This Salmon Wellington takes dinner to a whole new level. It’s a savory dish of seasoned salmon that is placed on a bed of cheesy sautéed spinach and wrapped in puff pastry dough.
Serve this salmon wellington with a side of Garlic Asparagus or Scalloped Potatoes.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
Salmon Wellington, also known as Salmon en Croute, is made with baked puff pastry that is filled with a cheesy sauteed spinach and seasoned salmon fillets. I love this elegant dish because it’s utterly delicious and sure to impress anyone you serve it to.
- TASTE: The flavor of the salmon is enhanced by the white wine and buttery, cheesy spinach filling. The light sweetness of the outer pastry is the perfect complement.
- TEXTURE: The salmon is tender and layered with creamy, cheesy spinach and wrapped in delicate and flaky puff pastry.
- TIME: It takes just 45 minutes.
- EASE: This is an easy dish to make. Just prepare the filling, wrap it, and bake it for a fabulous dinner.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Salmon- You can use fresh or thawed fillets. Remove the skin and check for pin bones to be sure they are all taken out.
- Puff pastry-These add a delicate layer around the salmon that bakes up flaky and delicious. You can also use thinly rolled dough in its place.
- Cream cheese- Use full-fat to get the richest flavor.
- Shallots- These have a mild oniony flavor that is delicate enough to not overpower this dish.
- White wine- This adds a unique flavor that is gorgeous in this filling. The alcohol cooks out and the flavor is infused with the shallots and garlic.
- Egg- This acts as a binder for the spinach filling.
- Spinach- Fresh spinach is best, but in a pinch, you can use frozen spinach that has been thawed and drained.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add dill and honey mustard- Add the herbaceous flavor of fresh dill with tangy honey mustard for something different.
- Substitute the protein- You can make this with beef, chicken, or pork loin as well.
- Add prosciutto- A layer of thinly sliced prosciutto will add earthy, salty flavor to this Salmon Wellington that is delicious.
- Substitute feta cheese- In place of the Parmesan, add feta cheese crumbles for a salty, briny flavor in the cheesy spinach filling.
How to Make Salmon Wellington
- Saute the shallots and garlic. In a pan, heat the butter, chopped shallots, and garlic over medium heat. Sauté until the shallots become translucent.
- Add the wine and cream cheese.Bring the heat to high and add the white wine. Let it cook out for about 5 minute, then add the cream cheese and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the spinach, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Lastly, add the spinach, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Sauté just until the the spinach softens.
- Prep the puff pastry. Unfold the puff pastry onto a light floured surface and roll out the 2 sheets, then cut them in half (each piece is about 10×14 inches).
- Add the salmon to the pastry. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and place them in the middle of each puff pastry sheet.
- Add the spinach filling. Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal parts and evenly spread it on top of the 4 fillets. Then brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash.
- Fold. Begin folding the the puff pastry over starting with the longer side, then the shorter side.
Pro Tip: Leave about 2 inches around the edges of the filling so there is enough puff pastry to fold tightly.
- Add crosshatch marks. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon wellington seam side down. Make crosshatch slits on top of each with a knife. Then brush with more egg wash.
- Bake. Bake at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- Save time- Make the cheesy spinach mixture a few hours in advance. Also, thaw and cut the puff pastry a few hours prior to assembly, storing it in the fridge tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Adjust the pastry for the fillet- Depending on the size of the fillet, you may need to roll out the puff pastry a little more or less.
- Add more egg wash to the short sides- When folding over the short edges, brush more of the egg wash before folding to help it hold.
- Finish with egg wash- Adding egg wash to the entire wellington gives it a wonderful golden brown coloring and crisp outer layer.
FAQs
Salmon Wellington and Salmon en Croute are the same except the en croute is topped with pate. There is no topping with a wellington.
Make sure that your spinach is fresh or well drained if it was thawed to avoid extra moisture in the salmon wellington. Also, adding an egg wash to the entire outside of the puff pastry can form a moisture barrier as it cooks.
Serving Suggestions
This Salmon Wellington is a delicious and creamy dish in a flaky puff pastry crust. It tastes wonderful when served with salads, grains, veggies, and potatoes.
- Grains: Serve this wellington on a bed of Wild Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Quinoa Fried Rice, or with a Shrimp Quinoa Bowl.
- Salads: Enjoy this main dish with a green salad, like this Spinach Salad, Cabbage Cucumber Salad, Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad, or Broccoli Cranberry Salad.
- Vegetables: Pair this Salmon Wellington with Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, or Air Fryer Green Beans.
- Potatoes: Serve this dish with some Scalloped Potatoes, Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or Crispy Air Fryer Baby Potatoes.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prepare the spinach mixture ahead of time and thaw the puff pastry, placing both in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble and bake.
Storing: Store this Salmon Wellington in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the oven or the microwave, but the latter will make it less flaky and crisp on the outside.
Freeze: If the salmon was previously frozen, then it’s not advised to refreeze it. However, if it was made with fresh salmon, then you can freeze these wellingtons for up to 3 months. Thaw and bake in the oven until warmed through and crispy on the outside.
More Delicious Salmon Dishes!
This recipe was originally posted on Dec 30, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post has Amazon affiliate links for tools we used to make this recipe.
This salmon wellington recipe was featured in Women’s Day Magazine. Find the article HERE
Full Recipe Instructions
Salmon Wellington
Ingredients
- 4 7 oz salmon fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 2 tbsp plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1 lb. package puff pastry
- 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
- In a pan, heat butter, chopped shallots, and garlic over medium heat. Sauté until the shallots become translucent.
- Bring the heat to high and add the white wine. Let the liquid cook out for about 5 minute, then add the cream cheese and sauté for 1 minute.
- Lastly, add the spinach, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Sauté just until the the spinach softens.
- Unfold the puff pastry onto a light floured surface and roll out the 2 sheets, then cut them in half. So you end up with 4 pieces. I made each piece about 10X 14 inches.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Place each seasoned salmon fillet in the middle of each puff pastry sheet. Depending on the size of the fillet, you may need to roll out the puff pastry a little more or less. Leave about 2 inches around the edges.
- Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal parts and evenly spread it on top of the 4 fillets. Then brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tsp water).
- Begin folding the the puff pastry over starting with the longer side. When folding over the short edges, brush more of the egg wash before folding.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon wellington seam side down.
- Make crosshatch slits on top of the Wellington with a knife. Then brush with more egg wash.
- Bake at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Nutrition
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Jane says
I saw a recipe similar to this one quite a few years back on a show called Mom’s cooking, I think on Lifetime. They used partially thawed Stauffers spinach soufflé cut to size in the spinach layer. I always wanted to try that recipe, but I couldn’t find it. Your recipe looks delicious. Think I’ll make it as a Valentine’s Day treat.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Jane, thank you. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Patti says
Hi , I’m making this dish today for first time. Instead of fresh spinach,I have 10oz of frozen chopped. How much do you think I should use? Thanks! Patti
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Patti, sorry I didn’t reply sooner. My blog is having a few technical difficulties and I’m not receiving notifications of comments on my blog. If you use the frozen spinach, make sure you squeeze out as much water as you can. Use about 5 oz.
Victor says
I’m a general contractor with a flair for cooking unique recipes. I’ve made many types of Wellington in the past. Wanted to try something new and found your recipe here. Lemme tell ya, you have a winner recipe! Other than having to skin my own salmon to keep the cost down bc grocery store wanted $9 each for a pre cut and skinned fillet, I had no issues. I added a sprig of fresh dill and a few sliced button mushrooms b4 placing the fillet down just to add some more flair. Again, winner!
If all your recipes are as good as this one, you gave a new follower.
I feel you should have a TV show to offer your foods. You definitely have presence.
simplyhomecooked says
Wow, Victor thank you for taking the time to write such a lengthy and kind review of my recipe. It truly means a lot to me! And props to you for skinning your own fish and adding a twist with the mushrooms! Glad you enjoyed this recipe so much 🙂
Emily says
This was really tasty, easy enough and still looked impressive. It’s a great recipe and I really appreciated the step by step photos. That said, I do believe the temp and time are off. After 30 minutes they were still totally pale so I broiled it but the inside was just raw pastry. I think I’d add an extra 10 minutes plus a couple broil minutes next time.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Emily 🙂 everyone’s oven temperature may vary, but broiling will definitely give it an extra brown color.
Laura Lou says
This was an elegant and tasty meal. I made it with arugula (I’d accidentlly eaten all the spinach earlier) and served it with grilled Hokkiado pumpkin slices. I will be making this again. Delicious!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Laura! Mmm grilled pumpkin sounds yummy.!
Joan says
Absolutely delicious. I made this for New Year’s Eve and it turned out perfect. One portion served two people. Thanks so much.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for your feedback Joan! Glad you and your guests enjoyed the salmon wellington 🙂
Denise Marie says
Sounds delicious. Do you think I can make this recipe with chunks of smoked salmon? If so, any suggestions about the temperature and cooking time?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Denise, do you mean chunks of lox?
Louise Jones says
Fabulous recipe. I used milk rather than egg as a glaze (as I’d run out of eggs) and it worked fine though went only a pale gold. I’ll definitely use this recipe again.
An alternative I would suggest for the spinach, cream cheese and white wine is a filling I used just before Xmas when I tried a different salmon recipe (we love salmon). For my 4 person dish I used a half cucumber, peeled, seeds scooped out and diced into smallish cubes mixed with 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons of clear honey, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar and 10g finely chopped dill. It’s makes a great sauce on the side too.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the great review Louise! I’m glad this recipe was a winner for you. Excellent recipe tip as well 🙂
Toni Roggero says
Do you have any suggestion’s on what I can substitute the wine with?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Toni, I’m not too sure what to substitute the wine with. Sorry ????
Linda says
This looks so amazing but eggs of any type are taboo here. Is there something else that would work in place of the egg wash? Also does the puff pastry contain eggs?
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Linda! The reason an egg works best is because the protein in an egg helps brown the crust and the fat content provides a nice shine to the finished pastry. I don’t think puff pastry has eggs in it. If you can’t use eggs at all, I’ve heard that milk, cream, butter, and oil can work as a glazing agent. I personally haven’t tried any of these methods though.
Jen says
I just use cooking spray when I don’t want to waste an egg for a small item.
Suzy says
If I want to double this recipe, is there anything I should do differently?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Suzy, everything should still work out the same if doubled. No changes needed 🙂
Bethy says
Recipe says “white wine” but the pictures show Sherry. Which should I use?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Bethy, both would work for the recipe.
Melissa says
Has anyone had any luck making this recipe ahead and freezing? Found a make ahead beef wellington and was hoping to do the same with these.
Josephine says
I too would like to know if you can make ahead, bake and freeze. Has anybody tried?
Rhonda says
Looking forward to making this is there a sauce you would serve on the side?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Rhonda, I don’t serve it with sauce, but I’ve seen it served with a white wine sauce.
ALBIS ACOSTA says
I made it with a whole filet and shaped it like a fish. Awesome and easy!
simplyhomecooked says
Wow that’s impressive! I would love to see a photo!
Michelle says
Fabulous recipe! Making this for the second time!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Michelle, I’m glad to hear this recipe was a hit for you!
Kate Kuntz says
Do you think it would work by using pre-made spinach dip…the kind they sell in grocery stores (I think Cedar brand?) Just looking to cut down time as much as possible.
simplyhomecooked says
Hey Kate, the store bought dip should work as long as it’s not too runny.
Kath Heide says
Have a look at this Dutch supermarket:
https://www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi3515/ah-noorse-zalm-in-bladerdeeg
They’re a little smaller and don’t look as nice compared to the self-made ones but can save some 20 min. preparation time and cost only a fraction.
I haven’t tried these but I will and than compare them to the self-made ones 😉
Helena says
Looks delicious. Can this be prepared in advance and frozen? If so, would I cook from frozen or defrost first?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Helena, I’ve never tried freezing it. If you do give it a go, I think it would be better to defrost it first.
Frankie says
I made these 2 weeks ago for a single girl (me). I ate one fresh and have frozen the others! I pull them out the night before I want to eat them! Thank you so much for this recipe! Such a nice change from cereal or pasta (my go to when “cooking” for myself only!)
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Frankie, thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m so glad they froze well 🙂
Hermine says
Do I need to remove the skin from the salmon file ?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Hermine. Yes, remove the skin from the salmon fillets.