A savory and rustic mushroom spread nicely balanced with onion, garlic, and thyme. Delicious paired with fresh and crisp vegetables or on crostini, toast, pita chips, or crackers. Ideal for snacks, parties, appetizers before dinner, or as an hors d’oeuvre at a cocktail party.
My friend Donna shared some pâté with me recently. I initially declined to try it, but she noted that it was made with mushrooms, not liver. Excitedly, I tried it. And all at once the flavors are simple, woody, nutty, savory. Delicious. It was love at first bite.
What is pâté?
Pâté means “paste” in French and is pronounced pah-TAY.
It is often baked in a crust (en croûte) or molded as a terrine. Pâté is a mixture of different ingredients that are seasoned and ground together. The grind can be smooth and creamy; but it can also contain quite a bit of texture as well. (The Spruce Eats)
Pâté can be enjoyed hot, cold, or at room temperature. Like many dips and soups, it often tastes even better a day or two after it’s made when the flavors have had some time to combine together and awaken. Pâté can be encrusted, molded or simply served in a bowl. I usually keep it simple and serve it in a bowl.
Pâté is usually associated with some kind of liver, but this recipe showcases a complementary mushroom combination. In fact, the key to making a delicious mushroom pâté is using a variety of mushrooms. The more, the merrier.
Each mushroom contributes umami and character. They run the full gamut from mild or sweet to nutty fragrant, earthy, or woody. You can find tiny little stems or huge caps. Textures vary just as much between delicate and tender or firm and meaty.
Broad categories include cultivated mushrooms, wild mushrooms, medicinal mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms, useful mushrooms, and psychoactive mushrooms. (GroCycle)
The most popular edible types typically come from cultivated, medicinal, and wild mushrooms. They include white button, cremini (crimini), portabello, shiitake, maitake (hen of the woods), oyster, king oyster, porcini (cep), and enoki.
Other less known but edible mushrooms include lion’s mane, hedgehog (sweet tooth), chanterelle, black chanterelle (black trumpet), laetiporus (chicken of the woods), matsutake, morel (wild mushrooms), shimeji, reishi (lingzhi), and beech.
There’s so much more I want to share, but I should focus on this delicious Mushroom Pâté. Suffice to say, I think it’s important to use a variety of mushrooms since they all contribute varying flavor notes and textures.
The variety in these photos include shiitake, crimini, lion’s mane, and portabello. But it varies depending on what my local grocer has in stock and it depends on what you have available to you. The additional flavor essence come from the onion, thyme, garlic, and balsamic vinegar.
To make Mushroom Pâté, dice or mince all of your ingredients. I like using a food processor to make quick work of the chopping and mincing. If you don’t have a food processor, no problem. Simply mince the onion, mushrooms, and garlic real fine.
This recipe truly is versatile. While I prefer roasting raw almonds right before I use them, you can purchase and use roasted almonds to save time or if that’s what you have on hand. If you don’t have a food processor or blender to blend the almonds and balsamic vinegar down, you can use one half cup almond butter, but decrease the balsamic vinegar to three tablespoons since almond butter is wetter than blended almonds.
If you’re unable to eat almonds, substitute a seed or nut you can enjoy. Walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) may work well for you in this Mushroom Pâté. I do not recommend using peanuts because it will contrast too much and likely overpower the mushrooms. Please let me know in the comments if you try other options and how they work out for you.
The process of sautéing these ingredients together over low heat really develops and deepens the flavor of this Mushroom Pâté. Though the flavor is even better after chilling overnight in the refrigerator. The extra time in the fridge really allows everything to blend together well.
I’d like to make a quick note about the use of vegan butter or vegetable broth. You and I both know that butter tastes good and adds a creamy dreamy essence to dishes that is hard to replicate. But I know many (including myself) try to omit or reduce oil as much as possible.
I’m happy to report that vegetable broth does work well in this recipe. Broth certainly does not match the flavor of butter; yet it is quite delicious, which is why I include it as an oil-free option. I recommend making your own Umami Vegetable Broth. It can be used in so many recipes, is sodium-free, and costs little to nothing to make since it uses kitchen scraps.
I love that this Mushroom Pâté stores well in the refrigerator for up to five days. This whole food plant-based spread packs tons of flavor in every bite. It’s delicious on crostini, pita chips, toast, and crackers.
But it’s also the ideal healthy treat, either as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, when served with cut vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, radishes, celery, carrots, and cucumber. It even makes a great spread in sandwiches and wraps.
And since it can be made ahead and stores very well up to one week in the refrigerator, it’s ideal for parties, appetizers before dinner, or as an hors d’oeuvre at a cocktail party.
I hope you enjoy this Mushroom Pâté as much as I do.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces mushrooms, coursely chopped*
- 1 onion, coursely chopped*
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (1½ Tbsp)
- 2-3 Tbsp vegan butter (or vegetable broth)
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh thyme)
- ¼ tsp black pepper, ground
- 1 cup raw almonds (or roasted almonds)**
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor, process the onion until finely chopped. Transfer to a large skillet or pot.
- Then, process the mushrooms in batches until finely chopped and add to the onions.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, pepper, and vegan butter (or vegetable broth) over low heat until most of the moisture evaporates, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Then, process the roasted almonds in a food processor with the balsamic vinegar, scraping down the sides as needed, until the almonds become fine crumbles.
- Transfer the sautéed mushroom-onion mixture to the food processor with the blended almond mixture and process or pulse until desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
- Transfer to an air-tight container and chill overnight in the refrigerator to allow flavors to blend. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Serve with crackers or vegetables.
Notes
* I use a food processor to speed up the dicing/chopping and combining processes.
** If you don’t have a food processor or blender to process the almonds, use ½ cup almond butter and 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Stir very well to combine. Also, if you can’t eat almonds, try using a nut or seed you can enjoy (walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc).
Mushroom Pâté (vegan)
Equipment
- stove
- food processor
Ingredients
- 16 ounces mushrooms coursely chopped*
- 1 onion coursely chopped*
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced (1½ Tbsp)
- 2-3 Tbsp vegan butter or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp black pepper ground
- 1 cup raw almonds or roasted almonds**
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- salt to taste optional
Instructions
- In a food processor, process the onion until finely chopped. Transfer to a large skillet or pot. Then, process the mushrooms in batches until finely chopped and add to the onions.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, pepper, and vegan butter (or vegetable broth) over low heat until most of the moisture evaporates, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Then, process the roasted almonds in a food processor with the balsamic vinegar, scraping down the sides as needed, until the almonds become fine crumbles.
- Transfer the sautéed mushroom-onion mixture to the food processor with the blended almond mixture and process or pulse until desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
- Transfer to an air-tight container and chill overnight in the refrigerator to allow flavors to blend. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Serve with crackers or vegetables.
Notes
** If you don’t have a food processor or blender to process the almonds, use ½ cup almond butter and 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Stir very well to combine. Also, if you can’t eat almonds, try using a nut or seed you can enjoy (walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc).