*This post is sponsored by Canadian Lentils. I have received compensation, but as always all opinions are my own. These Vegetarian Red Lentil Sausage Rolls are the perfect party appetizer for the holidays! They’re easy and inexpensive to make and flavoured with delicious red lentils, roasted red peppers and fragrant spices. Skip the sausage meat and try these Vegetarian Red Lentil Sausage Rolls at your next holiday party, or for a healthy and delicious appetizer any time of the year!
Looking for more appetizers for your next holiday party? You’ll love this list of my favourite appetizer recipes!
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‘Tis the season for holiday parties and friends, if there’s one thing I enjoy more than holiday desserts it is definitely holiday appetizers and finger foods. Our family has our big Christmas celebration on the 25th of December and so our Christmas Eve tradition every year has always been a very low-key, casual family get-together with appetizers as the main event. That’s right, we celebrate Christmas Eve by sitting around enjoying some of the best made-from-scratch appetizers and hors d’oeuvres I have ever tasted, which is probably the reason behind my love for finger foods…our Christmas Eve appetizer tradition is one of my earliest memories.
So when Canadian Lentils reached out to me and asked me to share a few of my favourite holiday-inspired lentils recipes, I knew these Vegetarian Red Lentil Sausage Rolls would be the perfect holiday appetizer to share with you, my dear readers. I’ve shared a few of my favourite lentil recipes with you before, like these delicious Slow Cooker White Bean and Lentil Chili-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, or my Red Lentil Carrot Cake Granola, and I’m so excited to be sharing with you not one, but TWO amazing holiday appetizers with you this holiday season, featuring Canadian Lentils. Stay tuned next week for my Red Lentil Curry Hummus, and watch my Instagram page for a sneak peek coming soon!
Our family absolutely loves lentils and they make their way into our diet several times every week, sometimes in the obvious ways like in soups and curries, but other times I throw them into pasta sauces for some added fibre and protein, I add them to dips, salads and wraps, and I do my very best to use them in place of meat whenever possible – especially in burgers and meatballs. Although it doesn’t happen as often as I would like, these Vegetarian Red Lentil Sausage Rolls were an absolute stroke of genius that turned out even better than I had imagined they would. The filling contains roasted red pepper which adds a delicious smoky flavour, and by adding spices that are typically found in Italian sausage, these vegetarian sausage rolls can really complete with their meaty counterparts in the flavour department.
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And as delicious as sausage is, with 27 grams of protein and 18 grams of dietary fibre in a 100 gram serving of lentils, there’s just no competition as far as I’m concerned! Lentils are also unbelievably easy to prepare – just rinse, simmer for about 5 minutes, and add to whatever dish or recipe you desire! Since the filling for my Vegetarian Red Lentil Sausage Rolls has a smooth texture, I pureed the cooked red split lentils along with many of the other ingredients to achieve the perfect flavour and texture for the sausage roll filling. I cannot wait to serve them on my holiday appetizer platter this year to both my vegetarian and meat-loving guests, and I just know your family and friends will enjoy them too!
The lentil filling crisps up perfectly, leaving the inside moist and flavourful. These Vegetarian Red Lentil Sausage Rolls really are a delicious holiday treat!
I hope you like this recipe! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite way to enjoy lentils during the holidays? Looking for even more delicious lentil recipes? Try some of my favourites linked below!
These White Bean and Lentil Chili-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are the most delicious vegetarian dinner I’ve ever made!
Try my Red Lentil Carrot Cake Granola for a protein and fibre-packed breakfast that will go the distance but taste like dessert!!
This Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup with Honey Curry Roasted Chickpeas and Coconut Cream is one of my favourite ways to enjoy lentils!
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Vegetarian Red Lentil Sausage Rolls
Recipe: Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked red split lentils
- 2 large red bell peppers roasted and skin removed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- sea salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese I use a mild white cheddar
- 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 300 grams frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tablespoons water
Recipe: Instructions
- To the bowl of your food processor (or high powered blendeadd the cooked lentils, roasted red peppers (stems, seeds and skin removed), garlic, parsley, paprika, cayenne, ground fennel and sea salt and pepper.
- Process or blend until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides so all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the shredded cheese and the breadcrumbs. Mix everything together well with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the breadcrumbs and the cheese are evenly distributed.
- Divide the mixture into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a long, thin sausage shape the same length as the width of your puff pastry sheet.
- Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (refrigerating overnight also works well!).
- After your filling has sufficiently chilled, remove it from the fridge and preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Unroll your puff pastry and slice it into 3 pieces to wrap around the rolls of lentil filling you've made. Wrap each piece of filling in puff pastry, making sure the seams are on the underside of the large rolls you're creating.
- Slice each of the 3 long rolls into smaller 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces and place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with baking paper (parchment paper). You'll end up with about 15-18 pieces.
- Use a sharp knife to cut one or two small vents in the top of each mini sausage roll.
- Combine the egg and water in a small bowl and whisk together until frothy. Brush a small amount of egg was over the top of each sausage roll.
- Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-23 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
My friend is a strict vegetarian, so these fresh sausage rolls should be just perfect for an upcoming luncheon!
Glad you like it! 🙂
These sound absolutely delicious! I'd love to make some for my lentil-loving daugther. She can't have diary so I wonder how it would affect the recipe to leave the cheese out. Do you have any substituion suggestions? I'm wondering if dairy free cream cheese would work?
Thanks for sharing!
Was this answered? I’m wondering the same thing!
Leaving the cheese out shouldn’t affect the recipe too much, and good substitution might be almond flour or other ground nuts. I would hesitate before adding any dairy-free creamy cheeses, as these have a high water content and might make the filling soggy.
I made a batch without cheese for a dairy-allergic friend. Simply leaving it out only changed the flavour a little, but she loved them! No need to substitute or replace. The texture was softer for forming into a log, but once it’s chilled it acts the same. (The egg wash can safely be left out for a vegan option, if you find suitable puff pastry)
You can buy Vegan cheese here is a list https://vegetatio.com/content/joyous-living-full-vegetarian-cheese-list
Viola and daiya vegan brand cheeses are very good non dairy cheeses
Thanks Judy!
Thank you for this recipe. I made it this afternoon to take to a Christmas Eve gathering. Even the meat-eaters loved it! This recipe is very forgiving. I left out the fennel (didn't have any) and used an Italian spice blend instead. I baked them and had one immediately. It was perfect! I let them cool for a few minutes and then made a foil packet for transport. At the party we tossed the foil packet in the oven to heat them up. These are divine fresh out of the oven but they also travelled surprisingly well!
This is a definite holiday recipe for our family now. It's not difficult, just need the time for prep. Thanks again!
So glad you love them as much as we do! Thanks for the positive feedback! 🙂
omg these look amazing! They totally like they have sausage filling in them! I'm totally making these for the next party! The spices seem perfect 😀
So glad you like it! 🙂
Hello, how would I make these in advxance?
I read the comment about baking them and then transporting them in tinofoil but I would like to know if these would last assembled in the fridge or freezer for a day or two? I will not have time day of party to assemble. Only a short time slot to put something in the oven! Thanks!
Yes! You can definitely make these ahead and chill or freeze them until baking! They’re best fresh out of the oven, so I wouldn’t store after baking 🙂
Lovely but ensure cheese is made with non animal rennet (made in laboratory instead of from baby calf’s stomach!)
Too many vegetarian cookbooks are full of cheese recipes – done without thought!
Thanks for the tip!
Hello, these look great. What are the calories per sausage roll?
Approximately 159 calories 🙂
I made this recipe for my best friend’s bridal shower, and again at Christmas. My one modification is that I didn’t spend the time making into proper sausage-like rolls. I simply let the lentil mixture cool and spooned some of the cooled mixture into small pieces of the puff pastry, and then baked. It saved me time when I was baking for 60 people at the bridal shower, and they came out beautifully. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
Tried this with leftover lentils. Very cool recipe! While eating them i thought that minced olives would taste great in them…
So glad you loved it! Thanks! 🙂
I have just referred another person to this recipe. It’s such a winner! I make mine about 5-6” long as serve them as a main dish for vegetarians. For group get togethers I make them appetizer size and they disappear almost too quickly. I have to grab a few myself before sharing!
So glad you love them too! 🙂
I added a cup of grated zuccini and a cup of grated carrot to the mix to make them a bit more vegie. Also I used Filo pastry instead of puff (6 sheets). Also sprinkled Dukka on the top. Everyone loved them as they were so delicious.
Glad you loved them!
I had high hopes for these judging by the comments but unfortunately all the filling came out in cooking! They tasted quite bland too. I used yellow split peas as I couldn’t get red lentils but I’m not sure if that should make a huge difference. Sadly won’t be making again 🙁
Your substitution would, unfortunately, make a huge difference in the outcome of the recipe as split peas and lentils have very different flavours, textures, and absorb liquid differently. I’m sure if you tried this recipe with lentils you’d enjoy it. 🙂
How long and at what temperature would you bake these please if you froze them ahead of time before baking?
I’d recommend defrosting them about halfway and then baking them, adding just a few minutes to the baking time.
could you swap the red lentils for brown lentils or maybe aduki beans?
I wouldn’t recommend switching out the lentils as the cook at different rates and with different amounts of liquid.
I used brown lentils and they were fine. I think adzuki beans would be particularly good in this recipe because they tend to be a bit firmer than lentils. These were delicious but my one complaint is that the filling is mushy with no other texture. I would prefer to have something with a little more tooth to it in the “sausage” mix.
The flavors are absolutely delicious. I used firmer brown lentils instead of the softer red though and the filling was still a bit mushier than I’d prefer. Still giving the recipe five stars because that’s just a preference thing. I think next time I’m going to try adding some TVP or walnuts, or maybe leaving some lentils whole to provide more texture to the filling. I may also add more fennel bc I’m a bit crazy for fennel. Overall, though, this is a fantastic recipe and I will be making this frequently.
Walnuts sound like a great addition! We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe and are adapting it to your personal preferences. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I love lentils and ‘sausage’ rolls, so this is perfect ! I can’t eat high fat foods so I swapped out the puff for filo pastry. I also didn’t have all the ingredients so I just did lentils, jarred roasted red peppers and stuffing mix to substitute the breadcrumbs and herbs/spices…worked brilliantly.
Like Deborah above, I think I’ll try green lentils for s bit more bite…maybe with porcini mushrooms and a little less pepper…you’ve got me experimenting so it must be a great recipe! So grateful that I can find tasty recipes for my no meat, no nuts and no (or very low) fat diet…bless you xx
We’re so happy you enjoyed our recipe and we managed to send a spark of the joy of cooking to you! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!