The Best Vegan Mushroom Pate Recipe

While it's thought of as a French food, there are versions of pâté from all over the world. Known for its rich, fatty flavor — as well as its high price tag — pâté is traditionally made from the livers of fattened geese, ducks, or other animals, which are boiled with heavy cream and processed into a smooth, spreadable texture (via Britannica).

If you're craving something decadent but want to leave the ducks in their pond, then this is the recipe for you. Toasted walnuts give this dish the fats it needs to stand up to the original while still maintaining its status as a healthy food. Additionally, the sautéed mushrooms lend the dish a rich umami flavor you might otherwise miss in the absence of meats. To take you on this journey to spreadable, vegan deliciousness, we have the expertise of recipe developer Susan Olayinka. Olayinka specializes in quick and healthy recipes at The Flexible Fridge, and this one is sure to knock your socks off. 

Before you can get started on this healthful pâté replacement, you'll need to gather your ingredients. You will need three cloves of garlic, a yellow onion, 10 ounces of button mushrooms, a cup of walnuts, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a cup of white beans (canned beans work well), a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves, a tablespoon of fresh parsley, half a teaspoon of salt, and a quarter cup of soy cream. If you are lacking in fresh herbs, dried will do the trick just fine. In that case, Olayinka recommends using just one teaspoon of herbs.

After gathering your ingredients, you'll need to chop up the veggies to prepare them for sautéing. First, you'll want to mince the garlic and set it aside. Next, dice the onion into half-inch pieces, and set that aside as well. Lastly, slice the button mushrooms in half and — you guessed it — set it aside with the other chopped veggies.

The garlic and onion will function as the core aromatics of this dish, giving it flavor and body, while the mushroom will offer some of the meat-y texture and flavor you might otherwise miss.

Next, heat a frying pan to medium-high heat. Once heated, add the walnuts, consistently turning them for three minutes. No need to add oil in this step, as the walnuts can toast on their own when they're in contact with the pan.

After three minutes, take them out of the pan and set aside. Olayinka says toasting the walnuts in this recipe gives it a deeper flavor, helping the dish taste layered and well-balanced. It may seem tempting to skip this step if you are feeling rushed for time, but trust us when we say those three minutes are well worth it in terms of additional flavor.

Using the same pan and keeping it at medium-high heat, add your tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the minced garlic, diced onions, and sliced mushrooms. Cook for five minutes, stirring constantly throughout. 

After five minutes of cooking, add the white beans, thyme, parsley, and salt. Stir constantly for two more minutes before taking off the heat. By now, you should smell how delicious this dish is going to taste! Cooking the aromatics before blending them releases and softens their delicious flavor, helping you create a well-balanced final product.

For this next step, it's time to get out your blender. Add the contents of the frying pan, as well as the walnuts you set aside previously, to the blender. Pulse the ingredients 10 to 15 times. Next, add the soy cream to the blender and pulse about 10 more times. You are looking for a smooth and uniform mixture, so don't worry too much about over-blending. Thanks to the walnuts and mushrooms, you will also find that this spread looks remarkably like the real thing! Now how's that for a perfect, healthful replacement?

Once you have blended the mixture into a texture you like, you are ready to serve! As far as serving suggestions, Olayinka says, "It pairs wonderfully with bread or chopped veggies." Feel free to marvel at how close this looks to the real thing, and don't be shy when your guests begin to talk about how it's twice as good as traditional pâté. Olayinka takes her time in building the flavors for this recipe, and her patience really pays off. So go ahead, indulge! You can do so knowing you have made a healthful (and delicious!) choice.