This mushroom pâté is packed with savory flavor and surprisingly easy to make! This vegan and gluten-free spread makes a perfect party appetizer that everyone can enjoy.
Let me just say that I never expected pâté to be my thing. I never liked meat, and the idea of blended up meat that goes on a cracker just doesn't appeal to me at all.
So when I first got a request for a vegan pâté recipe I figured it would never happen. But then I started planning my holiday calendar and brainstorming for appetizer recipes, and it dawned on me: mushroom pâté. Ohhhh...this could be good!
Indeed, this turned out to be one of my favorite things ever. Who knew pâté could be so good?!
Jump to:
What is Pâté?
Traditional pâté is made from meat, usually liver. It's blended into a paste and sometimes shaped into a loaf. To be honest, I have no idea what it tastes like (though people tell me it's delicious).
What Does Vegan Pâté Taste Like?
I'm pretty confident that this stuff does not taste like meat-based pâté. But it is incredibly delicious!
This mushroom pâté tastes like (surprise!) mushrooms. But super intense, super delicious, very savory mushrooms, thanks to the inclusion of two types of mushrooms (cremini and oyster) as well as truffle oil.
I've added walnuts to give this vegan pâté some texture and a hint of nutty flavor.
If you're a fan of mushrooms and nuts you'll need to exercise some real self-restraint!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegan butter. You find this near the regular butter at most supermarkets. Look for brands like Earth Balance and Miyoko's.
- Fresh mushrooms. We're using a mix of cremini mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. I really like the balance of flavors and textures in this particular mix, but you can substitute other varieties of fresh mushrooms if they're not available. Button mushrooms, portobellos, oyster mushrooms, and maitake would all work well!
- Shallots.
- Garlic.
- Dry sherry. White wine works as a substitute if this isn't something you normally buy. You can also leave it out for an alcohol-free version of the dish. Make sure to check with Barnivore if and when you do buy your sherry, to ensure it's vegan.
- Fresh thyme. I don't recommend substituting dried thyme for this particular recipe.
- Walnuts. Other types of nuts that would work well include hazelnuts, pecans, and pine nuts.
- White truffle oil. This ingredient really packs the flavor into the recipe. Please don't skip it!
- Salt & pepper.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Pâté
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
This mushroom pâté is pretty easy to make!
- Start by heating up some vegan butter in a large skillet. Don't skimp on the butter here! Browning the mushrooms in butter will bring out their flavor. Now add sliced cremini mushrooms. They should fit nicely in a single layer in the skillet. If they don't, you'll want to cook them in two batches. Let the mushrooms cook for about 5 minutes on each side. By now they should be tender and lightly browned on both sides. Take them out of the skillet.
- Now add some more butter to the skillet and repeat that process using the oyster mushrooms. Because they're oddly shaped, it can be tough to flip each and every individual mushroom. Instead, I let them cook for a few minutes, give them a toss with a spatula, cook a few minutes more, and then give them one more toss. This usually gets them relatively evenly browned. Take the oyster mushrooms out of the skillet and add them to the plate with the cremini mushrooms.
- Add a bit more butter to the skillet, let it heat up, and add some shallots. Let the shallots cook for about 5 minutes, until they soften up, and then add some garlic. The garlic only needs about a minute to cook. Watch it carefully to avoid burning!
- Add some dry sherry and thyme to the skillet, and then return the mushrooms to the skillet. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and let it cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- The cooking is done! Time to blend the pâté. Transfer everything from the skillet to a food processor bowl and add some walnuts, truffle oil, and salt. Blend it up until it's as smooth or chunky as you like.
- You can serve your pâté immediately, or chill it for later. Pair it up with some bread slices or crackers.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegetarian pâté will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is!
Technically no. The recipe will work if you leave it out, but it just won't taste the same. Truffle oil adds so much flavor!
Serve it as an appetizer or snack, and be sure to pair it up with something to spread it on! I like my pâté on toasted baguette slices, but crackers work too.
More Vegan Dips & Spreads
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📖 Recipe
Amazingly Delicious Vegan Mushroom Pâté
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter, divided
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 8 ounces oyster mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 shallots)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons white truffle oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the cremini mushrooms in an even layer.
- Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, flip them, and cook them for about 5 minutes more, until tender and lightly browned on both sides.
- Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and transfer them to a plate
- Melt another 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet.
- Add the oyster mushrooms in an even layer.
- Cook the oyster mushrooms for about 10 minutes, flipping them two to three times, until tender and browned in spots.
- Remove the oyster mushrooms from the skillet.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet.
- Add the shallot and cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook it for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.
- Add the sherry and thyme, and return the mushrooms to the skillet.
- Give everything a stir and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off, then remove the skillet from the burner.
- Let the mixture cool for a few minutes while you gather the remaining ingredients.
- Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Add the walnuts and truffle oil.
- Blend the mixture until it's as smooth as you like it — anywhere from coarse and chunky, to a very smooth paste.
- Season the pâté with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with bread and/or crackers, or chill for later. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
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Solid recipe. I also tried a variant with chickpeas instead of walnuts, changed up the mushrooms for oyster, lion's mane, maitake, and baby bella, and tried fresh sage as the herb. Also delicious.
Delicious. Made day ahead. Just in case it needed to meld. Perfect consistency.
Very simple to make.omitted truffle oil. I thought it needed more than a tsp salt.
This recipe looks great, and I am going to make it for dinner party next week. I was wondering if substituting cognac for the sherry and flambé if it will still render a great tasting pate.
That sounds delicious! I haven't tried it myself so I can't say how it will work out, but I'm definitely intrigued. I'd love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!
For years before becoming vegan, I made a chicken liver pate that consistently got raves. I flambéed the sautéed chicken, livers in cognac, and so I started thinking, "I wonder if it would work for this recipe?" I will let you know how it goes!
Just when I was giving up on a search for mushroom pate for this holiday, (had lost all hope)... Then, boom check my newsletter, is from this awesome blog that I follow and love, there is a post for The recipe that literally makes my life easier! Thank you so much Alissa, for everything you post and share with us! 😊
I love your plant based blog!🌱
Yay! I was hoping this one would get some use for holiday celebrations. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks so much Beatriz!
Could you recommend a substitute for the walnuts? I’m allergic to many nuts. Wondering if I could sub almonds or pine nuts?
I think pine nuts would work! Almonds might be too hard. Roasted sunflower seeds might be another good choice, just be careful and adjust the amount of salt if you buy them salted. Enjoy!