Lentil Vegan Wellington

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 tsp ground sage

1/4 tsp celery seeds

150 g red lentils

560 mL vegetable stock

200 g mushrooms

50 g chestnuts (optional)

Salt, to taste

1/4 tsp dried thyme

4 Tbsp Dijon mustard

400 g vegan puff pastry OR make your own gluten-free pie crust (recipe below)

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

100 g walnuts

150 g gluten-free all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

250 g coconut oil or plant-based alternative to butter

50 g gluten-free oats

60 mL cold water

Preparation

1. In a medium sized pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion over a medium-high heat for five minutes. Add the sage, celery seeds, lentils, vegetable stock, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes. Once cooked, let it cool, and set aside in the fridge.
2. In a food processor, add the mushrooms and chestnuts. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the mushroom mixtures to a dry pan over a medium-high heat and cook until most of the moisture is gone. Season with salt and thyme. Once cool, set aside in the fridge.
3. When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
4. Split puff pastry or pie crust in half (tips below). Roll the pastry out to a 10-inch by 14-inch rectangle on baking paper. While rolling the pastry, use flour as needed to avoid sticking.
5. Spread half of the Dijon mustard onto the centre of pastry. Top with half of the mushroom mixture and top that with half of lentil mixture. Mould the lentils and mushrooms into a log on the pastry.
6. Fold the top and bottom ends of the pastry over the log. Then, fold the sides over the top of the lentil log.
7. If you are using the gluten-free pie crust, the crust will seem crumbly when wrapping the lentil log. Use the baking paper and wrap it around the pastry and press the pastry lightly to help mend any crumbly areas. Move the baking paper package onto the baking tray and remove the baking paper wrapped around the pastry.
8. Using a knife, make a light mark down the length of the pastry and multiple cuts on a diagonal on either side. Be sure not to pierce through the pastry when marking the top.
9. Repeat steps 4 to 8 with the remaining ingredients so you make 2 logs.

10. Bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

11. Combine the walnuts, gluten-free flour, and oats in a food processor and pulse until a fine flour forms.
12. Add in sea salt and coconut oil to the food processor and pulse until combined.
13. Add cold water to the food processor and pulse until combined, adding more water one tablespoon at a time if needed to bring the dough together.

14. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Rolling Gluten-Free Pie Crust

15. When ready to use, roll the pastry into a 10×14 inch rectangle on a piece of baking paper, using plenty of gluten-free flour to avoid sticking.
16. Cut length-wise, leaving one strip wider than the other.
17. Spread the Lentil Wellington filling on the narrow strip.
18. Using baking paper to move the wider pastry strip, lay it on top of the filling. Tuck the part that hangs over the filling under the narrow strip.