The Best Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Ever

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
COLOSSIANS 3:17

I have to confess that the first few vegan thanksgivings we celebrated were blah. We had the old stand-by boxed Tofurky Roast with potatoes, and it was nice. But Thanksgiving should be a feast-- labor intensive and decadent. It is a celebration of thankfulness. I love this recipe because it has all the holiday tastes in one dish.  I hope you try it. You and your non-vegan guests will love this.

THANKSGIVING VEGAN WELLINGTON

Serves 6 people

INGREDIENTS: 

1- package Prepperidge Farms Puff pastry (in the frozen pie section)
1- 8 oz package of white mushrooms sliced
1 1/2 cups dried Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned Stuffing (cubed or classic style)
1/2 cup diced yellow Onion
1 package of Tofurky Slices (oven roasted)
3  Leeks (use the white parts)
6 cups of kale chopped
1 medium sweet potato
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Earth Balance original spread
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil to grease pan

INSTRUCTIONS: 

PREPARE EACH PART TO STUFF THE WELLINGTON:

1. Stuffing-  You will need about 2 1/2 cups of prepared stuffing for the Wellington.

Slice mushrooms and sauté in pan with a little olive oil. Season with salt.

Place diced onions in glass measuring cup with Earth Balance spread. Microwave 30 seconds or until butter melts.

In a large bowl, combine sauteed mushrooms with the mushroom juice and onions with butter and 1 1/2 cups dried stuffing mix. Stir well. The goal is to have the stuffing moist but not wet. You can add a little water or more butter if needed.

2. Leeks- Slice the white parts of the leeks and sauté in approximately 1 tbsp of olive oil until caramelized (about 20 minutes.)  Add sugar if you want more sweetness. Season with salt.

3. Kale- steam kale until it is bright green (about 5 minutes. ) Then drain it.  Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Sweet Potato- Peel and thinly slice (about 1/8 inch thick.)

TO ASSEMBLE THE WELLINGTON:

1. Place the frozen puff pastry onto parchment paper to thaw. This can take 20 mins.   When thawed, unfold both pieces. Place them side by side with one sheet overlapping the other and roll out into one large sheet.

IF YOU WANT TO EAT TODAY- Place the pastry onto a large greased cookie sheet.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE AND FREEZE FOR LATER- Slide the parchment paper with the puff pastry onto a large cookie sheet.

2. Layering your Wellington: Place each layer onto the puff pastry. All the ingredients should be cooled to room temperature.

The first bottom layer is the Tofurky slices. ( I layered mine like a deck of cards fanned out.) Then press two cups of stuffing into a mound and sprinkle the caramelized leeks evenly in a layer. The next layer will be kale. Finally, add the raw sweet potato slices fanned.

3. Bring the ends of the puff pastry upward and then pull in the sides of dough so the veggies are completely covered. Score the top and poke a couple of holes in it so steam can escape.

4. Chill the wellington for at least an hour before baking. It can also be frozen at this point (no need to thaw before cooking.)

5. Place wellington on a large greased (canola oil) cookie sheet, Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 for 30 to 45 minutes or until puff pastry is nicely browned.

This recipe is labor intensive so you should go ahead and make two. They freeze great!  I make mine weeks before Thanksgiving and freeze them. We eat one wellington for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. I also prepare and freeze the stock for the gravy. On Thanksgiving morning, I pop the frozen wellington into the oven. I serve my wellington with gravy (see below), green beans, the pan of stuffing and jellied Cranberry Sauce from the can. That's it. A simple delicious Thanksgiving meal.

TO FREEZE: Assemble your wellington on a parchment lined large cookie sheet. Then, you can just wrap the parchment around the wellington. Then, wrap it in tin foil. The wellington is odd shaped so it doesn't fit in a regular freezer bag. I place the wellington in a grocery bag and tie a knot. I place it in another grocery bag and tie a knot. I do this 5 times to make 5 layers of grocery bags. I have kept one in the freezer for two months without freezer burn.

VEGAN GRAVY:

I use this recipe for an awesome vegan gravy. I freeze the gravy stock in a plastic container until Thanksgiving morning. For the gravy, I make a rue (Earth Balance and flour) in a small sauce pan. Then, I dump the frozen brick of stock into the sauce pan and stir slowly as it melts.

I hope you try this recipe. It is an absolute game changer. You will never buy a Tofurky Roast Box again. Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for reading!