Recently, my husband and I traveled to Bisbee, Arizona, for a weekend get-a-way. Although Bisbee is a small town in Arizona, this quaint little town offers many vegan options. The owner of the place we rented strongly recommended Cafe Roka, an elegant restaurant on Main Street in the middle of town. Of course, we made reservations in advance, and I ordered vegetable strudel, the vegan option on the menu.
Despite my concerns about finding anything vegan on the menu, I ate one of the best vegan meals of my life! In fact, to my surprise, Cafe Roka offers a vegan option as their nightly special.
Not only did Cafe Roka offer a vegan option, but they also served vegan soup, salad, and sorbet between courses!
After raving about my Cafe Roka experience, I attempted my vegetable strudel at home. And, I must say, as a novice, I think I came pretty close to mastering the fabulous meal at Cafe Roka.
WHAT VEGETABLES ARE IN VEGETABLE STRUDEL?
Since grocery shopping is a bit challenging these days, planning a meal reminds me of a bad episode of Chopped. These days, instead of choosing what vegetables I plan to put in my recipes, it all depends on the available vegetables on the shelves.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Asparagus
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Kale
To avoid overcooking the vegetables, cook the vegetables in stages. It is also important to remember you will technically be cooking the vegetables twice, once sauteed in a pan and then a second time when the vegetable strudel is baked.
First, saute the mushrooms and onions. Then, add the cauliflower, broccoli, and asparagus. To avoid overcooking, make sure to saute all the vegetables for no more than 15 minutes, from start to finish, ending with the kale.
For instance, use vegetable broth instead of cooking with oil; if you don't have vegetable broth, water also works well.
Once cooked al dente, remove the vegetables from the heat, and make the vegan gravy.
HOW TO MAKE A TASTY VEGAN GRAVY FOR VEGETABLE STRUDEL
MAKING THE GRAVY:
- Baby Bellas or Mushrooms of Choice
- Yellow onion
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Vegetable Broth
- Organic Tomato Paste
- Paprika
- Sea Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Dry White Wine (optional)
And, of course, the secret ingredient for the gravy is the cashew cream (or substitute white beans for a nut-free option)
- Raw Cashews (or white beans)
- Organic Vegetable Broth
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic
As soon as the sauce thickens, add ½ cup of the gravy to the sauteed vegetables and set aside.
Then, it's time to prepare your vegan pasty dough. As many of you know, finding a store-bought oil-free dough is difficult. I use the same oil-free dough for my Oil-Free Pizza Sauce and Pizza Dough, Pizza Pinwheels, and Vegan Mushroom Wellington.
Vegan frozen puff pasty is an easy shortcut for not following an oil-free plant-based plan.
When it is time to serve the strudel, place the rest of the vegan gravy in a small pan to reheat to use on top of the strudel and mashed potatoes if you choose to serve the strudel with mashed potatoes.
How to make the oil-free dough
- Warm water
- Dry active yeast
- Vegan raw sugar
- Whole wheat flour
- Vital wheat gluten (optional)
- Flaxseed meal
- Maple syrup or date syrup
Once the dough was chilled, I rolled it out on a floured surface. Next, I added the cooled vegetables mixed with gravy to the center of the rolled-out dough.
Filling and baking vegan vegetable strudel
Next is to fold the top and bottom vertically before folding the two sides over, sealing the loaf. Then, gently flip the loaf over, seal it down.
With the additional reserved dough, use a small cookie cutter to cut small shapes on top of the vegetable strudel. It is also essential to make sure you make several slits with a knife down the loaf so it can vent while cooking.
- Preheat an oven to 400 degrees
- Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until dough is browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting.
What to serve with vegan vegetable strudel
Furthermore, allowing the strudel to set up for about 10 minutes allows for easier cutting and serving. Since I LOVE Vegan Mashed Potatoes, I served my vegetable strudel with mashed potatoes and gravy.
I also have another mashed potato recipe made with butter beans instead of miso for those who avoid soy products. Regardless of what mashed potato recipe you like, mashed potatoes taste great with vegetable strudel.
LOOKING FOR GREAT RECIPES TO PLEASE THE WHOLE FAMILY?
- Vegan Lentil Meatballs Oil-Free
- Vegan Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Vegan Meatloaf
- Veggie Stuffed Shells
- Vegan Hungarian Goulash
- Vegan Lasagna
- Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Creamy Spicy Vegan Sausage Pasta
- Oil-Free Vegan 20 Minute One-Pot Wonder Pasta
- Vegan Enchiladas
- Mexican Lasagna
📖 Recipe
Vegetable Strudel
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 6 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 crown broccoli cut into bite-sized florets
- ½ head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 bunch asparagus chopped
- 1 bunch kale stem removed, and chopped
Vegan Gravy
- 8 ounces mushrooms diced small
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 minced shallots
- 3 cups organic vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons organic tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ⅓ cup dry white wine optional
Cashew Cream for Vegan Gravy
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup organic vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
Additional Ingredients
- 1 recipe vegan pastry dough
- Parsley garnish
- [Mashed potatoes and gravy optional]
Instructions
Oil-Free Dough
- Prepare one recipe of oil-free dough.
- Place in the refrigerator to cool before rolling.
- Prepare a clean flat surface and sprinkle with whole wheat flour.
- Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat, in a long oval as shown in the post.
- Set aside.
VEGETABLES
- Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms, until translucent
- Use vegetable broth to prevent the vegetable from sticking.
- Add broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus.
- Saute for 5 minutes
- Add kale last and cook until wilted.
- Remove vegetables from heat.
- In the meantime, prepare the gravy.
MUSHROOM GRAVY
- Prepare the cashew cream for the gravy first.
- In a cup-sized blender, combine cashews, ½ cup vegetable broth, 1 garlic clove, and lemon juice.
- Blend until smooth.
- Set aside.
- Prepare the mushroom gravy.
- In a large non-stick skillet, on medium heat, sauté onions, garlic, and shallots until translucent.
- Add diced Mushrooms.
- Cook until brown and all liquid from the mushrooms has dissipated.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of vegetable broth.
- Stir.
- Add salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Add tomato paste and stir until it blends with the rest of the liquids in the pan.
- Add cashew cream. MAKE SURE YOU GET IT ALL. SCRAPE DOWN THE SIDES.
- Add white wine.
- Stir.
- The mixture will thicken as you stir. Be patient.
- Remove from heat and add 1 cup of gravy to the cooked vegetables.
PREPARE THE VEGETABLE STRUDEL
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Cut 1 inch lengthwise away from the dough to use for decorative cut-outs; set aside.
- Lay one sheet of vegan pastry dough on a flat floured surface like a countertop
- Using a rolling pin, roll until even and about twice the size as the original dough.
- Place the vegetables mixed with ½ cup gravy in the middle, lengthwise on the rolled-out dough.
- Fold both vertical ends, and then fold one side over the other side horizontally, sealing the vegetables inside the dough.
- Place a silicone mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Gently flip the vegetable strudel seam side down onto the lined baking sheet.
- Using a cookie cutter, use the 1 inch of dough to cut out shapes using a small cookie cutter ( I used a heart shape)
- Vent the strudel using a knife and make slits down the strudel so the strudel can breathe while cooking
- Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove the strudel from the oven and allow it to cool.
- Serve with masked potatoes, a salad, or your favorite side.
- I drizzled with additional gravy and made mashed potatoes and gravy.
Notes
IDEAS FOR HOLIDAYS
Choose a mini cookie cutter for specific holidays like a stars, Christmas trees, hearts, Easter Eggs, etc.Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Theresa Hellligar
Just have a question on the gravy. Recipe says to mix 1 cup of gravy with vegetables but then it says place the vegetables mixed with 1/2 cup gravy in center of dough. Was just checking on amount and if I need to add an additional 1/2 cup? Thanks.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Theresa, mix the vegetables with 1/2 cup of the gravy and put it in the middle of the dough. You can add more if you want. Instead, I use the remaining gravy for the potatoes and pour some gravy over the top of the strudel when it's served. I hope this helps. Thank you for the question. I apologize for the confusion.
Dawn
I’d like to make this ahead of time so I’m not fussing with it last minute on Thanksgiving. Any suggestions on how to make it ahead of time?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Dawn, yes, you can make it ahead of time. What I do is make the vegetable filling and the dough ahead of time. Then, on the day of Thanksgiving, I roll the dough out, cut whatever pretty shapes I want, and cover it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on a silicone baking mat. Then, an hour or so before you cook it, add the filling and fold. Then, you can either put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it or cook it immediately. I hope this helps.
Mary Sennett
This looks amazing. Do you think store bought vegan puff pastry would work?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Mary, yes, it works very well and is much easier than making your own dough, but it contains oil. Let me know if you enjoy the strudel.
Mary Bradford
My Carnivore husband really liked this, and went back for seconds. Very good savory flavor, Yum! I think I will just mash the potatoes for the top next time just to make it more simple, but this was very pretty too! Thanks Kathy, really love your creations!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Mary, I'm so glad you liked the vegetable strudel. Whenever my husband or kids go back for seconds, it's a win! Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it.
Mary Bradford
Hi Kathy! Can you share the brand of store bought oil free vegan pastry dough? I don't think my Sprouts carries it, but I will see if I can find it elsewhere in my area!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Mary, I make my own dough recipe a lot, which is on the post. I bought mine at Sprouts or I order from Thrive Market. Sprouts sometimes carry the oil-free version, but it's never a guarantee.
Peggy Smargiassi
This was absolutely amazing and so tasty.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Peggy, I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know. I really appreciate the feedback.
Claudette
I made this last night and it tasted great! My problem, though, was with the dough. I used "pie crust" dough and tried to roll it out, as the picture above shows, but there were SO many vegetables, that it just wouldn't work! I ended up making it like a two crust pot pie and it turned our just fine. What was I doing wrong that one sheet of dough wouldn't work?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Claudette, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. I have used my no-oil pizza crust as well as Pepperidge Farms Pie Crusts. Maybe it depends on the size/brand of the pastry dough? I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully, you can use the leftover veggies for a pot pie.
Anonymous
Denise Stark
Great vegan meal. Thanks vegetable strudel.
Kathy Carmichael
Denise, I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for reaching out and providing feedback. I really appreciate it.