Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté (Vegan Spread)
Sun-dried tomato pate is a delicious spread or dip for crusty bread, crackers, sandwiches, wraps, roasted vegetables, or grilled meat. This plant-based recipe is easy to make and has a similar texture to traditional pâté.
Looking for more dips? Try my ultra creamy roasted red pepper hummus, dairy free french onion dip, or green chile cashew queso.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this sun dried tomato dip:
- Raw cashews – for the creamy base.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Onion and garlic – add lots of extra flavor.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – dry packed. If using oil-packed, you’ll likely need less water to blend.
- Fresh basil leaves – balance out the salty taste of the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Melted vegan butter – adds a rich flavor.
- Lemon juice – adds brightness.
- Warm water – to help blend into a smooth consistency.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
1. Soak the cashews and dry-packed sundried tomatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes to soften. Drain and rinse.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the softened cashews and sun-dried tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor along with the sautéed onion and garlic, basil leaves, melted vegan butter, lemon juice, and warm water. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Helpful Tips
- Use a food processor, not a blender to make this dip. There’s not enough liquid for a blender.
- You may need more lemon juice. Dry packed sun-dried tomatoes are quite salty, so you may need more lemon juice to balance the flavor.
- Using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes? Start with less water and add more as needed to blend until smooth. You may also need a pinch of salt since these aren’t quite as salty as dry-packed.
Quick Tip: For the best flavor, let the dip chill for at least 2 hours before enjoying. This allows the saltiness of the sun-dried tomatoes to mellow out and the flavors to meld together.
Storage
Store leftover pate in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this sun-dried tomato pâté using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No cashews? – you can also use blanched almonds, raw sunflower seeds, or sub 1 cup of dairy free cream cheese and omit the added water.
- Not dairy free? – use real butter.
- Add-ins – red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, or capers.
How To Serve
Take this dip to book clubs, potlucks, dinner parties, etc. It’s great on sandwiches, pizza, toast, crackers, or with fresh or roasted vegetables. It’s also the perfect snack for when you hit that mid-afternoon slump.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pâté is traditionally made with chicken liver, but can also be made with beef, duck, or goose liver. It has a distinct taste and often is masked with other ingredients because of its intense flavor.
I don’t recommend freezing this spread as it will change the texture, making it gritty. It’s best eaten fresh.
If using dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you should soak them first. They have a tough, chewy texture and blend more easily when soaked in warm water first.
More Sun Dried Tomato Recipes
- Pesto Rosso (Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto)
- Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
- Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken
I hope you love this Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating so I know how you liked it!
Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté (Vegan Spread)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup dry packed sun dried tomatoes see notes below about using oil-packed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small yellow or white onion, diced about ½ cup
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- juice of 1 small lemon (about 2 tablespoons) plus more if needed, to taste
- ¾ cup warm water
Instructions
- Soak the cashews and dry-packed sundried tomatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes to soften. Drain and rinse.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, sauté the onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Add the drained cashews and sun-dried tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor along with the sautéed onion and garlic, basil leaves, melted vegan butter, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.