Description
Smoky and packed with umami flavor, this easy Vegan Mushroom Pâté is the perfect appetizer or snack (it’s gluten-free too!).
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 16 ounces white or baby bella mushrooms, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves)
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce (see note 1 for substitutions)
- 1 cup cooked lentils (see note 2)
- 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds, walnuts, or raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (see note 3)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook mushrooms, garlic, and thyme: Heat a large skillet (nonstick preferred, or use a tbsp of olive oil if not nonstick) over medium-high heat. When hot, add mushrooms, garlic, and dried thyme. Let cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan: It shouldn’t stick too much since mushrooms release their own liquid, but use the reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari to deglaze the pan once while cooking. (Deglaze just means when you pour a little liquid on the pan and stir it around so that all the flavor that’s sticking to the bottom of the pan just goes back onto the food. Use a silicone spatula to scrape any stuff sticking to the pan back into the food... that's flavor!). If needed, you can add a tablespoon or two of water, but the mushrooms should release some of their own liquid.
- Drain: When cooked, drain off any remaining liquid from the mushroom mixture and add to a food processor or blender with remaining ingredients.
- Blend: Process or blend the vegan lentil pâté until smooth.
- Add to container: Pack into whatever container you'd like your Pâté to take the shape of. Really pack it in there, pushing it down and smoothing it with a spatula. I’ve had best results with ceramic and silicone containers as the mold, but glass has worked for me too (just a little bit more finessing to get it out). I highly recommend greasing the inside of the container with a small amount of oil, vegan butter, or coconut cream (the thick stuff in a can of full fat coconut milk) to help you get it out easier. The other option is to line the bowl with plastic cling wrap.then you can use that to remove the set pate and peel it off afterward. I have not tried this with a plastic container but it would probably be fine, maybe just requiring that extra bit of effort to release.
- Set the pâté: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. I think overnight produces the best texture the next day.
- Release the pâté: To release the vegan mushroom pâté, run a butter knife around the edges, place a plate upside down on top of the open container and flip like a cake onto a cooling rack. You may have to wiggle it a little or hit the bottom of the container a few times. You should hear it slide out. Tip: before doing this, I like to cut a small circle of parchment the diameter of the bowl and press it lightly onto the pâté. After it's flipped and released, it makes it easier to move it around on your serving board or plate.
- Decorate: Clean up the edges if you need to and decorate the top with extra herbs and spices if you wish.
- Serve the pâté: Serve mushroom vegan pâté chilled or room temperature (I prefer chilled) with crackers or toasted slices of a baguette. Enjoy!
- Store: Refrigerate leftover vegan lentil pâté for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Notes
- Note 1: I prefer the flavor of reduced sodium but use what you like. Use gluten-free tamari if you cannot have gluten. If you cannot have soy, try a brand called No Soy. I do not recommend coconut aminos as it has more of a sweet flavor that I don't think contrasts well with the savory mushroom flavor.
- Note 2: You can use canned lentils as a shortcut, but make sure to drain off the excess liquid. Cook brown or green lentils until soft. Try cooking them in vegetable broth instead of water (2:1 ratio — 2 cups vegetable stock or broth to 1 cup lentils) for extra flavor. I like to make extra lentils to have on hand for salads and such (you can freeze cooked lentils if you won’t use them within 5 days). Red lentils may work but they tend to get mushy really quickly and your vegan lentil pâté might not hold together as well.
- Note 3: Any vinegar (or lemon) can be used in place of the apple cider vinegar, but I find that the slight sweetness from apple cider vinegar really makes this vegan pate taste like vegan chopped liver.
- Note 4: If you're having difficulty getting the vegan pate out of the bowl, there's absolutely no shame in just eating it out of the bowl like a dip!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Inactive Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snack, Appetizer
- Method: Food Processor, Blender
- Cuisine: American, Jewish
Keywords: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Sugar-Free, Can Be Soy-Free