Vegetarian Chopped Liver (Pate)
While chopped liver may not sound appetizing, those who are brave enough to try it know it as a delicious Jewish holiday staple. When I stopped eating meat, while I had no interest in eating liver, I did miss the flavors of the holidays. Whether you love pate and chopped liver, or you’ve never tried it - you’ll love it. A hug from me and my grandma to you :)
Ingredients.
1 Pint Crimini, Baby Bella, or button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Medium Red Onion, Diced
5-6 Roasted Garlic Cloves - If you don’t have roasted garlic on hand, I’ll share a shortcut in the recipe which calls for 4-5 cloves)
2 hardboiled eggs
1 large handful of walnuts
Cold water as needed
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method.
Step 1.
This recipe calls for 2 hard boiled eggs and 5-6 cloves of roasted garlic, so step 1, make those! If you don’t have time for roasted garlic you can “fake it” with this little shortcut. Place 2 Tbs of Olive oil in a cold pan. Add in 4-5 garlic cloves and turn the heat up to medium. Stir frequently until the garlic is fully softened and becomes golden. If it starts browning without softening, lower the heat a bit. Now you can set your garlic in the food processor or set it aside, and use that garlicky oil for the rest of the recipe :)
Step 2.
Place 1 Tbs of Olive oil in your pan, or keep your olive oil from step 1 in your pan and turn the heat up to medium. Drop in your diced onion, season with salt, and stir occasionally until onions become translucent.
Step 3.
Add in your diced mushrooms and stir. The mushrooms usually soak up the olive oil quickly, so I add another glug of olive oil at this point. Cook until the mushrooms shrink in size and are cooked through, then you can season with a little salt and pepper.
Step 4.
In a food processor or blender, add in your roasted garlic, your caramelized onion and mushroom mixture, 2 hardboiled eggs (quartered), a big handful of walnuts, a splash of water, salt and pepper.
Blend until creamy, adding another splash of water if it’s too thick for your blender. I like to leave some texture here with bits of onion still visible, but you can blend to your liking.
Step 5.
Once your “chopped liver” is smooth, taste and adjust salt, pepper, and garlic powder as needed and you’re ready to serve! Serve as a dip with crackers, matzo, or french bread and enjoy!