The best red lentil sausages rolls with the flavours of a good Indian dahl in flaky golden puff pastry and even better they are dairy-free and vegan.

Best Vegan Red Lentil Sausage Rolls made with Puff Pastry on a lined baking sheet.

Best Vegan Red Lentil Sausage Rolls with Puff Pastry

Name: Best Vegan Red Lentil Sausage Rolls with Puff Pastry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 sausage rolls
Cuisine: British, Gluten-free
Ingredients: 180g (1 cup) red lentils; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chilli powder; 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock (1 stock cube); 1 pinch salt and black pepper; 320g (11 oz) ready-rolled puff pastry; 2 teaspoons olive oil (other oil or milk), for brushing; 1/2 teaspoon seeds (sesame, poppy or nigela). optional

You know me, I love a bit of golden brown puff pastry and you can't beat a good homemade sausage roll.

When they're homemade the pastry is more flaky and the filling has more flavour.

These red lentil sausage rolls have all the flavour.

I wanted to try the warming Indian spices I add to my spinach and coconut dahl and it works so well.

The soft spiced lentil filling inside that crispy, golden flaky pastry.

Mmmmm!

Shrinkflation in puff pastry

Shrinkflation is real and it's definitely happened to shop-bought puff pastry.

It's smaller and dearer.

They sneakily changed the packaging so you wouldn't notice, but the pastry is much smaller.

I've updated my puff pastry recipes to reflect this change in size, as people were noticing they either didn't have enough pastry or they had too much filling.

Well, I've got you covered, I've made the filling in these gorgeous plant-based sausage rolls just the perfect amount for 320g roll of puff pastry.

If your pastry is bigger, that's fine too.

For more puff pastry inspiration check out 50 BEST Plant-Based Puff Pastry Recipes for Vegan.

Getting that golden finish on puff pastry

If you don't want your sausage rolls to be peely wally (pronounced like rally) as we say in Scotland, which means very pale, then you need to coat them before they go in the oven.

Traditional sausage rolls are brushed with an egg wash for that golden finish, but that's no good if you are vegan.

I like to brush the uncooked sausage rolls with olive oil, but you can brush them with another oil like rapeseed oil or even some plant-based milk.

They will all help with that golden finish.

Best Vegan Red Lentil Sausage Rolls with Puff Pastry.

What you need to make the best red lentil sausage rolls

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these delicious vegan sausage rolls.

Puff pastry
Red lentils
Ground coriander
Ground cumin
Ground ginger
Ground turmeric
Chilli powder (optional)
Vegetable stock
Salt & black pepper
Olive oil (or plant-based milk)
Seeds (optional)

The full printable recipe, with ingredients, method, notes and nutritional information is at the end of this page (there is a jump to recipe button further up).

Can you make these gluten-free?

Yes, you can definitely make these vegan lentil sausage rolls gluten-free.

Just choose gluten-free puff pastry when you are shopping for ingredients.

It's a lot better than it used to be and readily available in most grocery stores and supermarkets.

So homemade vegan and vegetarian sausage rolls are easy for anyone to make.

Would green or brown lentils work in this recipe?

No, this recipe is especially made with red lentils.

Green and brown lentils are very different as they hold their shape, whereas red lentil soften into a curry texture or if you use less stock a paste, which makes the perfectly unctuous filling.

If you want a good recipe for sausage rolls with green or brown lentils, try these slammin' spicy lentil sausage rolls, which everyone loves.

The lentils need time to cool

Once you have cooked the red lentils with the spices and stock, it must be left to cool.

As the mixture cools, it thickens which makes it much easier to handle when making the sausage rolls.

Also, cold puff pastry does not like a hot filling, it's a recipe for disaster!

So give yourself time when making these meat-free sausage rolls.

When the mix is cooked, spoon it into a bowl to cool, then move to the fridge to cool and thicken further.

Spiced Red Lentil Sausage Rolls on a platter.

Top those bad boys with seeds!

I always think adding some seeds to sausages rolls before baking them adds a certain little something.

As well as looking bonnie, seeds are full of nutritients.

Add a sprinkle of them after you have brushed the sausage rolls with your glaze before baking them.

Which seeds can you add to sausage rolls?

Bagel seasoning - I like to use this seasoning mix, it's a mixture of black and whitre sesame seeds, garlic, onion, salt & poppy seeds
Sesame seeds - a classic
Poppy seeds
Onion seeds
Nigella seeds
Chilli flakes - for a bit of heat

Make mini sausage rolls

I make my sausage rolls quite large, but you can make small, bite-sized sausage rolls if you like.

Just make them as I recommend, then cut them into smaller pieces.

Simples!

Easy Lentil Sausage Rolls on a small platter.

Serve them hot or cold

These flaky puff pastry veggie sausage rolls are good served hot or cold.

Serving them hot does seem to bring out more of the flavour, but they are good both ways.

My son prefers them hot out the oven or reheated in the air fryer, but he's happy to find them cold in his lunch box too.

Bake them in the air fryer

You can bake these in the air fryer instead of the oven.

Cook them at a slightly lower temperature.

They will cook quicker in the air fryer, so keep an eye on them and you will have to bake them in batches.

Red lentil sausage rolls on a lined baking tray.

Storing lentil sausage rolls

Once cool, you can store homemade sausage rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

I like to separate the layers with kitchen paper or baking paper.

Then serve them cold, or reheat them in an air fryer or oven.

Can you freeze them?

Sausage rolls freeze really well.

Store them the same way in layers, in an airtight container, but with the layers separated with baking paper and not kitchen paper.

Just make sure the tub and parchment paper are suitable to go in the freezer.

Freeze leftover sausage rolls for 3-4 months and either pop in the fridge overnight to defrost them or you can freeze them uncooked and then cook from frozen.

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Best Red Lentil Sausage Rolls Recipe made with Puff Pastry.

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How to make Red Lentil Sausage Rolls

A step-by-step photo guide followed by a full printable recipe.

Step 1

Preheat the oven (just before you are ready to make the sausage rolls, full instructions and ingredients in the recipe card below).
Measure and rinse your lentils well them add then to a pot.
Add the spices, then the stock.
Stir well, bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until soft and thickened.
Spoon into another container, then when cool pop in the fridge with a while to finish cooling and to give it a chance to thicken.

Step 2

Take the lentils and ready rolled puff pastry out of the fridge and gently unfold the puff pastry.
Cut the pastry into 4 large rectangles.
Add a sausage shape of filling (a quarter of the mixture) in the centre of each pastry rectangle, nearer the top (horizontal).
Rub or brush a little water along the top edge of each pastry rectangle, then pull the bottom piece of the pastry over the filling, rolling the filling with it as you go and press down on the opposite edge to seal.
Use a fork to seal along the edge you just sealed with your fingers.
Cut each long sausage roll in half, then cut 3 slits in the top of each to let out steam.
Don't worry if they aren't too neat (mine aren't), pastry is very forgiving, as long as they are sealed.

Step 3

Brush the sausage rolls with a little olive oil (or other oil) or you could brush with whatever milk you use.
Top with seeds (this is optional).
Bake on a lined baking tra until cooked and golden.
Enjoy!

lentil sausage rolls, vegan sausage rolls, red lentil sausage rolls, vegetarian sausage rolls, puff pastry recipe

Dinner, Lunch

British, Gluten-free

Yield: 8 sausage rolls

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum