Salmon Coulibiac (Salmon Wellington)
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Sep 24, 2025 
This classic Coulibiac of Salmon consists of tender salmon fillets layered with rice and mushrooms, wrapped in puffed pastry, just like Salmon Wellington!
Coulibiac of Salmon… AKA Salmon Wellington Recipe
Today’s recipe concept came from the beloved Asheville chef Joe Scully of The Corner Kitchen.
He introduced us to Salmon Coulibiac (kool-ee-bee-ack) at a local wine dinner several years ago, and I immediately fell in love! It’s very similar to a Salmon Wellington recipe, or Salmon en Croûte, yet with a few added layers for texture and intrigue!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Imagine individually wrapped pastries, piping hot, and packed with rice, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, salmon, and dill. Break through the crusty golden exterior with your fork, and sink into layers of steaming goodness!
Salmon Wellington is a true showstopper, boasting a gorgeous golden crust and layers of delicious goodness inside. It’s perfect for dinner parties or hosting the boss, and fairly easy to put together.
If you are looking for something out of the ordinary to serve at a holiday dinner this season, Coulibiac of Salmon is just the dish to make your meal sensational!
Salmon Coulibiac Tweaks
One problem… This traditional Russian dish involves a layer of hard-boiled eggs, the only food I simply can’t stomach. (It’s the sulfuric yolk odor. I can’t explain it, but it makes me gag!)
So I’ve substituted wilted spinach for the egg layer; it’s a mild, but colorful adjustment. I’ve also modified it for individual portions, making Salmon Coulibiac easier to handle and faster to bake.
What Ingredients You Will Need
- Puff pastry sheets, thawed
- Unsalted butter
- Shallots, thinly sliced
- Button mushrooms, sliced
- White wine
- Chopped dill
- Cooked rice
- Salmon filets (6-8 ounces each), cut in half for 4 square-ish pieces
- Frozen spinach, thawed
- Egg
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Salmon Coulibiac
Tips for Success – It’s essential that the ingredients are as dry as possible to prevent excess moisture from seeping in and softening the puff pastry. Therefore, squeeze the spinach to remove any excess liquid. Then sauté the mushrooms long enough to cook off the moisture. Also, pat the salmon with paper towels to reduce moisture.
Find the full Salmon Coulibiac recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Serving Suggestions
This salmon wellington recipe is perfect to eat on its own, since it has protein, carbs, and veggies all in one! However, you can also serve it with a plethora of side dishes, especially if you are feeding a crowd! Here are some of my favorite things to pair it with:
Frequently Asked Questions
If you wrap them well with plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container in the fridge, they can last for 2 to 3 days.
Since this is a Russian dish, potatoes and cabbage would be traditional. Or try our scalloped potatoes and cabbage with bacon? We have both recipes here on ASP.
However, since there is so much packed into your puff pastry pouch, you could also simply serve a fresh green salad on the side.
Absolutely! Wrap each prepared Salmon en Croute well with plastic wrap to prevent the pastry dough from drying out.
You can add garlic or onions when you saute the mushrooms. Or add parmesan cheese to make a cheesy spinach mixture. You can also add in the traditional chopped hard-boiled egg layer that I omitted.
Looking for More Fabulous Dinner Recipes?
Salmon Coulibiac (Salmon Wellington)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1 cup cooked, leftover rice
- 2 pieces salmon, (6-8 ounces each) cut in half for 4 square-ish pieces
- 1 box chopped frozen spinach, thawed
- 1 large egg
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, sliced shallots and mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes to brown the mushrooms. Then salt and pepper to taste, and add the wine. Allow the mushrooms to simmer until the wine has completely absorbed and the mushrooms are nearly dry, about 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut one sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top each square with 1/4 cup of cooked rice, make sure to leave a border around the edges.
- Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess liquid, then layer the spinach over the rice. Sprinkle the spinach with a touch of salt. Once the mushrooms have cooked down, layer them on top of the spinach. Top each stack with a half-portion of salmon. Salt and pepper the salmon and sprinkle with fresh dill.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush it around the exposed puff pastry edges.
- Roll the second piece of puff pastry out into a slightly larger square. Cut it into four smaller squares. Lay each square over a salmon stack. Gently seal the edges by crimping with a fork.
- Brush the remaining egg over the tops. Cut a small vent in the top of each pastry. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the tops are golden.
Hey Sommer, this is such a sweet post. I identify with what you said about confidence-homo sapiens have a way of almost never finding balance when it comes to this topic (smile). It seems like your'e either there or on your way to balance with this though if you even know enough to be able to so eloquently put that into words. Me always thinks that the idea of a balance in confidence has so much to do with how we treat ourselves as well as others-very important:)
Oh, and your reason for blogging is quite nice and even motherly. Very nice…
Hey, I hope you guys are having a wonderful start to your new year. Yes…!
Sommer! Your tutorial is a work of art. Your reasons mirror many of mine for blogging. There are others, too… but I am too tired to try to write intelligibly. I am so delighted I have found you. Believe me… I know what kind of time it takes to build a great site. Mine started in August 2008 and I have a massive amount of information all so important to me there… and now, as more and more of my traditional recipes are posted, I have only just begun to be thinking about artistry. How can we do it all? Cook? Style? Photograph? Write and Sell our Brand? I just cook and try to inspire… and you inspire me.
:)
valerie
I love your blog's mission–to make people feel comfortable in their kitchens! Knowing your way around the kitchen, even if it's only with a few yummy staples, can be such a confidence-booster. You're doing a great job! Happy New Year as well! :D
I wish you the best this year and good for you to put it out there about your book! Keep it as your goal and it will happen! – xoxo Megs
What beautiful puff pastry parcels!
Love your blog, and looking forward to another year!
You said it so well… the part about blogging for the people who don't yet have the confidence. In a way that's why I do it, too… one of many reasons. I am so happy to have met you this year, and look forward to more blogging in 2011! Happy New Year!
That looks perfect for my next dinner party. Love the step by step photos.
LL
Such a wonderful article and the fact that YOU blog is all our gain. Wishing you year filled with a thousand flavors and more, Sommer :)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
So glad you blog, you have helped me build my confidence as a cook for sure! Can't wait to see all the new recipes in 2011.
What a beautiful dish Sommer! Great post. Have a wonderful new year!
Salmon and pastry!! Yum. Happy New Year!
I love coulibiac and also omit the hard boil eggs. A very Happy New Year to you and yours!