Crafted from a base of mushrooms, cashews, and dried herbs, this vegan pâté is incredibly meaty, buttery, and so rustic! Enjoy it as a spread on French bread, toast, or as an addition to your sandwiches!
⭐️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Rich and meaty. This vegan pâté mimics the meaty texture and flavor of traditional pâté. It’s rich and buttery and has a firm yet spreadable consistency.
- Packed with bold flavors. Say goodbye to bland vegan pâté! Combining sautéed mushrooms, soy sauce, black pepper, and dried herbs like thyme and rosemary yields a superbly seasoned pâté. You will want to use it everywhere!
- Versatile. Spread pâté on toast and crackers, or use it as a base to prepare banh mi and sandwiches!
- Simple ingredients. This hearty and rustic pâté can be made with just 10 easy-to-find ingredients and a few spices.
📘 What is Pâté
Pâté is a savory spread prepared from finely ground meat and seasonings. It is usually seasoned with herbs, spices, and sometimes alcohol, such as cognac, to enhance the flavor. While its exact origins are unclear, many references point to the fact that pâté originated in France during the Middle Ages.
This plant-based version swaps the meat for mushrooms and cashews for a delicious plant-based alternative!
🍄 Ingredient Notes
Preparing this pâté is easy and requires basic ingredients you probably already have. Here is what you will need:
- Mushrooms – All kinds of mushrooms work. I usually go with cremini mushrooms, but you can use oysters, king oysters, or portobello. Mushrooms are responsible for the main flavor here, so I do not recommend any substitution.
- Onions and garlic – For a natural sweetness and a deeper flavor. If you are not a fan of onions, feel free to use shallots.
- Soy sauce – For saltiness and umami. Use coconut aminos for a gluten-free version.
- Cashews – Cashews help create a richer texture and improve the overall texture. Use raw cashews, not the roasted ones. You can replace the cashews with other raw nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, or pine nuts.
- Vegan butter – For richness and to help the pâté set once chilled. You can use homemade vegan butter or store-bought.
- Cacao powder – Optional. Cacao powder gives the pâté a slightly darker and more appealing color. Don’t worry. You cannot taste it!
- Sandwich bread – It helps thicken the pâté a little bit and improves the mouthfeel. Again, if you want to make this pâté gluten-free, use gluten-free sandwich bread.
- Dried herbs – Rosemary, thyme, ground black pepper, and nutmeg. To season.
- Cognac or brandy – Optional, although recommended. A couple of tablespoons of cognac enhances the overall flavor of the pâté, giving it a more authentic aroma.
🥣 How to Make It
Prepare the pâté
- Soak the bread. Cut the sandwich bread into slices or cubes and place it in a bowl. Pour in the almond milk. Let the bread soak while you cook the mushrooms.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onions until they are caramelized. This step will bring a ton of flavor, so make sure to cook the onions until they really start to brown.
- Cook the mushrooms. Once done, add the garlic and the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.
- Deglaze. Next, deglaze the pan with soy sauce and season with ground black pepper. At this point, you can add the alcohol of your choice and cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow it to evaporate.
- Process the cashews. Add the cashews to a high-speed blender and blend them until you get cashew flour. It’s okay if some larger pieces remain. It will only add to the texture of the pâté.
- Transfer the mushrooms to the blender. Next, transfer the mushrooms, soaked bread, melted vegan butter, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, sugar, and salt to the blender.
- Blend. Blend, scraping down the sides from time to time until you get a very slightly chunky texture. If you want your pâté to be smoother, blend longer. That is up to you.
Bake
Once you have blended everything into a slightly chunky texture, it’s time to bake the pâté. To do so:
- Transfer to jars. Transfer the pâté mixture to two 7-ounce jars or one larger one.
- Bake. Bake the pâté in a 350°F (175°C) preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
- Let cool and refrigerate. Remove the jars from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature before transferring them to the refrigerator. Enjoy chilled!
📔 Tips
- Do not over-process. For a rustic pâté, do not blend the mixture too long. Otherwise, it will lose its texture and won’t be as meaty.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings. After blending the mixture, taste it and adjust the saltiness to your liking. You can also add more herbs or spices if you want.
🌰 Variations
This pâté recipe is versatile, so feel free to play with the seasonings and add-ins! Here are a few ideas:
- Make it spicy. Give a chorizo-like flavor by adding 2 tablespoons of chorizo seasoning.
- Give it more texture. Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chestnuts, or even raisins for a hint of sweetness.
- Play with the herbs. Substitute your favorite Italian seasoning for the dried herbs, or add a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
🥖 Where to Use Vegan Pâté
- Sandwiches: For a quick, fresh, and flavorful sandwich, spread a generous spoonful (or two) of pâté on sandwich bread, top with fresh tomato slices, green salad, a few slices of your favorite vegan cheese, and you’re ready to go!
- Toasts or crackers: Spread this pâté on toasted bread or small crackers for a delicious appetizer.
- Tarts: Use the pâté as a base for the bottom of a tart. Spread a thick layer of pâté on a pie crust and top with vegetables before baking.
- Bánh mì: If you love bánh mì, pâté is mandatory!
This pâté is best eaten chilled, although you can let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes if you want it to soften a bit.
❄️ Storing and Freezing
- To store: Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To freeze: Transfer the pâté to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
💬 FAQ
Yes, you can omit the cashews. The pâté won’t taste as rich but will still be delicious.
Before baking, the mixture should look like a very thick bolognese. It will firm up after baking and even more as it cools.
You can steam the pâté in a steamer for 20-25 minutes instead of baking.
The jars should be open during baking.
You actually should make it ahead of time, as it tastes best after chilling overnight in the refrigerator.
I hope you are going to love this vegan pâté! It’s super meaty, creamy, and so flavorful! It has become a staple here, and I use it everywhere!
🥖 More Meat Alternatives
Note: This recipe was first released in March 2020 and was updated in October 2023 with new photos and process shots.
Prevent your screen from going dark
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F (175°C). Soak the bread. Cut the sandwich bread into slices or cubes and place it in a bowl. Pour in the almond milk. Let the bread soak while you cook the mushrooms.
Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onions until they are caramelized. This step will bring a ton of flavor, so make sure to cook the onions until they really start to brown.
Cook the mushrooms. Once done, add the garlic and the mushrooms and sauté for a 3-5 minutes.
Deglaze. Next, deglaze the pan with the soy sauce and season with ground black pepper. At this point, you can add the alcohol of your choice and cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow it to evaporate. Remove from heat and set aside.
Process the cashews. Add the cashews to a high-speed blender and blend them until you get cashew flour. It’s okay if some larger pieces remain. It will only add to the texture of the pâté.
Transfer the mushrooms to the blender. Next, transfer the mushrooms, soaked bread, melted vegan butter, cacao powder, sugar, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, and salt to the blender.
Blend. Blend, scraping down the sides from time to time until you get a very slightly chunky texture. If you want your pâté to be smoother, blend longer. That is up to you.
Transfer to jars. Transfer the pâté mixture to two 7-ounce jars or one larger one.
Bake. Bake the pâté in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
Let cool and refrigerate. Remove the jars from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature before transferring them to the refrigerator. Enjoy chilled!
This pâté can be eaten chilled with toasted bread, or spread on bagels, sandwiches, etc! Pâté will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
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- Do not over-process. For a rustic pâté, do not blend the mixture too long. Otherwise, it will lose its texture and won’t be as meaty.
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- Taste and adjust the seasonings. After blending the mixture, taste it and adjust the saltiness to your liking. You can also add more herbs or spices if you want.
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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