Chickpea Pâté Recipe

I went out shopping for dried mushrooms and came home with organic chickpeas instead, several jars of them in fact. This chickpea pâté recipe is where half of one jar ended up.

It took ten minutes to prep and five to cook at Casa Adora, and it made two ramekins. I ate one that day. The other went into the fridge in Florie, because we had a little trip coming up and that was going to be my lunch.

This is a coarse, quick pâté rather than a smooth hummus. Garlic softens in ghee, the chickpeas warm through in their own liquor with smoked paprika, cumin and soy, and everything gets mashed with a fork. Lemon and basil go in at the end. One small pan, one fork, no blender.

Chickpea Pâté Recipe for One (Two Ramekins)

Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 5 minutes. Makes: two ramekins.

Ingredients

• 120 g cooked chickpeas (about half a jar), drained
• 2 tbsp chickpea liquor (aquafaba) from the jar
• 1–2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Soften the garlic. Warm the ghee in a small pan over low heat. Add the grated garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
2. Warm the chickpeas. Add the chickpeas, chickpea liquor, smoked paprika, cumin, chilli flakes and soy sauce. Cook gently for 2–3 minutes to soften the chickpeas and bring the flavours together.
3. Mash. Mash everything in the pan with a fork to a coarse pâté texture. Add a splash more chickpea liquor if you want it smoother.
4. Season. Stir in the lemon juice and basil, then taste. Adjust the salt, paprika or chilli.
5. Pot it. Spoon into two small ramekins. Eat one warm or chilled, then cover the second and refrigerate for tomorrow's lunch.

Notes and Swaps

• Ghee makes this vegetarian. Swap it for olive oil and it is vegan.
• The chickpea liquor loosens the mash and carries the spices, so use it rather than pouring it away.
• Cooked from dried or straight from a jar, 120 g of cooked chickpeas is the amount you want.

More Meat-Free Pâtés and Chickpeas

Mushroom & Walnut Pâté

Pâté de Pimientos del Piquillo y Almendras

Campervan Mushroom and Chickpea Stew

If this pâté turned a jar of chickpeas into lunch, you can buy me a coffee ☕ on Ko-fi.

This chickpea pâté recipe is featured in my Pâté & Rillettes Recipes, Veggie & Vegan Recipes, Veg, Fruit & Pulses and Chickpea Recipes hubs, where you'll find more pâtés, meat-free cooking and ways with pulses.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef