Name: Vegan Picadillo Wellington and White Pepper Gravy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6-8
Cuisine: Puerto Rican-English
Ingredients: Vegan Picadillo:; 1 sweet yellow plantain, diced into cubes; Frying oil; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 large yellow onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; ¼ cup sofrito; 13oz plant-based ground beef; ½ cup vegetable stock (or water with 1 stock cube); 1 ½ tsp sazón; 1-2 recao/culantro leaves, minced; 2 tsp oregano; Salt & pepper, to taste; Optional: 5 pimiento-stuffed green olives, cut in fourths; Wellington:; 1 sheet vegan puff pastry, thawed if frozen (about 10x13); Non-dairy unsweetened milk or melted vegan butter to brush on top of the Wellington; White Pepper Gravy:; Olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cups non-dairy unsweetened milk; 1 cube vegan bouillon, or about 1 ½ tbsp of veggie better than bouillon paste (enough bouillon for 2 cups liquid); 1-2 rosemary sprigs; 1-2 thyme sprigs; Black pepper to taste, you can do as much or as little as you like; 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Vegan Picadillo Wellington: A Plant-Powered Puerto Rican Fusion for Your Holiday Feast!

Vegan | Soy-free

This holiday season, elevate your Thanksgiving or festive gathering with a culinary masterpiece that marries the rich tradition of Puerto Rican cuisine with the goodness of plant-based ingredients. This year’s show-stopping recipe is the Vegan Picadillo Wellington, a deliciously unique spin on the classic Wellington, featuring a stuffing of vegan ground beef and fried sweet plantains. Get ready to impress your guests with a dish that satisfies the taste buds and embodies the spirit of togetherness.

The making of: Vegan Picadillo Wellington and White Pepper Gravy

This Vegan Picadillo Wellington is a celebration of diverse flavors, proving that plant-based options can be just as satisfying and flavorful while staying true to your culture.

To make this, you will need 3 main ingredients: vegan-friendly puff pastry, vegan ground beef, and sweet plantain. First, you’ll cook the sweet plantains; you can either fry them or bake them, but I rather have them fried. Then prepare the picadillo by cooking the vegan ground beef along with bell peppers, onions, and garlic, seasoned with sofrito, adobo, and achiote. Once the beef is ready, add the sweet plantain pieces; allow this mixture to cool down before moving to the next step. Now, this next step largely depends on the type of puff pastry that you get. If it comes folded, you just need to unfold it and slightly roll it out into a thin rectangle. If you get one that’s more compressed, you’ll need to roll it out more until it’s about ⅛ inch thick.

Once you have your puff pastry rolled out, it’s time to assemble. Place the vegan picadillo right in the center of the pastry sheet. Using your hands, shape the picadillo mixture into a solid long log leaving a few inches on each side. To close, pick up one side, wrap it over the picadillo, and repeat on the other side; gently press to close the side edge. Seal off the top and bottom edges by simply folding them underneath the log. If the pastry doesn’t seal easily, just lightly brush a little non-dairy milk in that area and seal.

To decorate, use a sharp knife to gently make diagonal slits across the whole top of the loaf about; here you can get as creative as you like. Then brush the top and sides with non-dairy milk or melted vegan butter; this will give the Wellington it’s classic glossy look. Now all you have to do is bake until golden brown. While the Wellington is baking, prepare the white gravy using non-dairy milk, vegan bouillon, garlic, herbs, black pepper, and cornstarch. Cook and stir until you reach the desired consistency.

When done, allow the Wellington to cool down for about 10-20 minutes before gently cutting with a sharp knife. Serve with the white gravy and ENJOY! Share this delightful creation with your loved ones during Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering!

Notes:

For gluten-free, you’ll need a gluten-free and vegan puff pastry. You can usually find one or the other, which is why I didn’t classify this recipe as gluten-free friendly.
Some brands of store-bought puff pastry are naturally vegan, but be sure to check the ingredients to confirm there is no lard or dairy butter.
Make ahead: Prepare the unbaked Wellington ahead of time and wrap it well with clingwrap, then place it in the refrigerator for up to a day.
For thicker gravy, add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch to the mix. For thinner gravy, subtract a tablespoon.
Gravy leftover: Keep the white pepper gravy in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or freeze it in a sealed freezer bag and store it for up to 3 months.
Leftover Wellington will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. If serving for a holiday, I recommend baking it right before serving for best results.

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Vegan Picadillo Wellington and White Pepper Gravy

Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Serves: 6-8 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

Vegan Picadillo:

1 sweet yellow plantain, diced into cubes

Frying oil

3 tbsp olive oil

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup sofrito

13oz plant-based ground beef

½ cup vegetable stock (or water with 1 stock cube)

1 ½ tsp sazón

1-2 recao/culantro leaves, minced

2 tsp oregano

Salt & pepper, to taste

Optional: 5 pimiento-stuffed green olives, cut in fourths

Wellington:

1 sheet vegan puff pastry, thawed if frozen (about 10x13)

Non-dairy unsweetened milk or melted vegan butter to brush on top of the Wellington

White Pepper Gravy:

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups non-dairy unsweetened milk

1 cube vegan bouillon, or about 1 ½ tbsp of veggie better than bouillon paste (enough bouillon for 2 cups liquid)

1-2 rosemary sprigs

1-2 thyme sprigs

Black pepper to taste, you can do as much or as little as you like

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Procedure

Vegan Picadillo Stuffing:

First, prepare the sweet plantains. Peel and cut one sweet plantain into small cubes. Then briefly fry them until golden brown. Remove plantains from oil, place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and set aside.

To a medium-sized pan, add olive oil, minced garlic, onions, peppers, and sofrito; cook over medium heat until soft and fragrant.

Next add the plant-based ground beef along with the vegetable stock, sazón, oregano, and recao/culantro. Break the plant-based ground beef apart with a spatula and mix well together. Lower heat and cook for 10 minutes covered.

Then add the fried sweet plantains, along with green olives (which are completely optional). Stir well and cook for another 10 minutes covered or until fully cooked. Adjust seasonings if needed.

When done, remove the picadillo from the heat and allow it to cool down completely before moving to the next step.

Assembling the Wellington:

Preheat the oven to the temperature stated in the puff pastry box.

On a lightly floured parchment paper, unfold and roll out the puff pastry until it’s about ⅛ inch thick rectangle.

Place the cooled-down vegan picadillo right in the center of the pastry sheet. Using your hands, shape the picadillo mixture into a solid long log leaving a few inches (about 3-4) on each side and 1 inch on the top and bottom respectively.

To close, pick up one side, wrap it over the picadillo, and repeat on the other side; gently press to close the side edge.

Seal off the top and bottom edges by simply folding them underneath the log. If the pastry doesn't seal easily, just lightly brush a little non-dairy milk in that area and seal.

To decorate, use a sharp knife to gently make diagonal slits across the whole top of the loaf about; here you can get as creative as you like with the designs, just make sure to not perforate the puff pastry.

Then brush the top and sides with non-dairy milk or melted vegan butter; this will give the Wellington its classic glossy look.

Now all you have to do is bake until golden brown following the puff pastry package instructions. While the Wellington is baking, prepare the white gravy.

White Pepper Gravy:

To a pan or pot, add a drizzle of olive oil, and minced garlic. Cook in low-med heat until garlic is soft, but not brown or burned.

Then add 1 ½ cup of the non-dairy milk, vegan bouillon, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, and quickly lower to a simmer. After about 8 minutes, remove the rosemary and thyme.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup of milk and cornstarch until smooth with no clumps.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture and whisk for about 1-2 minutes until thickened.

When ready, remove from heat, and serve on top of a Wellington piece. ENJOY!

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