If you are looking for a delicious and easy vegetarian dish that can impress your guests, look no further than this leek, mushroom, and goat cheese strudel. This recipe combines the savory flavors of leeks, mushrooms, and goat cheese with the crispy and flaky texture of puff pastry. It is a perfect dish for brunch, lunch, or dinner, and can be served with a simple salad or some roasted vegetables.
Can I make this recipe vegan?
With a few substitutes, you absolutely can make this vegan. There are plant-based puff pastries available on the market, but if you can’t find one, you can easily use filo dough instead. You’d simply wrap the filling in several layers of filo without cutting the strips to create the braided effect.
There are also several plant-based goat cheese options as well, and you can sub out the butter with any oil of your choice and brush the dough with a plant-based milk in place of the egg wash before baking.
Can I freeze these?
Yes! These strudels freeze beautifully. Since store-bought puff pastry comes with 2 sheets per pack, I always make 2 at a time and freeze the second one for later.
To freeze, prepare it up until the point of baking it. Flash freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet for a few hours until frozen all the way through. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then seal in a freezer bag.
To bake, preheat the oven to 400° F and bake the frozen (no need to defrost here) strudel on a baking sheet for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown and heated all the way through.
Creating the braid
Creating the braided effect on this strudel may look complicated, but it’s really not. Begin by rolling your pastry out on a lightly floured surface. Then, cut diagonal strips about 1 in thick on each side of the pastry, leaving the middle 1/3 of the pastry intact and creating 2 small flaps on each end. Place filling in center 1/3 of the pastry, then fold each of the end flaps up over the filling. Begin folding the strips over the filing, alternating sides, to create a braid.
Of course, if you don’t want to do the braid, you can always just cut the dough in half, put the filling on the bottom half, lay the other half on top, and crimp the edges on the dough with a fork.
Mushroom, Leek, and Spinach Strudel
- 2 tablespoons of butter, divided
- 1 large or 2 small leeks
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 cups of chopped fresh spinach
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup of dry white wine
- 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 4 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare your leeks. Cut off the root end and the tough green top of the leek, then cut them in half lengthwise. Rinse the leek halves under cold running water, fanning out the layers with your fingers to wash away any dirt and sand. Dry them, then thinly slice them. You should have about 2 cups of sliced leeks.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tbsp butter and cook leeks with salt and pepper for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.
- Add garlic and spinach and cook for another 5 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Transfer the leek-spinach mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tbsp butter. Once it’s melted, add the mushrooms in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mushrooms to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and continue to cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender.
- Add wine and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until liquid is mostly evaporated.
- Add the cooked mushroom mixture to the bowl with the leek and spinach mixture and stir in the goat cheese. Set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry. Cut diagonal strips about 1 in thick on each side of the pastry, leaving the middle 1/3 of the pastry intact and creating 2 small flaps on each end. Place filling in center 1/3 of the pastry, then fold each of the end flaps up over the filling. Begin folding the strips over the filing, alternating sides, to create a braid.
9. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and puffed.
