Still on the hunt for the ultimate vegan centrepiece this Christmas? Hail Seitan - because this Festive Vegan Wellington is here to save the day!
Wrapped in golden, flaky puff pastry and filled with savoury homemade seitan, this showstopper brings serious main character energy to your holiday table.
It’s rich, hearty, and feels just the right amount of fancy - without being overly complicated. Whether you're feeding long-time vegans or curious flexitarians, this one’s bound to impress everyone around the table!
What's Great About This Recipe:
- It’s 100% vegan, but even meat-eaters will be going back for seconds!
- The flavors are rich, savory and totally festive - perfect for the holiday season.
- Despite its fancy looks, it’s actually straightforward to make at home!
- The whole recipe is nut-free, making it a solid option for guests with nut allergies, and a great alternative to the classic nut roast.
- Every bite is packed with flavor thanks to the homemade seitan and umami-rich filling.
- It’s a brilliant way to dip your toes into cooking with seitan, even if you’ve never tried it before.
- This Wellington makes a stunning centrepiece for any Christmas spread - no one will miss the classic roast!
Jump to:
What is Seitan?
Seitan is a savoury, protein-rich dough made from vital wheat gluten. It has a meaty texture and soaks up flavour like a dream, which makes it perfect for dishes like this festive Wellington.
In this recipe, I’ve pressure-steamed the seitan in foil (for that juicy, tender middle), then pan-glazed it for a crispy, golden crust before wrapping it in puff pastry. The result? A flavour-packed centrepiece that seriously delivers - one time it even earned me two marriage proposals, just saying.
Looking to round out your vegan Christmas dinner? Pair it with roast potatoes, maple-glazed carrots, garlicky mushrooms, luscious vegan gravy or vegan Yorkshire puddings!
Ingredients & Notes
Here's everything you'll need:
- Vital wheat gluten - this is the base for the seitan. I usually buy mine in bulk from BuyWholeFoodsOnline (great value!).
- Chickpea flour - adds tenderness and helps bind everything together.
- Seasonings - a flavourful mix of onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, ground black pepper, nutritional yeast and sea salt.
- Rapeseed oil - or any neutral oil for moisture and richness.
- Tamari or soy sauce - adds umami and depth; tamari keeps it gluten-free (well, apart from the wheat gluten!).
- Liquid smoke - for that festive, slightly smoky edge.
- 1 red onion, sliced -adds sweetness and texture inside the Wellington.
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter - used for sautéing the onion and adding richness.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper & fresh thyme sprigs - for a fragrant, peppery kick.
- Vegan puff pastry - check the label, but most supermarket versions are accidentally vegan.
Equipment
- aluminium foil
- large bowl
- measuring jug
- cling film
- oven & oven tray
- spatula & spoons
- large frying pan
- non-stick baking mat
How to Make Seitan Wellington (Step-by-Step)
Step 1 - Make the Seitan Dough
Start by mixing the dry and wet ingredients in two separate bowls - this helps prevent any clumps of seasoning in the final dough.
Create a well in the centre of the dry mix and gradually add about a third of the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula. Slowly incorporate the rest until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
Step 2 - Shape and Steam
Shape the rested dough into a log slightly shorter than your puff pastry sheet. Wrap it tightly in a few layers of strong aluminium foil, twisting the ends like a giant sweet wrapper. This helps create a dense, meaty texture - don’t skip this part or your seitan may turn out spongy.
Bake the foil-wrapped log at 180°C (fan) for 2 hours, turning it halfway through.
Step 3 - Pan-Glaze for Flavor & Texture
Once baked, carefully unwrap the log. Melt vegan butter in a frying pan, then sauté sliced red onion with black pepper and fresh thyme.
Place the seitan log in the pan and turn it occasionally to brown all sides. Use a spoon to baste it with the herby butter for 10–15 minutes - this adds loads of flavour and gives it a crisp, golden crust.
Step 4 - Wrap in Puff Pastry
Let the seitan cool fully before wrapping - this makes the pastry much easier to handle. You can even prep the seitan in advance and keep it in the fridge overnight (or freeze it and defrost before assembling).
Wrap the seitan in a sheet of puff pastry, seal the edges, and decorate with extra pastry if you fancy. Transfer to a lined baking tray and brush the top with plant milk or melted vegan butter.
Step 5 - Bake Your Wellington
Bake the assembled Wellington in a preheated oven at 200°C (fan) for around 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
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You might also enjoy these recipes:
If you love cooking with Seitan you will surely also enjoy my recipes for Vegan Steak and BBQ Grilled Seitan - which are both created with homemade Seitan using the flour washing method. If you are new to making Seitan from scratch, don't worry, there are full step-by-step instructions included.
Did you make this recipe? If so, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating & let me know how you liked this recipe? THANK YOU! ❤️
📖 Recipe Card
Vegan Seitan Wellington
Equipment
- 2 large bowls
- 1 spatula
- cling film
- heavy-duty kitchen foil aluminum
- 1 large, shallow baking dish
- 1 large frying pan
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 500 g vital wheat gluten
- 100 g chickpea flour
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Wet ingredients:
- 600 ml water
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Additional ingredients:
- 1 red onion sliced
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 handful fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 sheet ready-made vegan puff pastry
Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and roughly stir.
- Combine all wet ingredients in a large container, then form a well in the dry ingredients and gently pour in about ⅓ of the liquid.
- Using a spatula, gently combine the dry and wet ingredients. Keep pouring in more liquid until both are combined well and form a smooth & slightly sticky dough.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it with your hands on a floured surface for about 2 minutes.
- Place the dough back into its bowl and cover the entire bowl with cling film. Set aside to rest for about 30 minutes. After about 15 minutes, preheat your oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas.
- Once the hour has elapsed, knead the dough again for about 30 seconds, then use your hands to form it into a log shape.
- Use heavy-duty kitchen foil to tightly wrap the log. Twist the ends tightly and place it into a shallow baking dish in the middle of the oven.
- Roast the Seitan for about 2 hours, turning after 1 hour, and carefully remove it from the foil when the roasting time had elapsed.
- Add 2 tablespoon of vegan butter and 1 sliced red onion to a large frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the black pepper and thyme sprigs and then place the Seitan log into the pan.
- Pan-roast the Seitan for about 10-15 minutes constantly turning and use a spoon to keep pouring the butter mixture over the Seitan during this process. Set the pan aside to slightly cool.
- Unroll the pastry sheet on a nonstick baking mat (or use kitchen foil!), place the log on one edge with the fried onions next to it, then roll the pastry sheet up. This has to happen quickly as the pastry becomes soft once the warm Seitan and onions touch it. Decorate your pastry to your liking and gently brush it with plant-based milk or melted vegan butter.
- Place it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry has risen and turns golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, slice, and serve with roast potatoes and your favourite trimmings!
Notes
- If you're not used to cooking with puff pastry sheets, I recommend letting the Seitan cool down entirely before wrapping it in the pastry. That way you have more time in wrapping the log, and the pastry won't get soft that easily.
- You can make the Seitan in advance and keep it in the fridge overnight or place it in the freezer.
Looking for more? Check out my Vegan Christmas Recipe Section!
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