that you want your wellington to be. Make sure to leave about a 2-inch border at both ends of the pastry. (You will be removing all excess dough and using it for decorations.)
- 11Next, arrange half of the bell peppers over the duxelle. Make sure they lay flat, only overlap on the edges, and completely cover the mushrooms.
- 12Top the bell pepper layer with the roasted squash and bread mixture by using your hands to pack the mixture into a loaf, making sure it doesn’t go over the edges of the peppers.
- 13Layer the remaining roasted peppers evenly over the bread mixture.
- 14Top the peppers with the spinach mixture. (This will be a bit messy, but it’s okay, it’s part of the process!)
- 15Gently roll the second piece of pastry over the spinach layer, creating a blanket over all of the vegetable layers. Press the pastry gently around the filling to create a log shape. Trim the pastry so that there is about a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border around the log.
- 16Fold the bottom layer of the pastry over the top layer and seal the dough together with a decorative crimp. Cut decorative shapes from the dough scraps and arrange over the log. Using a paring knife, cut a few vents into your wellington to allow steam to escape. You can hide the vents along the edges of your decorations.
- 17Generously brush the top and sides of the wellington with the beaten egg.
- 18Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.
- 19Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- 20Enjoy!
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.
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