This vegetable strudel is filled with roasted fall veggies, hearty lentils, creamy goat cheese and pecan pesto - all wrapped up in a golden-brown phyllo crust. Better watch out, turkey. This meatless main dish is set to steal the show!
Photos by Rikki Snyder
If you're here planning your holiday menu, don't miss our new Vegan Christmas and Vegan Thanksgiving cookbooks. They're packed with all my favorite holiday-worthy recipes for a plant-based feast.
Being the lone vegetarian in a family of carnivores on Thanksgiving can be, well, hard. Everyone tries to make it seem like it's not a big deal and reminds you that you can at least eat the side dishes!
Until, that is, it comes to light that the mashed potatoes contain chicken broth, the green bean casserole is made with pancetta, and the stuffing is dotted with bacon.
"But it's really not that much bacon," your cousin offers as reassurance.
At least we'll always have cranberry sauce.
This year, let's take matters into our own hands and make a totally vegetarian Thanksgiving feast with all kinds of plant-based delicious.
A Vegetarian Main Dish for the Holidays!
The first task at hand is to decide what the main dish will be. Whenever I'm cooking for a room full of non-vegetarians, I try to avoid using any imitation meat products.
It sounds a bit counter-intuitive, but even though Tofurkey may taste meaty to those of us who haven't eaten animal protein in years, those who eat meat every day are definitely going to be able to taste the difference.
Instead, I like to make things that are naturally meat-free so that they will not be written off as a less-delicious version of something else, but rather appreciated in their own right.
In years past, I've dabbled in savory tarts, hearty salads and cheesy casseroles, but this year I've decided to learn how to strudel.
Strudels are Austrian pastries with layers of crust rolled up with a filling, usually sweet (think apple strudel), but occasionally savory. As much as I love eating dessert for dinner, I decided to go the savory route for our Thanksgiving main dish.
Between sweet, smoky roasted root veggies, earthy lentils, nutty pesto and creamy goat cheese, this vegetable strudel is filled with a mix of textures and flavors that all come together to taste like fall. And really, what more could you ask of your Thanksgiving dinner?
Even though it seems like there is a lot going on here, don't freak out! Most of the filling components can be made ahead of time, so on Turkey Day (Strudel Day), all you'll have to do is pull them from the fridge, roll them up in a phyllo crust and bake for 20 minutes.
Leaving you more time to focus on everything else that needs to spend time in the oven. And hopefully leaving you with a few free to minutes to stop and smell the strudel in the oven.
More Vegetarian Thanksgiving Ideas
And if you need more ideas for that holiday feast, check these out too:
- 45+ Vegetarian Main Dishes for Thanksgiving
- 3 Day Thanksgiving Game Plan
- A Complete Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu
- Thanksgiving Recipe Collection
P.S. Don't miss our complete Vegan Thanksgiving Cookbook, for the ultimate plant based feast!
Recipe
Ingredients
For the roasted vegetables:
- 1 pound butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- ½ pound carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ pound parsnips peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ pound turnips peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the lentils:
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 4 cups water
- Pinch salt
For the pecan pesto:
- ¾ cup pecans
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the strudel:
- 6 sheets phyllo dough
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 oz goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
Roast the vegetables:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, toss together the butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, turnips, olive oil, smoked paprika and salt. Spread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast, turning once or twice while cooking, until tender, 30-40 minutes.
Cook the lentils:
- In a large pot, combine the lentils, water, and a pinch of salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Make the pesto:
- Add the pecans, Parmesan cheese and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
Assemble the strudel:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Once all of the filling components are ready, remove the phyllo dough from its packaging and cover it with a damp cloth or paper towel. The phyllo dough dries out quickly, so it is important to keep it damp and work quickly. Place one sheet of phyllo on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil. Put another sheet of phyllo on top of it and brush with more oil. Repeat with remaining sheets.
- Spread the roasted vegetables over the phyllo, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the lentils, pesto and crumbled goat cheese over the top. Fold the short sides of the dough in towards the center until they meet the filling. Repeat with the long sides and then roll the entire strudel lengthwise into a long log shape. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I agree, Tofurkey, no thanks! But this, a savory strudel? I'll take it!
Joanne Bruno says
So glad we're on the same page with this!
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
I am putting this on my menu plan this week! I also feel as though it would be a good make-ahead item, I am assuming it would freeze well and you could bake from frozen.
Joanne Bruno says
I haven't tried freezing them, but definitely report back on how it turns out if you do!
Alissa says
Ahhh! Reading this post, I just relived every Thanksgiving since the age of thirteen! I'd be all about a meatless holiday - I doubt I could get my family to give up the Turkey, but I'll bet they'd all love this, at least as a second main course. 😉
Joanne Bruno says
I guess that's what Friendsgivings are for, right? At least, that is, if all your friends are vegetarian. 😛
Kammie | Sensual Appeal Blog says
Oh man, this looks so delicious - and comforting even! Nicely done 🙂
Joanne Bruno says
Thanks so much! It's definitely a Thanksgiving winner!
Millie | Add A Little says
This looks insane! Love the addition of pecans and would love to make this mini portion sized!
Joanne Bruno says
I think you could totally mini strudel this, or turn it into hand pies!
Baby June says
Ah that looks lovely! I'm a big fan of lentils AND roasted roots, so this sounds like the perfect combination! 🙂
Joanne Bruno says
The earthy flavors of the lentils paired with the sweet veggies definitely makes for a great combo!
Stephanie @ A Magpie in the Sky says
A savoury strudel - what a super idea! It looks beautiful, certainly not just for veggies or thanksgiving. I might have to make this for a midweek supper!
Joanne Bruno says
I totally ate it as a midweek supper and it was DELICIOUS. Perfect for any occasion, really!
Evi @ greenevi says
I love this! We don't celebrate Thanksgiving, so I'll save this recipe for Christmas time. Such a great idea!
Joanne Bruno says
I think it would be perfect for Christmas as well!
Taylor @ What Vegetarians Eat says
I'll be the only vegan at Thanksgiving and have been collecting ideas for dishes to make. I also agree about fake meats, which I rarely use except Soryizo - love that stuff. This sounds so great, I'll definitely be making it - a vegan version of course
Joanne Bruno says
Totally agreed - I LOVE Soyrizo, but all that other stuff is way too synthetic. I'd much rather eat real food!
susan g says
I love planning our vegetarian Thanksgivings, because the choices are splendid. This strudel goes right to the top of the list for this year! I'll make the pesto with pumpkin seeds for the nut-free, and the gluten-free will eat everything else (or have some unrolled portions?). Beautiful photos, excited about this recipe...
Joanne Bruno says
I'm so glad you're excited about it and you'll have to report back on how you like it! I think the filling would do great on it's own without the phyllo if you wanted to set some aside for the GF!
Kari@Loaves n Dishes says
This vegetarian has never eaten tofurkey, I rank it up there with vegan cheese...bleck! I adore lentils though, and I'm loving this tasty strudel! Perfect for the Thanksgiving table!
Joanne Bruno says
Down with Tofurkey! I totally agree. I'd much rather eat real food!
Ann says
I ended up making some changes to this the second time I made it since the first time was a little overpowering to my family. We actually just made it without the dough and served it like a casserole instead. The changes we made were to replace the parsnips with sweet potato (turns out we don't like parsnips) and replaced the goat cheese with tomato basil feta crumbles (goat cheese was way too strong for us). So the second time we made this, it was much improved for our tastes and we are planning to make it that way again for Thanksgiving. I plan to roast the veggies at home and put it all in the casserole dish and then when we get to my parents house for dinner, we'll put the dish in the oven to meld the flavors together and heat it for dinner.
Kim says
This looks great! Can I roll it in the dough ahead of time so all i have to do is pop it in the oven when it comes time?
Joanne Bruno says
Hi Kim! Fillo dough can be a bit tricky and if it dries out in the fridge before it bakes it might start to break and crack and just be generally less pliable. The rolling itself was pretty quick, so I would recommend having the filling totally prepared ahead of time and then just rolling it right before you bake it.