This Salmon Wellington recipe features individually portioned puff pastry packets filled with spring greens, mushrooms, goat cheese, and salmon, along with an easy mustard sauce.
Do you ever watch baking competitions on T.V.?
I do-- I watch them intently, completely captivated as the contestants make their doughs-- even the labor-intensive ones like real puff pastry-- from scratch.
As I watch, I am filled with one thought:
I have no desire to spend hours making puff pastry.
Instead, this fancy-looking salmon wellington uses store-bought puff pastry and is actually fairly simple to prepare.
Want more puff pastry ideas? Try making seafood pot pie, cranberry baked Brie, Brie en croûte, apple crostata, quince tarts, and apple tartlets.
What is a Wellington?
A Wellington is a British dish that was traditionally made with beef, pâté, and mushrooms. Today, we're swapping out the meat with salmon, and adding a few spring greens.
If you want a vegetarian Wellington, try this Mushroom Wellington.
What Kind of Salmon Should I Use?
I used sockeye salmon, but for this recipe, you could use any type you like! This recipe is delicious with pink salmon, Coho salmon, and King salmon.
If you've got extra salmon, try making salmon almondine, pesto salmon, baked mustard salmon, sweet chili salmon, salmon Caesar salad, and teriyaki salmon.
Learn more: Wild Salmon vs. Farmed Salmon and Types of Salmon
How To Make a Salmon Wellington
There are really only a few steps to make a Salmon Wellington. If the recipe seems long-- don't be overwhelmed! Here are the basics.
Cook the mushrooms and spinach first. If you put them in raw, they'd have a little bit less flavor, and might put too much moisture into your Wellington.
I like to use an oven-safe pan for this step, so that I can bake the Wellingtons on it later. The pan in the photos is a Lodge enameled cast-iron skillet.
Cut the pastry for the Salmon Wellingtons.
The exact size for your pastry will depend on how large your salmon fillets are. A good rule is to add an inch to the length, and leave the pastry about 2 ½ times wider than the salmon.
Assemble the Salmon Wellingtons. Add the salmon, the veggies, and a little goat cheese.
Fold the pastry over, seal it, and cover it with an egg wash. Decorate it with cross hatching if you like.
Bake, and then let rest. Slide both of the Salmon Wellingtons into the oven, and leave them there until they're golden. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving.
Make the sauce. While the salmon bakes, stir together the easy yogurt sauce.
All that's left is to cut through the flaky layers of puff pastry, and enjoy!
Want more SALMON recipe ideas? Try these recipes:
Salmon Wellington
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (or baby portobello), sliced
- 1 ounce fresh spinach, kale, or arugula (~one large handful)
- 2 salmon fillets (~4oz each), skin removed
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (divided)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ sheet puff pastry (use more or less depending on the size of the salmon)
- 1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Optional: fresh herbs to garnish, such as diced green onion or freshly torn basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.When the oil begins to ripple, add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms brown. Add the spinach, and toss for about 30 seconds while the spinach wilts. Remove from heat.
- Season the salmon with the lemon zest and salt, and set aside.
- Lay the puff pastry out on parchment paper it was packaged in, and cut off about half of the pastry and paper.Note: This recipe was written for refrigerated puff pastry. If using frozen puff pastry, thaw before using, rolled out to ¼" thickness, and work on a floured surface instead of parchment paper.Cut the pastry into two pieces, each piece should be approximately 1" longer than each salmon fillet, and two and a half times as wide. If you accidentally cut the pastry into pieces that are too small, you gently pull on the edges to make the dough larger, or roll it out with a rolling pin.Set a salmon fillet on the side of one of the cut puff pastry pieces, leaving about ½" border. Repeat with the other salmon fillet and pastry.
- Top each salmon fillet with half of the mushroom and spinach mixture, and then top each stack with half of the goat cheese.Fold the ½" border of pastry up around the salmon, and brush with the beaten egg. Fold the rest of the puff pastry over, and seal the packet shut by gently pushing down on pastry where the two pieces meet. Optional: Use a butter knife to make shallow cross hatching marks across the top of the Wellington. Take care not to cut all the way through the puff pastry.Tip: If you accidentally cut all the way through the pastry dough while cross hatching, use your finger to add a few drops of water to the cut area of the dough. Rub the dough to seal it back up.
- Brush both Wellington packets with beaten egg.Line a baking dish (or baking sheet) with the parchment paper used previously (or brush dish with olive oil). Set the salmon packets onto the paper.Bake about 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden and crisp.
- While the Salmon Wellingtons bake, mix together the lemon juice, yogurt, and mustard. Taste, and add salt if desired. Refrigerate the sauce until you're ready to serve.Remove Wellingtons from the oven, and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve whole, or slice into thick slices with a very sharp knife. Serve with the yogurt sauce on the side or drizzled over the top.
Amanda says
I am so completely in love with the idea of puff pastry that I don't have to thaw! I almost never remember to take it out of the freezer in advance, and Iike you, I get creative in my last minute thawing tactics. I'm officially on the hunt for Wewalka in my area! Salmon Wellington is such a brilliant dinner idea, too. You have all of my favorite things in there with the salmon--mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese. What a beautiful and elegant dish to serve dinner guests, or for a special dinner at home for two.
champagne-tastes says
It really is the best! I despise thawing puff pastry LOL!! I hope you can find some!
Barbara says
I love the taste combination of salmon spinach and mushrooms WITH GOAT CHEESE... I would have never thought of that myself. Yum! Tried it last night and it was delicious (my husband agrees!) Puff Pastry Dinners are the best 😉
champagne-tastes says
I'm so glad you loved it Barbara! I'm a huge goat cheese fan! And yes- puff pastry makes everything even tastier!!
Gloria says
Ok....I LOVE working with puff pastry. I call it kitchen play-doh. I have beef wellington, now I need to make this. What a great dish to serve to dinner guests. The presentation is stunning, and I just know it would taste delicious too. You can never go wrong with a beautiful meal like this.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
I love puff pastry, but you're right, it's always frozen when I want to use it. I'm going to look for Wewalka at our grocery and stock up! It looks like it bakes into a beautiful glistening crust -- and by the way, your salmon wellington sounds absolutely phenomenal. Aside from a lovely package, the fresh vegetables and goat cheese make it a complete meal. Pour the wine and pass the platter!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Love that you don't have to thaw this cause ain't nobody got time for that 😉 Seriously, though, this looks ridiculously good! I love how versatile puff pastry is for both savoury and sweet applications.
Jennifer says
I love a good wellington, but never thought of salmon! That fresh pastry looks absolutely amazing! I love how you have a delicious salmon, with greens and then its coated with pastry. I can almost smell it over here. Thanks for sharing this.
champagne-tastes says
Thanks Jennifer! Everything is better with salmon 😉
Kathy McDaniel says
I love puff pastry but I always forget to thaw it out. This is such a great feature and will make my life easier. That pastry looks so flaky and delicious and salmon is my absolute favorite!!! Easy and perfect for company!
Melissa says
I love salmon, but don't have it often enough! I love the idea of changing out beef for salmon! And spinach, mushroom, and goat cheese are basically a perfect combo. I will be looking for this puff pastry immediately!
S Royston says
It only takes 40 or 45 min to thaw puff pastry. I just took it out and prepped everything & set the table and it was ready. Didn't have any goat cheese on hand but I did have a little wheel of brie. It was so easy and quite delicious. Served with a side of asparagus. It's a keeper...thanks!
Sarah Trenalone says
Ooo using Brie sounds delightful! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting us know!
Carmy says
I was literally just on youtube looking at "easy" beef wellington recipes! I think I'd much rather give this salmon one a try first since I've been trying to add more salmon into my diet. The step by step photos really help! Thanks for sharing!
Megan says
The combination of flavors with this salmon has my head spinning. they're perfection! I made beef wellington for the first time at Christmas and it was a labor of love but absolutely delicious. I can only imagine this is just as delicious and looks much simpler too! Love that it uses salmon.
Tina says
This is amazing, I didn't know there was such a thing. Your fresh puff pastry looks soft and it baked up so beautifully. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for it, I love cooking with puff pastry. I even made empanadas once with it and it turned out so fluffy. Your salmon wellington looks delicious with a modern twist. You make the best recipes! Thanks for sharing this.
Dana says
This is such a cool and fun idea! I never actually even had Beef Wellington back when I ate meat. But I'm totally game for trying this pescetarian spin!
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
These wellingtons look absolutely divine! I love using ready-made puff pastry as I too don't care for making my own!
Ann says
I made modifications based on what I had in the fridge, but it still turned out perfect. Thanks so much.
Alisha Trenalone says
Excellent! We love it when a recipe works with substitutions too.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes