This Vegan Mushroom Pâté with Walnuts makes perfect make-ahead starter, snack or spread. It's a versatile and easy to make recipe that is packed full of flavour and enjoyed by both veggie and meat eaters alike!
Vegan mushroom pâté has been one of our favourite sandwich fillings since we've decided to go plant based.
Not only is it super simple to make, nutritious and full of flavour but the fact that it is devoured by my kids and hubby who's not a fan of mushrooms (and that's putting it mildly) speaks volumes.
My vegan mushroom pâté recipe is made with the addition of walnuts, lentils, beetroot (for that authentic pink hue) and beautifully fragrant fresh herbs (thyme and sage).
Vega Mushroom Pâté - Ingredients & substitutions
The ingredients in this pâté are beautifully wholesome and nutritious and I bet my bottom dollar that you would have no idea it is actually vegan as it tastes so rich and almost meaty.
Mushrooms - Whenever I can I like to use chestnut mushrooms but if regular button mushrooms are all you've got, they're fine too! You could also use some portobello mushrooms if you wanted too.
Cooked Puy lentils - They give lovely substance to the pâté as well as extra goodness and of course flavour. I like to use these cooked Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils in a pouch.
You could also use cooked brown or green lentils instead. If you go for tinned lentils, make sure to drain and give them a good rinse under the tap first.
Walnuts - Pretty self-explanatory as it's Mushroom and Walnut Pâté. Personally, I don't think any other nuts would be a good substitution for walnuts but you could give it a go.
I usually don't toast the walnuts before blending but feel free to do so.
Cooked beetroot - A small amount of cooked beetroot will magically transform your mushroom pâté from brown to slightly pink.
Beetroot doesn't really impart the flavour but beside the colour it will also provide that extra moisture that really improves the consistency of your pâté.
Feel free to use plain vacuum packed beetroots here (not the ones that are flavoured or in vinegar though). If you'd rather cook your own, make sure to check out my guide on "How to cook beetroot".
Small red onion - Feel free to substitute it with small white onion or perhaps a shallot.
Extras - They include garlic, soy sauce, fresh herbs (thyme and sage) and some sunflower seeds too.
Feel free to play around with fresh herbs you're using. You could use fresh rosemary leaves instead of thyme. Some oregano or parsley would work nicely too.
Do I need melted butter layer on top of my mushroom pâté?
The layer of melted butter on top of your pâté helps to preserve it that bit longer and also looks nice.
If you decide not to go for it, make sure you keep your pâté really well covered in the fridge to prevent it from drying out and forming a crust which isn't visually very appealing even though not harmful.
If you know you'd be using this mushroom pâté very soon after making it and as a filling for crepes or in pasta (see serving suggestions below) then feel free to leave the butter layer out.
Storing and freezing
If stored properly, this pâté will last in the fridge even up to a week! For best flavour make sure to bring it to room temperature before serving.
Once butter on top has set I would gently cover the pots/ramekins with some beeswax wrap or whatever wraps you tend to use in your kitchen just to protect it further.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend freezing this pâté as it could affect its taste and texture.
Vegan Mushroom Pâté serving suggestions
As I have already mentioned, we enjoy this delicious pâté all year round as a simple filling for our sandwiches. We especially love it with my Easy Wholemeal No Knead Bread.
It will also make a fantastic appetiser/starter/party nibble served with little crostini, toasted sourdough or on top of blini pancakes. Make sure you offer some sweet and sour gherkin slices on the side too as they're match made in heaven!
You could also use it as a filling for timeless puff pastry vol-au-vents. Who doesn't like a little retro nibble!
Take it one step further and stir it through pasta as you would pesto. You can loosen it a bit with a touch of vegan cream, plant/nut milk or even starchy pasta water will do. It is a huge hit with my kids!
And last but definitely not least, why not use it as a filling for savoury pancakes (crêpes)?
How to make Mushroom Pâté
Start with preparing all your ingredients as per recipe card below.
Heat up couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry sliced mushrooms and onions (with a pinch of salt) until they start to soften.
Add finely chopped/minced garlic, some fresh thyme and chopped sage leaves (or whatever herbs you're using) and fry for another couple of minutes.
Transfer mushroom and onion mixture into food processor and add all the remaining ingredients with the exception of sunflower seeds and blend until smooth.
Add handful of sunflower seeds and give the mixture another quick blend. It is more to incorporate the seeds into the mixture rather than to puree them. You can also leave the seeds out completely if you prefer completely smooth pâté.
Transfer pâté mixture into small dishes/ramekins and decorate with some fresh herbs/peppercorns etc.
Melt some vegan butter and gently spoon it over the pâté. Pop your dishes into the fridge too cool down and for the butter to set.
Have you tried my Vegan Mushroom & Walnut Pâté?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below.
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Some more party favourites you might enjoy
Vegetarian Sausage Rolls Recipe
Smoked Mackerel Pâté with Horseradish
Vegan Vegetable Fritters
Easy Cheese Puffs (Gougères)
Party Sausages with Honey & Mustard Glaze
📋 Recipe
Vegan Mushroom Pâté with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon rapeseed/olive oil
- 175-185 g chestnut mushrooms sliced, see notes
- 250 g cooked puy lentils see notes
- 75 g walnuts
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced, see notes
- 1 large garlic clove finely chopped or minced
- 30 g approx. ½ small, cooked beetroot see notes
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- fresh thyme and sage leaves see notes
- 15-20 g a handful of sunflower seeds optional
- 50 g vegan butter melted
- fresh thyme, sage leaves & peppercorns for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients as per above.
- Heat up couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry sliced mushrooms and onions (with a pinch of salt) until they start to soften.
- Add finely chopped/minced garlic, some fresh thyme and chopped sage leaves (or whatever herbs you’re using) and fry for another couple of minutes.
- Transfer mushroom and onion mixture into food processor and add all the remaining ingredients with the exception of sunflower seeds and blend until smooth.
- Add handful of sunflower seeds and give the mixture another quick blend. It is more to incorporate the seeds into the mixture rather than to puree them. You can also leave the seeds out completely if you prefer completely smooth pâté.
- Transfer pâté mixture into small dishes/ramekins and decorate with some fresh herbs/peppercorns etc.
- Melt some vegan butter and gently spoon it over the pâté. Pop your dishes into the fridge too cool down and for the butter to set.
- Once butter has set, cover the dishes gently with beeswax wraps or whatever wraps you're using to prevent pâté from drying out.
- Enjoy as starter/appetiser, in sandwiches etc. Check out serving suggestions above.
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving based on 8 servings and should be treated as a guideline only.
- Feel free to use regular button mushrooms instead. You could also use portobellos.
- Puy lentils can be substituted with cooked green or brown lentils. If using tinned lentils, make sure to drain and rinse them thoroughly first.
- Use ½ small white onion or 1 shallot instead of red onion.
- Feel free to use cooked, vacuum packed beetroot here. Just make sure it isn't flavoured or packed in vinegar.
- I like to use fresh thyme leaves (use as much or as little as you want) and about 5 sliced sage leaves in my pâté. Feel free to use dried herbs instead.
- Feel free to use different herbs like fresh rosemary or parsley.
- Mushroom & Walnut Pâté can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Freezing not recommended.
- For best flavour, bring it to room temperature before serving.
Yvette says
Amazing. Made this as a starter for vegan friend they loved it so much they took the leftovers home. Would definitely make again.
joskitchenlarder says
Hi Yvette, Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! So pleased to hear it was such a hit! 🙂
Mim says
Made this omitting the beetroot - didn’t like the lurid red colour as it reminded me too much of blood. Also, beeswax wraps are not vegan so I put pate in a small kilner type jar with lid, topped pate with melted vegan butter and a couple of sliced pimento stuffed olives and a sprig of thyme. It didn’t last long though, eaten up within a day. Tasty.
joskitchenlarder says
Hi Mim, Many thanks for the feedback, I'm really pleased you enjoyed the pate! Yes, I'm aware beeswax wraps are not vegan but that's what I choose to use in my now mostly plant based kitchen 🙂 Lidded Kilner jar works great for pates for sure and I do love your addition of olive slices on top, yum! 🙂
Choclette says
Mushroom pate is just fabulous. It's so easy to make and it's just perfect for my lunchtime sandwiches. I love your addition of beetroot, it gives it such a lovely colour.
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Choclette! It is definitely one of our sandwich staples too. 🙂