Vegetarian Sausage Rolls

Photography by Simeon Crofts

DIETARY – Vegetarian, nut-free

Who doesn’t love a sausage roll? Crisp, buttery puff pastry with a rich, flavoursome filling. Delicious! Well, if you’re a vegetarian like me, you needn’t miss out. I have practised with many different flavour combinations to come up with a meat-free sausage roll mix that’s hearty and packed with the perfect balance of sweetness and comforting savoury flavours using two of my favourite herbs. Not only are these plant-based sausage rolls delicious, but they’re super easy to make too, and you can totally cheat like I did and use ready-made puff pastry sheets found at the supermarket.

I chose to cut my sausage rolls into party-size bites, but you can cut them any way you like. And you can top with sesame or poppy seeds for that added flavour and crunch. I’ve chosen to caramelise my onions first in sugar and balsamic for that beautiful sweetness that complements the more savoury notes we get from the herbs added later on. If you’re not a fan of rosemary or thyme, try sage or parsley instead. I chose a mixture of fresh and dried herbs as they release different hits of flavour. Often, you get more of a punch from dried herbs, and, in this case, I wanted the rosemary to be a little more subtle. Play around to find your favourite combinations! When it comes to plant-based mince, the choice is yours. I chose to use Beyond Burgers broken up as I love the flavour of these patties - they’re really rich and moreish. But you can use anything you like, from Quorn frozen mince to lentils if you wish.

I also tried out this recipe using gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and gluten-free puff pastry, and it worked really well. My only suggestion would be to add a pinch more salt as the gluten-free pastry wasn’t as buttery and therefore lacked salty flavour. You can also make this recipe vegan as the filling is naturally meat and dairy free. You just need to purchase vegan puff pastry instead and use soy milk to brush instead of egg wash.

For me, sausage rolls were always homemade for Christmas, but I think they make a delicious savoury snack at any time of year. They can be whipped up in an hour or two and last all week in an airtight container. Enjoy warm or cold finished with a dollop of ketchup. Happy baking!

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Vegetarian Sausage Rolls

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Makes: 20

Moreish savoury filling encased in crisp, buttery puff pastry - these meat-free sausage rolls are a vegetarian’s dream!

Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, peel and diced
• 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp smoked salt
• Good grind of black pepper
• 450g plant-based mince (I used 4 Beyond Burgers broken up)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 ready-rolled sheets puff pastry

To top:

• 1 egg, beaten
• Sesame seeds

Serve with:

• Tomato ketchup or chutney

Method

1. In a frying pan, heat the oil then add the diced onion and fry for a few minutes until golden.
2. Add the sugar and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Finally, add the diced garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Take the mix off the heat and spread on a plate to cool for 15 minutes.
6. While the onion mix is cooling, add the plant-based mince of your choice to a clean bowl and break up with your hands.
7. Add the thyme, panko breadcrumbs and cooled onion to the mince and mix well using your hands.
8. Beat an egg lightly in a bowl. This will be your egg wash for the pastry.
9. Line a tray with baking paper.
10. Lay out a rectangle of ready-rolled puff pastry horizontally (long edge closest to you). If you’re using a square of puff pastry, cut away about a third to make it rectangular in shape. You can use the off-cuts to make a couple of extra sausage rolls at the end or some cheese twists later on.
11. Take one third of the vegetarian mince and shape into a long log in the middle of the pastry.
12. Brush the side furthest away with egg wash, then roll up, sealing with the egg washed edge, seam-side down. Place on the lined tray.
13. Repeat until all the mince has been used up.
14. Refrigerate the sausage rolls for 30 minutes. This will make them easier to cut.
15. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
16. Cut the sausage rolls into approximately 20 even portions. Space them out on the tray and brush generously with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds to top.
17. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
18. Serve warm or cold with a side of ketchup or tomato chutney for dipping. The sausage rolls will keep in an airtight container for up to one week.

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