Mushroom Pâté (Vegan)

Pâté is one of those foods I didn’t miss after going vegan, but I’m obsessed with creating this mushroom pate recipe. In my pre-vegan life, eating pâté was a rare occasion. However, it reminds me of when I did a high school exchange in France. I was lucky enough to return to France recently as an adult to visit my old host family. I wanted to impress them with vegan versions of French classics, so I had to give vegan pâté a go!

Not only does it look very similar to meat-based pâté, but it has all the umami flavor of the original. It’s perfect in a baguette with lettuce and cornichons – this is known as sandwich campagnard (aka country sandwich). However, it’s probably most commonly eaten as an appetizer on Christmas or New Year’s Eve occasions.

This recipe has reached 1,000,000 views on my Instagram and TikTok combined! Hundreds of people have also tested it, so jump on the trend and try it yourself.

What is vegan pâté made of?

The primary difference between regular meat and vegan pates is that the latter contains no animal products. Vegan pate typically includes vegetables, seeds, herbs, and seasonings. Use a generous amount of seasoning, earthy vegetables, fungi, and a suitably French fat, and voila! You will have a surprisingly rich and ‘meaty’ spread. The key ingredients in this homemade vegan pâté are mushrooms, nutritional yeast, miso paste, soy sauce, onion, and olive oil. Commercially made vegan pates are hard to come by, depending on where you live. However, I did manage to find this ‘Faux Gras’ by Gaia during my trip to France. It’s made from nutritional yeast, coconut oil, potato starch, tomato pulp, organic champagne, plus other oils, spices and seasonings.

Does mushroom pâté freeze well?

I am pleased to report that this mushroom pâté does freeze well! A follower on Instagram kindly tested this for me.

Freezing is an excellent option if you want to make your pâté ahead of time for Christmas. It’s also handy to keep the pâté fresh in smaller portions and enjoy a little bit at a time.

Tips for freezing mushroom pâté

• After blending the pâté, transfer it into an airtight freezer-friendly container and pour the olive oil/vegan butter over the top.
•  Place into the freezer immediately for optimum freshness; don’t refrigerate first.
•  Thawing – for best results, thaw overnight by placing the sealed container on your kitchen bench or in the fridge. If you’re short on time, you *can* microwave the pate in a pinch. However, it’s best to do so slowly on a defrost setting to avoid unevenly heating and reducing the texture quality.
•  Don’t thaw and re-freeze; it will affect the texture as ice crystals may form and make the pate less creamy. It could also make you sick, as thawing and re-freezing creates more opportunities for bacteria to develop.

Is vegan pâté good for you?

This vegan mushroom pâté recipe is a lighter alternative to traditional meat-based pâtés. Swapping out animal products means less saturated fat; mushrooms are a source of Vitamin D, selenium, and B vitamins. Additionally, the nutritional yeast in this recipe offers essential amino acids and is high in B vitamins. The garlic and onions can help improve heart health by reducing cholesterol levels. Furthermore, olive oil adds beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids that can help reduce inflammation. Altogether, this vegan mushroom pâté is a great way to get the taste of French cuisine without sacrificing your health.

What do you need to make mushroom pâté?

Vegan pâté sounds fancy, but it isn’t hard to make with this simple and delicious recipe! To start, you will need to gather up your ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to buy:

• Portobello mushrooms
•  Olive oil
•  Brown onion
•  Pine nuts
•  Dried thyme leaves
•  Fresh garlic
•  Lemon or fresh lemon juice
•  Light miso paste
•  Vegan beef stock
•  Nutritional yeast
•  Panko breadcrumbs
•  Soy sauce

How to make a vegan pâté

Follow along with this step-by-step guide to make your vegan paté. You’ll find all the exact times, temperatures, and measurements in the recipe card below:

Step one: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add onion; stir for a few minutes. Add garlic and pine nuts, and cook until fragrant.

Step two: Add portobello mushrooms and thyme leaves to the pan; sauté until the mushrooms soften.

Step three: In a bowl, whisk miso paste into hot stock until dissolved.

Step four: In a separate bowl, combine panko crumbs and nutritional yeast; pour the miso–stock mixture over the crumbs and let soak.

Step five: Combine the soaked breadcrumb–miso mixture into the mushroom pan; stir until everything is well incorporated.

Step six: Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.

Step seven: Spoon into an airtight container. If you plan to freeze it, pour a thin layer of olive oil or vegan butter on top before sealing.

When ready to serve, slice some crunchy French baguette slices into small portions, then top them off with generous spoonfuls of creamy mushroom pâté – bon appétit!

Substitutions for ingredients in Mushroom Pâté

If you’re looking for a delicious vegan pâté recipe, look no further! For best results, it’s best to use the ingredients listed, but below are some of my Vegan Diaries approved substitutions if you’re in a pinch:

• Portobello mushrooms – these can be replaced with Cremini mushrooms or Button mushrooms. Remember that Button mushrooms are just younger portobello mushrooms harvested earlier. Because of this, they will have a less earthy flavor, which may make the final result taste milder.
• You can replace pine nuts with walnuts. The definitive flavor will be slightly different, but walnuts and mushrooms are also delicious.
•  Vegan beef stock can be tricky to find in some countries like the UK. Mushroom or vegetable stock will work fine if you struggle to see it.

FAQs

Conclusion

Look no further if you’re looking for a unique vegan appetizer to serve at your next dinner party! Not only is this pate simple to make, but it also freezes well, so you can prepare it beforehand. This page is packed with healthy ingredients like mushrooms and nutritional yeast. It skips out on many saturated fats from animal products, making it a lighter way to enjoy French cuisine. If you’re a Francophile like me, try some of my other French-inspired recipes like Cheezy Cauliflower Gratin, French Onion Soup, or my viral Mushroom Galette and Mushroom Bourguignon recipes. And if you’ve tried it this pâté, I’d love to know what you thought – please leave a comment below 🙂

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Mushroom Pâté (Vegan)

A rich, savory mushroom and pine nut spread with deep umami flavor. Perfect as a vegan pâté for sandwiches, crostini, or special-occasion appetizers.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Chilling time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 serves

Calories 136kcal

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 16 oz portobello mushrooms sliced; approx. 450g
• ½ cup pine nuts approx. 71g
• 1 tsp thyme leaves fresh or dried
• 1 tsp miso paste white or yellow miso
• 1 tsp vegan beef-style stock powder or bouillon; e.g. Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base
• 1¼ cups hot water approx. 300ml
• ½ cup nutritional yeast approx. 28g
• 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs approx. 75g
• ½ lemon juiced; approx. 1 tbsp lemon juice (15ml)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten-fre

Topping

• 2 tbsp vegan butter or margarine, or substitute olive oil; approx. 30g

Instructions

• In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, until soft and translucent.
• Add the garlic and pine nuts to the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly golden and fragrant.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and thyme. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and have released most of their moisture.
• In a small bowl, stir the miso paste and vegan stock base into the hot water until dissolved. In a separate bowl, combine the nutritional yeast with the panko breadcrumbs, then stir in the miso stock mixture. Let sit briefly to absorb.
• Add the soaked breadcrumb mixture, lemon juice, and soy sauce to the pan with the mushrooms. Cook for 3–5 more minutes over low heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens and no excess liquid remains.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. Blend until mostly smooth or leave a bit of texture if preferred. If needed, add a small splash of water to help the blender along.
• Spoon the pâté into a small serving dish or ramekin. Melt the vegan butter and pour it over the top as a sealing layer (or use olive oil if preferred). Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until firm.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg