Get ready to elevate your fine dining experience with a plant-based twist! This vegan “faux gras” recipe–crafted by Michelin-starred French Chef Alexis Gauthier–offers a delicious alternative to the traditional French dish.

faux gras
faux foie gras recipe

Chef Gauthier, once known for serving foie gras at his prestigious London restaurants, has since embraced compassionate cuisine. Foie gras, meaning “fatty liver” in French, is traditionally made by force-feeding ducks or geese. This practice has been banned in several countries due to its cruelty.

Alexis Gauthier
French Chef Alexis Gauthier joins Animal Equality in delivering 225,000 petition signatures to Downing Street, calling for a ban on Foie Gras imports.

Gauthier’s vegan version combines lentils, mushrooms, walnuts, and Cognac (either alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to create a rich and flavorful pâté. The founders of BOSH!—a viral UK plant-based duo—have praised this faux gras as “one of the most delicious pâtés” they’ve ever tasted. It also makes a perfect gift when packaged in small Tupperware containers with handwritten tags.

Transform your next gathering with this gourmet, plant-based pâté and join Chef Gauthier in embracing kinder fine dining.

Preparation Time: 1-2 hours

Ingredients

(10 servings)

  • 1 shallot, peeled and diced
  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp. chopped rosemary
  • 2 tsp. chopped thyme
  • 2 tsp. chopped sage
  • 24 button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. Cognac (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • 1¼ cups toasted walnuts
  • 2 tbsp. beetroot purée
  • Plant-based butter
  • Black pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. Cook the diced shallot in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until it becomes translucent. 
  2. Add the garlic, finely chopped herbs, and mushrooms to the pan. Pour in the Cognac and increase the heat. 
  3. Mix in the soy sauce, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool.
  4. Using a food processor, blend the mushroom mixture, the remaining olive oil, lentils, walnuts, beetroot purée, and black pepper until you achieve a nearly smooth consistency. If desired, add a little more Cognac.
  5. Transfer the mixture to small glass jars or Tupperware containers. Add plant-based butter to the top of each container, and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
  6. Serve with toasted slices of sourdough bread or another bread of your choice. 

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