Elevate your festive feast with this impressive root vegetable pithivier; a festive showstopper combining the natural sweetness of roasted butternut squash and red onion with the earthy richness of beetroot. Encased in a golden, vegan pastry, this dish is guaranteed to bring holiday joy to the table.
To make this vegan, use Jus-Rol puff pastry sheets, a vegan stock and 25g melted dairy-free to seal and glaze the pithivier. Perfect for both vegetarians and vegans this Christmas.
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Yields:
6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Cal/Serv:
700
Ingredients
700g
butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
500g
beetroot, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
1Tbsp.
ground coriander
4Tbsp.
olive oil
1
red onion, thinly sliced
2
garlic cloves, crushed
2tsp.
fresh thyme leaves
100g
baby spinach
400g
tinned lentils, drained and rinsed
150g
cashew nuts
150ml
vegan vegetable stock
1Tbsp.
nutritional yeast flakes
2
x 320g pack Ready Rolled Puff pastry (we used Jus-Rol)
25g
dairy-free spread, melted
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7 and line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash, beetroot and ground coriander with 3tbsp of the oil and plenty of seasoning. Transfer to the lined trays and roast in the oven for 30min.
Step 2Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1tbsp of oil in a medium pan over medium heat and fry the onion for 5min until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and fry for 1min, then add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted. Stir in the lentils and set pan aside.
Step 3Whizz the cashew nuts, stock and nutritional yeast in a high-speed blender until smooth, then stir into lentil mixture. Check seasoning and set aside to cool.
Step 4To assemble the pithivier, line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Unroll 1 sheet of pastry and cut out a 23cm circle. Transfer to the lined baking tray. Spoon 1⁄2 the cooled lentil mixture on to the pastry circle and spread to an even layer, leaving a 2cm border of pastry around the edge. Arrange the butternut squash on top of the lentil mixture in an even layer. Top with an even layer of beetroot, then gently spread the remaining lentil mixture over the beetroot. Brush the pastry border with some of the melted spread.
Step 5Unroll the second sheet of pastry and roll out further until it’s large enough to cover the filling. Lay over the filling and press firmly on the edges to seal. Trim excess pastry, leaving a 2cm border. Crimp edges and brush all over with melted spread. Chill for 30min.
Step 6Preheat oven to 220°C mark 7. With a small sharp knife, score curved lines from the centre of the top to the edges of the pastry. Cut a small steam hole in the centre. Cook for 30-35min until golden and puffed.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).