Mushroom-Walnut Pâté

Food waste is a major problem in many kitchens. I wanted to find a way to use the mushrooms and onions that I had leftover from making the Aromatic Mushroom Broth, without making a complicated recipe. This spread, or pâté, has a short ingredient list, but is packed with flavor! Use it as a topping for crackers or toast points as an appetizer, or on a flatbread for a homemade pizza.
Ingredients
- Reserved cooked white mushrooms and onion from Aromatic Mushroom Broth
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- To serve: Crackers
Preparation
- Into the bowl of a food processor, add the reserved white mushrooms and onion, lemon juice and tamari. Purée the mixture until smooth. Remove to a mixing bowl.
- Add the toasted walnuts and minced garlic to the food processor. Pulse until the walnuts are broken down into rough gravel-sized pieces, being careful to not let the mixture get too fine. Add the walnut-garlic mixture to the bowl with the mushroom purée.
- Gently fold the walnuts into the mushroom purée, and sprinkle half of the minced thyme into the bowl. Season, to taste, with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover mixture and chill for an hour to allow the flavors to blend.
- To serve, remove pâté from the refrigerator a few minutes before serving. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle remaining thyme on top. Serve as a spread on crackers.
- Notes:
- Pâté can be prepared 2 days in advance of serving. Keep covered and chilled.
- Use the pâté as a sauce on a flatbread.