A stunning vegan beet wellington that will delight vegetarians and omnivores alike. Served with an optional red wine reduction sauce. Recipe is easily doubled for a crowd!
1tbspcornstarchwhisked together with 2 tbsp cold water
Instructions
To roast the beets:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prick the beets a few times with a fork and wrap them in tinfoil. Roast them for 45 minutes to an hour, until just cooked through. Remove the skins once cooled.
To prepare the marinated roasted beets:
Slice the roasted beets into slices about 1 centimeter thick. Lightly coat with olive oil. Toss together with the mustard, caper berries, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt.
Store in an airtight container to marinate for at least 3 hours.
To prepare the vegan, mushroom-less "duxelles":
Heat the coconut oil in a skillet. Add the shallot and garlic, and cook over medium to medium-low heat until quite soft, stirring occasionally, about 7-9 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 2 more minutes, or until the pecans have softened slightly. Adjust seasoning to taste.
To prepare the vegan beet wellington:
If using store-bought puff pastry, thaw according to package directions.
Unfold the puff pastry and stretch it gently into a rectangle shape. Spread half of the vegan duxelles mixture onto the pastry in an even layer, leaving a couple inches of space around the edges.
Remove the sliced beets from the marinade, brushing off excess marinade if needed. Place the beets on top of the duxelles in 1 to 2 layers. Top with the other half of the duxelles mixture.
Fold the long sides of the puff pastry over the center mixture, and then fold the short sides over that. Use moistened fingers to seal. Try to overlap as little as possible. As you can see in the pictures, I messed up the folding a little bit with this batch. It was still flaky and cooked all the way through, but tighter folding will result in an even better texture and more even cooking.
Gently transfer the folded beet wellington onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the oil and nondairy milk until emulsified, and use a pastry brush to brush the top and sides of the beet wellington with the mixture.
Refrigerate the folded beet wellington for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the beet wellington for 45 to 60 minutes, until the pastry is golden on the outside and firm all the way through when gently pressed.
Serve with sauce or gravy if desired. See notes for how to store leftovers.
To prepare the red wine reduction sauce:
Warm the coconut oil in a small saucepan. Add the minced garlic and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the red wine and vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a fast simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until reduced by almost half.
Stir in the sugar and the cornstarch/water mixture. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until thickened and shiny. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Notes
The marinated beets and the duxelles can be made up to 2 days in advance.Leftover cooked beet wellington will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days if gently wrapped in aluminum foil. Reheat in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.