There are many versions of this classic Vegan Mushroom & Lentil Pâté around, but this is the one I make over and over, to serve to guests and to snack on over the festive season.
This lovely vegan pate combines rich chestnut mushrooms, puy lentils in a smooth, luxurious tasting (but quite thrifty in reality!) blend that is perfect for winter snacking. Make a batch to take to a friend's house as a fancy get-together gift!
🍄Key Ingredients
- Chestnut Mushrooms: I love the taste of chestnut mushrooms, but you could use portabella or field mushrooms.
- Puy Lentils: Puy lentils have a lovely peppery, meaty taste that makes this pate really special. If you can't find puy lentils, substitute for green or beluga lentils. Don't use red lentils, it won't be the same.
- Dried porcini mushrooms: dried mushrooms that are soaked then added to the mixture, add a depth of mushroomy flavour that is just perfect.
- Brandy or Marsala wine: Added when cooking the mushrooms, a splash of brandy or wine adds a flavour that really brings out the mushroomyness of the mushrooms.
- Thyme and Rosemary: Both these herbs pair partilarly well with mushrooms and lentils, and add their fragrance to the whole, rounding it out. Fresh is best, but dried also will work.
- Optional Vegan Butter: to melt, then cool on top. For a classic effect! You can use a little of the butter when spreading onto your crackers or bread, to make the pate taste extra luxurious.
👩🍳How-To
For the full recipe and how-to instructions for the Vegan Mushroom & Lentil Pâté, please head to the recipe card below. These visual prompts are here to help you with the steps and how the recipe should look as you go along..
- If you're using uncooked lentils, pre-cook them in some stock until soft.
- Boil a kettle and soak the dried mushrooms in 150ml of water.
- Chop the fresh mushrooms into slices, along with garlic, and sautee in olive oil in a pan until the mushrooms reduce in size.
- Once the mushrooms are reduced, splash in the brandy/marsala and cook the alcohol off, to leave behind just the flavour!
Soak Porcini Mushrooms Cut Garlic & Chestnut Mushrooms Pan fry chesnut mushrooms
- Add the herbs, salt & pepper to taste and the soaked dried mushrooms and cook.
- Let the mushrooms cool a little.
- Add the mushrooms and lentils to your blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture is a little difficult to blend add some of the water from the soaked dried mushrooms.
- You want a thick, pate paste, that isn't too liquid. Taste and add more salt or pepper here if needed.
Add chopped dried mushrooms to the other mushrooms. Blend everything up. The pate should look like this.
- Once blended, spoon into jars or whatever you want to serve the pate in.
- Optional: Melt butter then pour over the top of the pate, and garnish with a sprig over rosemary. Leave in the fridge to set to make a layer of butter over the top.
Spoon the pate into jars. Top with melted vegan butter. Add a sprig of rosemary and allow to cool.
❓ FAQ
This recipe will store for up to 7 days in the fridge.
I do not recommend freezing the pate. If you do decide to, it might affect the texture, in which case, you could try whizzing it up in the blender again.
The butter layer is entirely up to you to use or not. It does look pretty to serve, but isn't necessary!
Yes, you can used either dried or fresh herbs.
You can substitute with white wine, or if you don't want to use alcohol, a little water and ½ teaspoon of sugar for sweetness.
I used simple kilner jars as they have a wide neck, but you can use any jar or ramekin you like.
🥨Serving Ideas
This recipe would be perfect to make for a vegan charcuterie board or cheese board.
Or why not try some of these other recipes for snacks and entertaining!
- Easy Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese
- Super Seed Crackers!
- Vegan Carrot and Caraway Puree on Rosemary Sea Salt Crackers
- Beautiful Beetroot Hummus Dip
If you love this idea, please share this post with your friends and comment below; this helps others find our yummy recipes!
Love & Vegan Yummies,
Louise & Vanessa xx
📖 Recipe
Classic Vegan Mushroom & Lentil Pâté
Equipment
- Jars or ramekins to serve.
Ingredients
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms
- 250 g cooked puy lentils
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 dried porcini mushrooms (you can also use dried shitake or other dried mushrooms. )
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 50 ml brandy, wine or marsala
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste.
To serve
- 50 g vegan butter
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
For the Pate
- Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 100ml water.
- Slice the chestnut mushrooms and garlic
- Sautee the mushrooms and garlic in a pan with the olive oil until they reduce and look a little browned.
- Remove the dried porcini from their water (save the water, you might need it later) and roughly chop.
- Add the soaked, dried porcini to the pan of mushrooms, along with the herbs. Cook a little.
- Add the wine/brandy/marsala and to the mushrooms and let it cook down. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Let the mushrooms cool a little then add them all to your blender. Also add the cooked lentils here too.
- Blend the pate until smooth. If it's a little difficult to blend, add a little of the soaked mushrooms water.
- The pate should be thick and smooth.
- Spoon the pate into clean, dry jars or ramekins that would be nice to serve in.
Optional extra
- Melt the vegan butter and pour over the pate in the ramekin so it forms a layer.
- Pop on a sprig of rosemary and put the pate in the fridge to chill.
To serve.
- Serve with plenty of crackers or fresh crusty bread.
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