- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 3 cups
- Serving size: ½ cup
- Print/save recipe
When you’re ready to wow a crowd with a plant-based party appetizer, this vegan pâté is sure to do the trick. The key to its savory flavor lies in the porcini mushrooms, which have a rich, earthy flavor that needs little embellishment (not even added salt!). Look for dried porcinis online and in well-stocked supermarkets. Lentils, meanwhile, give the healthy pâté a meaty mouthfeel and spreadable texture, while shallots add tangy sweetness to complement the savory shrooms. Perfect for spreading on crackers or slices of a whole wheat baguette, this killer spread will soon become a staple of your vegan charcuterie boards.
For more party-worthy fare, check out these healthy vegan appetizers:
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped shallots
- ½ cup green or brown lentils
- ½ oz. dried porcini mushrooms, broken into pieces (½ cup)
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrot
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the first seven ingredients (through bay leaf) and 3 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are soft.
- Drain lentil mixture, reserving the liquid; remove bay leaf. Place lentil mixture and pepper in a food processor; pulse until chopped. If needed, add reserved cooking liquid, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed for a smooth, spreadable consistency. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Per serving (½ cup): 81 calories, 16 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g protein, 0.2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 8 mg sodium, 2.8 g fiber, 3 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (9)
(4 from 5 votes)Very bland as is, but it has potential. For 2’nd batch I added extra 1/4 cp shallots, 2 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 TBS mushroom powder. and doubled balsamic. I also sweated the shallots, carrots and garlic.
I read you comment glad I did! I tripled the garlic and few big dashes of salt and used a balsamic reduction instead of just balsamic vinegar. Then after blending I added some coconut oil and more salt. Now I'm liking it!
This was easy to make and liked how it looked but found it had a bland taste.
Flavour was pretty bland on its own. I had to add a healthy bit of salt to amplify the flavours.
I tried this recipe when it first came out. Was very excited as I’m always looking for ways to eat more mushrooms. My son came home from a friends house & loved the vegan pate so thought I’d make this one. Sadly this recipe did not work out for us. Taste, texture, no one liked it. I asked the mom if she could share her recipe. Well, of course my son liked it, it was junk food vegan, loaded with oil & salt! Still looking for a decent wfpbsos free pate. I gave it 2 stars as I think it’s a good idea & someone else may like it. Thank you for the effort in creating this recipe.
Would dried oysters mushrooms work here?
Hi ACC, Dried oyster mushrooms are usually a good substitute for dried porcini, so we think they'd probably work well in this recipe. Please let us know how it goes—we love it when our readers experiment with different ingredients! Thank you, Courtney Davison Editor, Forks Over Knives
Can this be divided and frozen?
Hi Theresa, While we haven't tried it ourselves, we think that should work just fine. Be sure to thaw it on the counter for an hour or so before you're ready to serve. Let us know how it goes!