Dietary Notes: Vegan | Gluten-Free

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Chill Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

For the Mushroom Pâté

• 3 cups mushrooms of choice (fresh or rehydrated; see note below)

• ½ cup vegan butter

• 1 cup shallots or red onion roughly chopped

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30–60 minutes and drained

• 1/2- 1 cup vegetable broth OR mushroom soaking liquid (see note below)

• ½ cup vegan cream cheese

• 1 tablespoon Borealle Wild Mushroom Blend (or 1 teaspoon dried herbs of choice, such as thyme, rosemary, and sage)

• A glug of dry white wine (for deglazing)

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Umami Bomb Jelly

• ½ cup mushroom soaking liquid (from dried mushrooms) or low-sodium vegetable broth

• ¼ teaspoon agar agar powder

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or brown sugar

• 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Mushroom Prep Options

• If using fresh mushrooms: Use 3 cups, cleaned and roughly chopped. Sauté as directed.

• If using dried mushrooms: Use about 1½ to 2 ounces dried mushrooms (e.g., porcini, shiitake). Rehydrate in 4 cups of hot water for 20 minutes, then drain, reserving 2 cups of the soaking liquid. Roughly chop rehydrated mushrooms before cooking.

Instructions

Make the Mushroom Pâté

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Add the chopped shallots and sauté for 3–5 minutes, until softened.

Add the mushrooms (fresh or rehydrated) and continue cooking for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown.

Stir in the Borealle Wild Mushroom Blend or dried herbs. Cook for 1 minute.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Let cook for another until most of the wine has evaporated.

Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to a high powered blender. Add the soaked and drained cashews and vegan cream cheese. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. If too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of broth or reserved mushroom liquid at a time to adjust texture. Continue to add liquid until you have a mixture that is similar to hummus.

Transfer to a serving dish or ramekin and chill until firm, about 1 hour. Or freeze in an airtight container for later use.

Make the Umami Bomb Gel

In a small saucepan, whisk together the mushroom soaking liquid (or broth), agar agar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently. Let simmer for 1–2 minutes to activate the agar.

The mixture will begin to firm up as it cools.

Pour or paste over chilled pâté and let solidify.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the pâté with crostini, crackers, or fresh vegetables. Umami Bomb Jelly gives it a more savory finish, but isn’t required. Mushroom pâté is delicious on its own.

Notes:

Taste and adjust the seasonings. Adjust the saltiness or herbyness to your liking.

Color. If you like a darker pate, but used lighter colored mushrooms like oyster or white button mushrooms, add in a teaspoon of cacao powder to darken the mixture (it won’t taste like chocolate, I promise!).

Texture: If you’d rather have more rustic pâté, process less for a meatier texture.

Storage: Pâté will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well- I’ve only frozen the smooth version (not the rustic).