Vegetable Strudel in Puff Pastry

4.84 from 48 votes

This vegetable strudel wraps a savory filling of sweet potatoes, onion, peppers, apple, spinach & goat cheese in a flaky puff pastry. It's a wonderful make-ahead main or side dish for a special occasion. And easy a store-bought puff pastry.

Prep Time12

Cook Time38

Total Time50

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings (change as needed): slices

Author: Cheryl Avrich

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet potato (about 3/4 lb), peeled
1 onion (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
1 red pepper, cored, seeded
1 large apple diced small
2 teaspoon garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
3 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
110 gram goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Seasonings

1 teaspoon thyme, rosemary or sage (or a combination)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Puff Pastry Wrapping

1 frozen puff pastry sheet , defrosted (usually comes two pre-rolled 10 x 10 sheets per box)
Egg wash: mix one egg with a tablespoon water.

Instructions

Heat oven to 400F/204C.
PREPARE AND SAUTE VEGETABLES/FRUIT: Dice onions, sweet potatoes and peppers finely (1/4-1/2 inch). Shortcuts: Chop vegetables in food processor in 2-3 batches. For easier peeling and dicing sweet potato, microwave it first (pierced with knife) for 4 minutes, peel and dice. If you do this, saute other veggies first, then add sweet potato as it will take less time.
Heat oil in large skillet to medium high. Add onions, peppers and sweet potatoes. Saute for for 6-9 minutes until sweet potatoes are almost soft. Add apples, garlic and seasonings. Saute another 2-3 minutes until potatoes are soft (not mushy). Mix in spinach until wilted, one minute. Turn off heat. Mix in crumbled goat cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
MAKE STRUDEL: Unfold puff pastry sheet onto flat lightly floured surface. (If puff pastry is not pre-rolled, roll it on floured surface to approximately 12 x 10 inch rectangle.)
Spoon vegetable mixture into center, leaving enough room to fold dough over like an envelope. Wrap vegetable mixture by overlapping dough from sides and ends. Pinch dough together to secure.
BAKE: Place strudel seam side down on pan lined with parchment paper. Use pastry brush to brush egg wash on top and sides. Make 8 evenly spaced small horizontal slits to allow steam to escape. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.
SERVE: Slice strudel into 8-9 pieces and serve as a side dish or as a main dish with soup or salad. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Notes

Variations

Use alternative vegetables or leave out the ones you don't like. Just try to keep the approximate total quantity the same. If you use veggies with high water content like zucchini and mushrooms, make sure you cook off the water before making the strudel to avoid sogginess.
Use different seasonings like rosemary or sage instead of thyme. Or add cumin if you like.
Try other cheeses like Gruyere or Fontina. If you leave the cheese out, be sure to sauté out the liquid so the filling still holds together.
Instead of one big log, make individual portions with the puff pastry.
Use the filling to make knishes. See our Super Easy Potato Knishes recipe.

To freeze unbaked: Wrap unbaked strudel in parchment, place in a sealed ziploc bag or container and freeze. Bake frozen strudel in preheated oven at 375F for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

To make ahead for serving later that day: Complete baking and let it sit on the counter. To reheat when ready to serve, place back in oven at 375F for 6-8 minutes or until pastry is re-crisped and filling is warmed through.

To make ahead for serving the next day: Make strudel, apply egg wash. Cover and refrigerate with plastic. The next day, heat oven to 400F. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.