Vegan Thanksgiving Lentil Stromboli Recipe

Craft a delectable Vegan Thanksgiving Lentil Stromboli Recipe. A holiday favorite, packed with flavors, perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces pre-made pizza dough
• flour for rolling out dough
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme finely diced
• 5 sage leaves finely diced
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic diced
• 1/4 cup celery diced
• 1 cup broth I used vegan beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups cooked lentils
• 1/4 cup cranberry sauce I used the one from Trader Joe's
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

Set your pre-made pizza dough on a lightly floured patch of the countertop and let it relax to room temperature for at least 30 minutes so it becomes elastic and easy to roll. Use a small dusting of flour on the quartz and a clean cloth to cover it; the dough should look smooth, slightly tacky where it touched the cloth, and with a soft, pillowy sheen from a light rub of olive oil. This resting step is quiet but critical — it ensures the final roll will stretch without springing back.

Step 2: Make the Filling

Melt vegan butter and olive oil in a skillet and whisk in the flour with finely diced thyme and sage until you have a warm, nutty roux that bubbles gently and smells herbaceous. Add the diced yellow onion, garlic, and celery, stirring until the onions go translucent and the mixture becomes aromatic; the vegetables should look glossy and softened, with faint caramel edges beginning to form. Keep the pan on the quartz (off the stove) for visual reference and a wooden spoon resting in the skillet so it reads like an active workstation.

Step 3: Integrate Lentils

Stir in tomato paste, pour in the vegan broth, then fold in the cooked lentils so the sauce clings to each lentil — you should end up with a thick, velvety, hearty filling where individual brown lentils remain distinct amid flecks of thyme, sage, and softened vegetable. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion flakes and oregano, cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, and let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes so it thickens and loses steam. This cooled, scoopable lentil ragù is the core of the stromboli and will hold shape when assembled.

Step 4: Assemble Stromboli

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll the rested dough into a rough rectangle on a lightly floured surface, spread a neat ribbon of cranberry sauce down the center, then mound the cooled lentil mixture over it in a compact log. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut slanted strips along both long edges and crisscross-fold them over the filling until the log is snug and sealed; transfer the raw stromboli onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Have a small bowl with the topping oil mixture and a pastry brush nearby — the assembled raw loaf should look tidy, slightly dusted with flour or cornmeal, with visible cranberry peeking through a seam.

Step 5: Bake to Perfection

Brush the assembled loaf with the topping mixture (olive oil, garlic salt, onion flakes and oregano) so the crust will brown evenly, then bake 30–35 minutes until the exterior is a deep golden-brown with crisped edges and baked-in herb flecks. Let it rest 5 minutes so juices settle, then slice into thick rounds that reveal the warm lentil filling streaked with cranberry and dotted with soft vegetable pieces. Arrange the slices as you like for serving — rustic, generous, and herb-sprig garnished — then plate.

Notes

• Let the dough come to room temperature to ensure it's easy to work with.
• Adjust seasoning to preference before filling the stromboli.
• Ensure filling is not too watery to avoid a soggy crust.