Savoury and flavourful – this mushroom walnut pate makes a delicious plant-based appetizer or snack!
If you’re entertaining, serve it up with some sliced baguette or crackers. But don’t let not having a party hold you back from making this recipe, it’s also delicious as a snack, spread on a sandwich, or even a slice of toast.
It all starts with some chopped red onion, cremini mushrooms, and olive oil. Cook those over medium heat until the onions and mushrooms begin to brown. Then add in minced garlic, herbs, and balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Cook for a few minutes longer.
Now it’s time to add that mixture to a food processor with toasted walnuts, miso, dijon, fresh parsley, and spices. Blend it up until until the pate is smooth and spreadable. Serve it fresh or let it cool in the fridge and serve cold.
Mushroom Walnut Pate
Serve up this flavourful vegan appetizer with some sliced baguette for a delicious party dish!
Ingredients
- 1 cup red onion (chopped)
- 2.5 cup cremini mushrooms (chopped)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp rosemary (minced)
- 1 tsp thyme (chopped)
- 1 cup walnuts (toasted and unsalted)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
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Add onion, mushrooms and olive oil to a pan and sauté over medium heat until the onions and mushrooms soften and start to caramelize.
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Deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar and add in chopped rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
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Let the mushroom and onion mixture cool slightly before adding it to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until the pate becomes smooth and spreadable. Once blended, test the flavour and add salt (or any other ingredients) to taste.
*You may need to scrape down the sides of your food processor when blending.
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Serve immediately or store pate in the fridge. Pate is traditionally served between cold and room temperature.
Want to serve up more delicious plant-based appies? Check out my pea pesto and dairy-free tzatziki recipes!
If you make this mushroom walnut pate, be sure to tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see.
I made this twice over the holidays! My family is french and my mom always makes her famous pate (with chicken liver). I recently moved to a more plant-based diet and was looking for good alternatives. I made this for the whole family and it was gone before the other apero items! Sooooo good.
Ah amazing! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it 🙂
This came out so well! I’ve shared the recipe. Thank you for posting it. Just a heads up we are oil free in our house and it is completely doable. 🙂
Also, I substituted the whole cup of walnuts for half cup walnut, half cup pecan. I did this in order to give it a little varied depth in flavor. I highly recommend doing the same sometime. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review and sharing your modifications 🙂
Just made this with Shitake mushrooms as needed using. Absolutely delicious, rich and full of flavour. Thank you for this recipe, will definitely be passing onto the rest of my vegan family.
I made it today for the first time and it is delicious.
Hi! This recipe looks delicious. Are the rosemary and thyme fresh?
I use fresh, but you should be able to sub dried. Just use a bit less as dried will have a more concentrated flavour.
Is there something that I can use in place of miso? I won’t be able to get it in my small town…what about a little vegemite? Thank you!
Yes, I think you could probably use vegemite. I’d start with less at first and then adjust to your taste. You could also omit the miso and just adjust the salt to taste. But vegemite would probably add a more complex flavour than salt alone.
I made this for a New Years Eve gathering with vegan-gluten free friends. It was outstanding. The only thing I think I would do differently would be to purée it a bit longer, it was more like a rustic pate but delicious.
Delicious!!!! Tasted amazing just as the recipe was written, but I wanted a little more funk flavor in mine so I added some Nooch, about 2 tablespoons, a quarter cup of white wine,, and a dash of Worcestershire
Yum, love how you made it your own!
Is there a substitute for white miso?
You can leave it out and add a little more salt, to taste. Or add a dash of soy sauce, that would add salt and help with a more complex flavour.
Thank you so much for this recipe. My friends go crazy for it and always demand I make it if they are coming over. Truth is I love it as well. It is perfect to spread on a fresh baguette and is an absolute taste sensation. I have made a lot of mediocre mushrooms pate’s looking for the perfect recipe and you have nailed it
Thanks for the sweet comment! I’m so glad you and your friends enjoy the pate 🙂