Made with mushrooms, lentils and savoury herbs and spices, these irresistible vegetarian sausage rolls are flaky and flavoursome – a sure crowd pleaser among vegetarians and meat-eaters alike! Encased in golden puff pastry (or try my healthier alternative below), these delicious bite sized parcels make an ideal dinner, lunchbox filler or party food. And they are freezer friendly too – perfect for easy meal prepping!
Who doesn’t love a good sausage roll?! With a buttery, flaky casing and a flavour-packed, savoury filling, it’s no surprise that they are an absolute crowd pleaser for any age or occasion.
Whether you opt for the traditional meat filled versions, or this tasty vegetarian option, serving sausage rolls is guaranteed to result in both empty plates and happy, satisfied tummies! And this vegetarian version promises to have even the staunchest meat eaters coming back for more.
While meat is often the star with sausage rolls, today I want to share a delicious, tried and tested vegetarian alternative that has a delicious filling to rival any meat-filled favourites.
If you are looking for healthy veggie sausage rolls that substitute meat but don’t compromise on flavour, then this recipe is for you! With a “meaty” filling packed full of mushrooms, spinach and lentils, they are wholesome, healthy, flavour-packed and extremely addictive!
Try them for a great sandwich substitute in lunchboxes, a quick snack or to make ahead and re-heat for easy dinners on busy weeknights. And of course you can prep them ahead and serve them at your next party or special event!
Want to make your own easy, homemade sausage rolls from scratch? Let’s get started!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Dietary restriction friendly – this recipe is vegetarian and nut free, with healthy ingredients and low-fat options.
Quick and easy – with a quick filling and easy fold method, you can be eating these sausage rolls in less than 35 minutes. Or read further to learn how to prep ahead and save even more time!
Freezer friendly – make a double batch and store them in the freezer for convenient snacks and dinners in no time.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes
Puff pastry – homemade or store-bought works fine here! In Australia, puff pastry comes frozen, in square sheets that are usually around 25 x 25 cm (10 x 10 “). Cut them in half before adding the filling. Alternatively, you can swap puff pastry for sheets of Mountain Bread for a healthier and lower fat alternative that is still crispy and tastes amazing!
Mountain bread – is a thin, soft textured Australian flatbread that makes a healthy, low-carb and high fibre puff pastry alternative for sausage rolls. They are also much lower in fat than puff pastry and become completely crispy and delicious when cooked following the same method as pastry. Mountain bread can be found in most Aussie supermarkets. For other areas, you could try using other types of thin flat bread.
Breadcrumbs – to provide structure to the filling and provide moisture. Regular, fine breadcrumbs from the supermarket or homemade breadcrumbs can be used.
Cheese – vegetarian cheese, of course. I used tasty cheese, plus a little pecorino cheese for its salty, and robust notes that add further depth of flavour to the filling.
Step by step instructions
There is nothing complicated about this recipe! First, simply cook off the mushrooms, garlic and onion. Then, mix the filling (either with your hands or a large spoon).
Then, divide the filling onto the puff pastry (or mountain bread) portions. Roll, seal with a little egg or water along the seam, sprinkle with some sesame or poppy seeds and bake as per the recipe below.
Use mountain bread… Or puff pastry.
And then do your best to not taste test one, two, three…! No need to do anything more! Except serve hot and make sure there is plenty of tomato sauce or chutney for dunking, of course!
Handy tips
- Storage – keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze them either baked or unbaked. Place them in an airtight container with single sheets of baking paper between layers. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature and heat in the oven at 180 C.
- For a healthier option, try using mountain bread instead of puff pastry. See the ingredient notes above.
- Need gluten free sausage rolls? You can replace the puff pastry for a gluten free version and use gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Don’t add too much filling to the pastry, as they will be difficult to seal securely. Be sure to seal the edges with a little egg wash and pinch the seams together. Place the sausage rolls with the join/seam side facing down onto the tray. This will stop the rolls from splitting open while baking.
- Vegetable sausage rolls can also be cooked in an air fryer. Simply place them into the air fryer basket at 180 C. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry/mountain bread is golden and crispy.
- This recipe can be easily multiplied and made in bulk to save time on dinners or for entertaining.
Related recipes
If you love this recipe, you might also like to try these easy dinner and entertaining ideas;
- healthy pork sausage rolls
- air fryer pizza pockets (vegetarian options)
- veggie packed nuggets
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know if you prefer them with puff pastry or mountain bread! Leave a comment below and let me know how you went, or send me a message. For more lunchbox inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Group; Healthy Lunchboxes Australia.
Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
For the filling
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 brown onion diced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or dried
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper I use ½ tsp salt and some cracked pepper
- 2 cups finely diced mushrooms regular, field or button mushrooms
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves roughly chopped
- 1 cup canned lentils approx 400 gram can
- 1 ½ cups tasty cheese freshly grated
- ½ cup pecorino cheese freshly grated
- 1 egg
For rolling
- 3 sheets puff pastry or 5 sheets of mountain bread
- extra egg, for brushing
- ¼ cup sesame seeds or poppy seeds
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C (356 F) and line two oven trays with baking paper.
- Place the garlic, onion, thyme and olive oil into a medium frying pan with the salt and pepper and fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and stir over medium-high heat until tender.
- Place the mushrooms into a large mixing bowl with the other filling ingredients. Using your hands or a large spoon, mix the ingredients together until completely combined.
For puff pastry casing
- Place the thawed puff pastry squares on a board and slice each sheet in half, through the middle.
- Place the filling evenly onto each pastry portion, using your hands to mould a sausage shape length-ways along the middle. (see images above).
- Using a little egg wash or water, brush one long edge of the pastry and then roll the long edge of the pastry over the filling, sealing the seams by gently pressing them together.
- Brush the top of each roll and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into 4-5 portions and place them onto the prepared baking trays and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and flaky.
- Serve while hot with some tomato sauce or homemade chutney. Enjoy!
For mountain bread casing
- Place the mountain bread or flat bread sheets on a clean bench. Divide the filling into five even portions. Place the filling onto each flatbread, using your hands to mould a sausage shape length-ways along the middle. (see images above).
- Roll the long edge of the flatbread over the filling, continuing to roll until you reach the end. Seal the edges shut with a little egg wash or water.
- Brush the top of each roll and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into 4-5 portions and place them onto the prepared baking trays and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the mountain bread is crispy and lightly golden.
- Serve while hot with some tomato sauce or homemade chutney. Enjoy!
Notes
- Puff pastry – homemade or store-bought works fine here! In Australia, puff pastry comes frozen, in square sheets that are usually around 25 x 25 cm (10 x 10 “). Cut them in half before adding the filling. Alternatively, you can swap puff pastry for sheets of Mountain Bread (see notes below) for a healthier alternative that is still crispy and tastes amazing!
- Storage – keep the sausage rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them either baked and cooled, or unbaked. Place them in an airtight container with single sheets of baking paper between layers.
- For a healthier option, try using mountain bread instead of puff pastry. Mountain bread is a thin, soft textured Australian flatbread that makes a healthy, low carb and high fibre puff pastry alternative for sausage rolls. They are also much lower in fat than puff pastry and become completely crispy and delicious when cooked following the same method as pastry. Mountain bread can be found in most Aussie supermarkets. For other areas, you could try using other types of thin flat bread.
- For gluten free sausage rolls, you can replace the puff pastry for a gluten free version and use gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Don’t add too much filling to the pastry, as they will be difficult to seal securely. Be sure to seal the edges with a little egg wash and pinch the seams together. Place the sausage rolls with the join/seam side facing down onto the tray, to prevent the rolls from splitting open while baking.
- These sausage rolls can also be cooked in an air fryer. Simply place them into the air fryer basket at 180 C and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry/mountain bread is golden and crispy.
Rachel says
Looks awesome, but what the heck is tasty cheese? All cheese is tasty to me, help! Lol
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Rachel! Haha, no problem! “Tasty cheese” in Australia is just an aged cheddar (not the orange kind). I’d recommend any type of hard cheddar for this recipe, one with a nice strong flavour. I hope that helps! Andrea.