Who says paté has to involve liver? Try this vegan Roasted Eggplant Paté featuring sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and walnuts. No organs (or other meat) required.
Smear raw carrot or celery sticks with a healthy spread like hummus or guacamole and you have a perfect snack in my book. This chickpea-based paté resembles hummus, but you get a bit of sweetness from the sun-dried tomatoes and savory flavors from the roasted vegetables. As a bonus, the walnuts are loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
The recipe for the roasted eggplant paté may look long, but don’t worry. It’s easy to make. Just roast the vegetables, let them cool, and buzz everything up in the food processor.
If you don’t like eggplant, try this recipe. I’m not a huge fan either, but there’s something about puréeing roasted eggplant with other flavors that I do like. See Roasted Eggplant Dip with Onions, for example.
Roasted Eggplant Paté with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 large carrot
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 head garlic
FOR THE PATÉ
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 12 sun-dried tomato halves (in olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (from sun-dried tomato jar)
Instructions
TO ROAST THE VEGETABLES
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Thickly slice the eggplant, then cut each slice in quarters. Transfer the eggplant to a large bowl. Thickly slice the carrot and add it to the bowl. Cut the bell pepper into about 8 pieces and add it to the bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well and dump the vegetables onto a baking sheet.
- Remove the loose outer skin from the garlic, keeping the whole head intact. Slice a little bit off the top to expose the cloves. Place the head, cut-side up, on a piece of foil. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and wrap in the foil. Add to the baking sheet with the other vegetables.
- Roast for 30 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Remove from the oven and cool.
TO MAKE THE PATÉ
- In a food processor, combine the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Squeeze out each clove of garlic and add to the food processor.
- Purée until smooth, stopping the processor and scraping down the sides a couple of times.
- Store in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days.
The pate sounds delish. I am an eggplant lover. An easy hack for the garlic. buy already
peeled, wrap in aluminum foil with the oil and roast. simple and no mess, and lots of garlic left over for future recipes.
Hi Lindsay – Great idea! Thanks for the tip.