Thyme and Balsamic Mushroom Pâté

Hands down on this thyme and balsamic mushroom pâté. This easy vegetarian spread is ridiculously simple, ready in minutes, and always makes the greatest effect at any gathering party among both vegetarian and non vegetarian people. Serve with toasts or crackers, and enjoy!

I got hooked at first bite, literally. This vegetarian mushroom pâté has become my new addiction and I couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you. But first, I made sure everyone felt the same about it; that I was not the only one with the weirdest tastes on earth to thinking this pâté was insanely good. And guess what? It worked on every single person who tried it. Everyone went crazy for this pâté, even those who on a regular basis are strongly reluctant to vegetarian or vegan options.

A vegetarian mushroom pâté

So what is this thyme and balsamic mushroom pâté all about? A handful of ingredients, herbs and seasoning is all you need to make the magic happen:

• Mushrooms: Common mushrooms such as cremini or Portobello are perfect for the recipe.
• Garlic: Minced garlic brings a little kick to the mushrooms.
• Balsamic vinegar brings a rich and slightly sweet flavor to the pâté.
• Fresh thyme: This fragrant culinary herb makes the pâté flavor pop.
• Fresh goat cheese softens the all mixture and brings a smooth, creamy texture to the whole spread. If you don’t like the strong flavors of goat cheese, you can replace it with plain cream cheese, neutral in taste, with similar results.
• Don’t forget to season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adjusting seasoning as you taste.

What if I want to make it vegan? Vegan option is possible by simply replacing the fresh goat cheese with cashew cheese or cashew paste. Or for healthier/skinny version, you can simply skip the cheese entirely and keep the mushroom spread with just garlic, balsamic vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper.

How to make mushroom pâté + variations

It’s almost too simple to make this vegetarian mushroom pâté:

1. First, mix mushrooms, garlic and thyme in a food processor until almost smooth (you want to keep some texture).
2. Then, sauté the mixture in a pan with some butter for a couple of minutes.
3. Add balsamic vinegar and cook a little longer until all liquid is absorbed.
4. Finally add the cheese and stir immediately.

Variations to the recipe: The recipe is easily adaptable depending on the ingredients you have at hand or following your personal tastes. Here are a few possible variations to the recipe you can consider:

• Replace thyme with sage. It will be slightly different in taste but still very good.
• Add a handful of walnuts or hazelnuts to the food processor.
• Add 1/2 minced shallot to the food processor.
• Go without the cheese or replace with vegan cheese (using one or two Tablespoons cashew paste/spread)
• Add a little kick to your mushroom pâté, using freshly ground chili pepper.

What to serve with mushroom pâté?

Because we use it as an appetizer, it’s easy to serve mushroom pâté on fresh baguette (like French do!) or with crackers. Here are a few options I consider to serve along with this thyme and balsamic mushroom pâté:

• With plain or multiseed crackers as an appetizer or along with a warm bowl of soup
• With this super easy no-knead bread, or any other easy bread version (whole-wheat, fig and walnut, multiseed bread)
• You could also use it to garnish this Tarte Soleil Appetizer
• And even make a vegetarian sandwich out of it for a quick, healthy lunch option!

What to drink with this pâté? Wine is to me the best option, either a dry white wine or a light red wine would do. Beer could also go very well.

More vegetarian spreads and dips:

• Roasted Beet Pesto
• Baba Ganoush
• Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
• Harissa Cauliflower Walnut Dip
• Carrot and Turmeric Hummus

Thyme and Balsamic Mushroom Pâté

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Yield: 1-2 jars 1x
• Category: Savory
• Cuisine: Plant-based

Hands down on this thyme and balsamic mushroom pâté. This easy vegetarian spread is ridiculously simple, ready in minutes, and always makes the greatest effect at any gathering party among both vegetarian and non vegetarian people. Serve with toasts or crackers, and enjoy!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 15–16 ounces (450g) fresh mushrooms (such as cremini mushrooms), cleaned, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 Tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 60g fresh goat cheese*

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Instructions

1. In a food processor, crush mushrooms with garlic and thyme until puréed but keeping some texture to it.
2. Heat butter in a sauté pan, then throw in the mushroom paste, stirring for about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add balsamic vinegar and cook for one more minute until any remaining liquid is absorbed.
3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the fresh goat cheese and stir immediately to allow the cheese to melt in contact of the hot mushroom texture.
4. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool for about 30 minutes before serving on toasts or crackers.

Notes

* If you do not like the taste of goat cheese, you can replace it with some plain cream cheese that will bring a neutral taste to the pâté but still add some creaminess to it.

Appetizers, Christmas, Fall, Healthy, Mushrooms, Vegetarian, Winter

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Thyme and Balsamic Mushroom Pâté, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!