Vegan pate: Why eat it and a DIY recipe

vegan mushroom pate on a wooden chopping board

What is vegan pate? Why eat it and how do you make it? We explain all – and show you how to make vegan mushroom pate – in this article.

Veganism is growing in popularity by the day.

According to The Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK quadrupled between 2014 and 2019…

2020 became the year that every one of the top UK supermarkets introduced their own vegan range of food
Vegan food orders on Deliveroo increased by 115% between November 2019 and November 2020
And more than a quarter of evening meals in the UK are vegan or vegetarian.¹

The stats just keep on coming and continue to show that the appetite for switching to a vegan diet appears to be showing no sign of letting up anytime soon.

In fact, it’s predicted that vegans and vegetarians will make up a quarter of the UK population by 2025.

While the meat-free market is estimated to grow from £559million in 2016 to £658million in 2021²

For instance, if you were to whip up a pate, using cannellini beans, walnuts, fresh herbs and mushrooms, then you could be getting these nutrients:⁶

Protein, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and Omega 3 from the walnuts
Calcium, protein and copper from the beans
Iron, calcium and Vitamin B6 from the herbs
Vitamin D, choline and selenium from the mushrooms

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Nutrition

This easy vegan pate is the perfect starter or lunch time dish and is great for using up those Christmas leftovers! Give this vegan mushroom pate recipe a whirl.⁷

Vegan

Easy

Ingredients

200g chopped mushrooms
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
60g walnuts
Water (for blending)

Method

Dice the onions, finely chop the garlic and chop the mushrooms.

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and then add the onions and fry for a couple of minutes until they start to turn translucent.

Add the garlic, mushrooms, pepper and herbs.

Continue to fry until the mushrooms have shrunk down and their liquid has evaporated. If the mushrooms are a bit dry, add a splash of water.

Remove from the heat and stir in the soy or tamari sauce.

In another pan, toast the walnuts over a medium high heat until they’re golden brown. Stir frequently.

When the nuts and mushrooms have cooled down enough, combine them in a blender. Blend whilst gradually adding a splash of water until you have a spreadable texture. (The amount of water you need will vary, so start off slowly. If you have a high-speed blender, you may not need to add any).

Add salt to taste and blend again before serving.

The benefits of eating vegan pate

Well, if you’re vegan and you happen to love pate, then one of the main, and most obvious, benefits is that you still get to eat it!

Secondly, there are some health benefits to eating vegan pate, depending on what it’s been made from or what you’ve chosen to make it with (if you’re making it yourself, that is).

What do vegans eat?

Well, as the stat immediately above indicates, vegans don’t eat any food that comes from animals, such as meat, dairy products and eggs. But they do eat plants and food that’s made from plants.3

What vegans DO EAT⁴

Fruit and veg
Nuts and seeds
Dairy alternatives, such as soy, almond and coconut milk
Legumes, e.g. peas, lentils and beans
Vegetable oils
Bread, rice and pasta

What vegans DON’T EAT

Beef, pork, lamb, and other red meat
Chicken, duck, and other poultry
Fish and shellfish
Eggs
Mayonnaise (because it’s made from egg yolks)
Dairy products, e.g. cream, cheese, butter milk
Honey

Pate is typically made from animals, usually ground cow, pig, liver or fish, so is one of the foods that can’t be eaten on a vegan diet.⁵ We say ‘typically’ because it’s also possible to have vegan pate that’s not made from animal products and can therefore be enjoyed by vegans.