A vegetarian sausage roll made with almonds and walnuts that tastes just like meat. It takes just 30 minutes to make an appetizer that will impress the guests.
Cover almonds with water and soak for 6 hours in cold water, or overnight. Discard the soaking water and rinse with cold water. If you like, at this stage you can remove some (or all) of the almond skins by pinching each almond between your fingers. See the post for more details on why you should, or should not, remove the skins.
Transfer 1 package of puff pastry from the freezer to the refrigerator to defrost. This will take at least 2 hours, but you can do it as early as the day before.
Method for the almond feta cheese
Blend the prepared almonds with the rest of the ingredients for the almond feta cheese in a food processor until smooth. Leave it in the food processor and proceed to the next step.
Make the sausage roll filling
Mix flax meal and warm water in a small bowl and let it rest for about 15 minutes while you gather the rest of the ingredients. (Use a regular egg if you prefer.)
Add onions, parsley, walnuts, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to the food processor, and process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the container and process briefly again.
Add nutritional yeast flakes, black pepper, cumin powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, and process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the container and process briefly again.
Add rolled oats, breadcrumbs, and prepared flax meal-water mixture (or egg), and process until well combined.
Transfer the sausage roll filling to a bowl. Taste, and adjust for salt, or for any other flavor you want to taste more, such as smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, or lemon juice. Mix well if you choose to add something.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken up and become easier to handle. The filling should be firm enough to hold its shape when rolled inside the puff pastry. If it is too soft, add more breadcrumbs.
Make the sausage rolls
Preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the puff pastry is fully defrosted, but still at refrigerator temperature. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it ready. Plan to work quickly with the puff pastry, because once it gets warm it is impossible to work with.
There are two pieces of pastry in a package, and each piece of pastry will make two rolls, so you are making a total of four rolls. Remove the first piece of puff pastry from the refrigerator. Carefully open up the pastry and cut down the middle of the long edge so you have two pieces. Spread a quarter of the mixture along the long edge of the first piece, and then the next, about an inch in from the edge. Brush the opposite long edges with plant-based milk.
Starting with the first piece, start rolling the pastry over the filling and continue to roll away from you. Seal the seam with the milk. Roll back and forth gently to shape it into a cylinder. Transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet and place seal-side down. Repeat this step with the second piece.
Carefully brush the tops of the rolls with plant-based milk, and sprinkle a few black sesame seeds on top.
Repeat steps 2 and 4 with the second pastry sheet. When you are finished, you will have four sausage rolls.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the tops and sides.
Serve with honey-mustard sauce on the side for dipping. To make a quick honey-mustard sauce, mix a ¼-cup dijon mustard with 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons of a vegan mayonnaise of your choice.
You can also freeze the rolls before baking, and cook them from frozen when needed. If you choose to freeze the rolls, be aware that thawed puff pastry is very delicate. You will want to freeze the rolls uncovered, or cover them very lightly with plastic wrap. Once the rolls are frozen, you can wrap them up tightly for long-term storage. The rolls will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Notes
When you soak the ground flax seeds in warm water, they become mucilaginous just like egg whites, so it is effectively an egg substitute. You could just use an egg. If you buy ground flax seeds store them in the fridge. Use them up in baking, smoothies, cereals, and savory toppings. Nutritional yeast is used by vegans as a substitute for parmesan cheese. This ingredient is optional if you don’t have it. The smoked paprika really adds to the meaty taste, but if you don’t have it, leave it out, or substitute with liquid smoke or more cumin.Use soy-free soy sauce if eliminating soy is important to you.Worcestershire sauce is an umami-rich fermented condiment typically made with anchovies, molasses, tamarind, onions, garlic, and more. If you are following a strict diet, typical Worcestershire sauce will not work because it contains anchovies. But I have found a vegetarian version that is really off-the-charts amazing. It is made by Annies Homegrown. It’s organic and vegan, and worth the investment. I recommend buying a puff pastry made with butter over refined and hydrogenated oils. Vegan brands are also widely available. Black sesame seeds are known as kalonji in India. You can easily substitute with regular sesame seeds for your garnish.If you are avoiding gluten, substitute the breadcrumbs for rice flour or millet flour.This recipe is inspired by Nikki at Eating Vibrantly. Thank you Nikki.