Mushroom Wellington is the vegetarian cousin of the much meatier Beef Wellington. It is simple to prepare, ready in 30 minutes.
Three years ago last July, I dressed up all fancy-like, and went to dinner with my parents at a tiny French restaurant downtown. When I opened the door, I thought, "Did they just start playing the love song from Phantom of the Opera?"
I walked in farther and thought, "Huh.. We're the only ones here. That's nice."
Then I walked a little farther in, past a little half-wall, where I stopped in confusion.
"What's the boyfriend doing here? Why is he crouched down on his knee? Why is he holding that sparkly ring? (Pause for mental comprehension)-- HE'S HOLDING A SPARKLY RING!"
What else do I remember from that night? For one, trying to convince my parents to try escargot (they declined), trying to eat said escargot with shaky hands, and the wonderful, decadently delicious Portobello Wellington that I attempted to eat while recovering from shock.
We've been back to that little French bistro several times since that night; however, it's one of those wonderful places where the chef changes the menu seasonally. Do you see my problem? "Changes The Menu!"
The seasonal menu changes mean that, while I've always left ecstatically food happy, I've never seen my beloved Portobello Wellington again. The solution to the Case of the Missing Mushroom? Cook it myself!
Making Mushroom Wellington
Mushroom Wellington is the vegetarian cousin of the much meatier, and beefier, (hence the name!) Beef Wellington. This vegetarian version is simple to prepare, ready in 30 minutes, and is bursting with flavor.
The large mushroom caps are lightly roasted, along with some julienned red bell pepper slices. While the veggies are roasting, cut some puff pastry into squares.
Next, set one mushroom cap, rounded side down, onto the pastry. Brush the inside of the pastry with an egg white to help it from getting soggy while cooking.
Next, fill the cap with the peppers and goat cheese.
Quick Tip: Don't like goat cheese? You can use cream cheese or mascarpone instead!
Pull the pastry up around the mushrooms. Fold the pastry around the stuffed mushroom. Seal the pastry by adding a drop of water to the top fold, and smooth it down with your finger. Brush the top with more egg white. Bake until the pastry top is golden, or about 15 minutes.
Enjoy this fanciful dinner of mushroomy deliciousness for a special occasion, or just because you want to devour something amazing.
Want more DATE NIGHT recipe ideas? Try these:
Want more MUSHROOMS? Try these:
- Cream of Mushroom Soup with Asparagus
- Black Rice Recipe: Forbidden Rice with Mushrooms
- Lemon Spinach Pasta with Mushrooms
Mushroom Wellington
Ingredients
- ½ sheet puff pastry (more or less depending on the size of the mushrooms)
- 2 portobello mushroom heads
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch salt, pepper
- ½ red bell pepper, julienned
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- 1 egg white
- Optional garnish: Diced green onion or fresh torn basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Scrape gills from interior of mushrooms. Drizzle mushrooms and peppers with oil, and add salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Increase oven heat to 400ºF.
- Cut pastry into 2 equal square parts, large enough to wrap around a mushroom head. If squares are too small, roll pastry out to make it thinner.
- Brush the top of each pastry square with egg white.
- Set one mushroom cap in the center of each square, and fill each mushroom cap with half of the pepper and goat cheese.
- Pull pastry corners together to cover the mushrooms and fold the edges together. Add a drop of water to the top pastry fold, and smooth the top piece down with your finger to seal the pastry.Alternatively, twist the pastry ends together on top into a knot.
- Brush the pastry with egg white, and then bake about 15 minutes, until the pastry top is golden brown.
- Add green onion or fresh basil as a garnish if desired. Serve immediately.
Megan @ Meg is Well says
That's such a sweet proposal story! I love portobellos and I think this looks much more appetizing then beef wellington.
champagne-tastes says
Aw Thanks! 🙂 portobellos make everything better right!?!
Kate @ Babaganosh.org says
How clever!! I love this idea for dinner and for little baby portobello appetizers for dinner parties! I love how 'meaty' portobello mushrooms are, so it just makes sense to make this recipe.
Also, love your recap of the proposal - isn't it an amazing feeling of going from confusion to understanding what is happening with the sparkly ring? 🙂 This brought back awesome memories of our engagement, thank you for the smile!!
champagne-tastes says
Oh baby portobello appetizers is a fantastic idea!!! Aww thanks 😉 haha yes- sparkly ring for the win!
Liz @ Ready to Yumble says
Love the story behind this! What a good boyfriend, knowing exactly what would make you smile - food! ...I mean a sparkly ring. ? Also this looks fantastic. I LOVE mushrooms and don't have nearly enough mushroom recipes. Pinning!
champagne-tastes says
I'll take food AND a ring hahaha 😉 thanks! Enjoy!
Suchi @elegantmeraki says
Love this little story!!! I always want to try wellingtons but never did because of beef. This is such a great idea for me. Goat cheese sounds like a great addition.
champagne-tastes says
Aw thanks 🙂 and yay! Try the veggie version! It's so delicious
Platter Talk says
Great idea using a portobello in a wellington wrap! The red pepper and goat cheese really make this a savory delight!
champagne-tastes says
Aw thanks!
champagne-tastes says
A pepper and cream sauce sounds amazing Barbara!!! I'll have to try that next time I make it!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
That's such a sweet story!!! I love mushrooms AND I love puff pastry (maybe a little too much, lol), I've never thought of doing a wellington version like this before, but definitely have to try it! I have, like, 3 boxes of puff pastry home in my freezer so this would be the perfect use for some of it. Pinned 🙂
champagne-tastes says
I love puff pastry a little too much too Dawn! LOL. It's soooo goooooood!
michele says
aww, what a great memory and how wonderful you can go back to the restaurant often! Im a big beef eater and LOVE beef Wellington, but Im also a HUGE mushroom lover and this will be perfect for out new dietary plans of eating less red meat and more fish and veggies! What a brilliant idea! Pinned this! 🙂
Marlee says
I have to admit, I've never had a Wellington before. Not only is this a great vegetarian option but it's also a fantastic budget-friendly option to enjoy! Great job Sarah!
Emily says
What a sweet story Sarah, I've never tried a veggie wellington before but what a great idea to use portobello mushrooms like that, I'll need to try this soon!