Name: Vegan Pâté (From Lotus)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 150 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped; ½ block firm tofu (about 150 g), crumbled; ½ cup dried lotus seeds, cooked until soft*(or ~¾ cup cooked lotus root, chopped); 1 small shallot, minced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1–1½ tbsp coconut oil; ½ slice white bread, crust removed; 5 tbsp soy milk (for soaking the bread); 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp soy sauce (adjust to taste); ½ tsp black pepper; ¼–½ tsp five‑spice powder (optional, very good with lotus)

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This Vietnamese Vegan Pâté from Lotus might surprise you because it captures the creamy texture and umami depth of the original Banh Mi shops while offering something gentler, lighter, and unmistakably Vietnamese. Whether you’re vegan, plant-curious, or simply nostalgic for a taste of home, this lotus pâté offers something special: comfort without compromise.

Jump to:

🪷The Lotus and its Seeds: Symbol of Resilience and Prosperity
🤎Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pâté From Lotus
📝How to make Vegan Pâté From Lotus
🥖Final Thoughts
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

🪷The Lotus and its Seeds: Symbol of Resilience and Prosperity

The original Pâté dated back to the 12th Century and is worth reading if you want to learn more about Middle Age Gastronomy. It was first introduced to Vietnam during the French colonization and quickly became popular in our cultural cuisine. Now it is one of those quiet everyday luxuries. Every Banh Mi shop has it. Everyone eats it: breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack, a smart choice for family picnics because all the children love it.

When planning for this plant-based version of pâté, I wanted to honor the flavors while giving way to a more compassionate, inclusive eating, without using any animal product. It almost felt impossible at first and after many trials and errors, I finally got a glimpse of the local wisdom: the lotus and its seeds.

A bit about the lotus flower, although unofficial, it’s widely seen as the Vietnam national flower. The lotus represents and embodies the resilience, purity and connection to ancestral tradition of Vietnamese people. Every part of the lotus can be used to make dishes, traditional medicine, or even artisan products (lotus silk).

From a culinary standpoint, the seeds offer a rich yet mild sweet flavor, just perfect to mimic the richness and give you a lot of space to work with the spices. Cultural relevant, medicinal and nutritious, desirable cooking properties, it’s definitely a full package: what more can I ask for? Indeed, the culinary potential is endless as I recently attended a vegetarian cooking contest, where “the highlight of the festival will be the lotus-themed vegetarian feast, expected to set a national record with over 200 unique dishes crafted entirely from various parts of the lotus plant.”

🤎Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pâté From Lotus

Simple and Easy to make - very light cooking plus a blender and you’re good to go.
Vietnam inspired flavors - this version leans into some of the most used ingredients and seasonings in Vietnamese homes like lotus seeds, garlic, shallot, soy sauce and five-spice powder.
Perfect backup plan - it’s stored well in the fridge ready to save the day whenever you’re too busy to cook.
Adaptable - the ingredients can be easily substituted with what you have available, such as cashews or lotus roots instead of lotus seeds.

This pâté will pair well on banh mi or sandwiches with Vegan Deli Meat I shared not long ago.

📝How to make Vegan Pâté From Lotus

Ingredients

Base

150 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
½ block firm tofu (about 150 g), crumbled
½ cup dried lotus seeds, cooked until soft*
(or ~¾ cup cooked lotus root, chopped)
1 small shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1–1½ tablespoon coconut oil
½ slice white bread, crust removed
5 tablespoon soy milk (for soaking the bread)

Seasoning

1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce (adjust to taste)
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼–½ teaspoon five‑spice powder (optional, very good with lotus)

Instructions

In a boiling pot, simmer the lotus seeds for 15-20 min until very soft. Thinly chop the mushrooms while waiting.
Heat a pan over medium and add coconut oil, then sauté shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add shiitake and cook patiently until moisture cooks off and edges turn golden.
Add tofu, salt, soy sauce, pepper, and five‑spice and cook together 2-3 minutes so flavors mingle.
Transfer everything to a blender, including cooked lotus seeds and soaked bread (with soy milk). Then blend until silky and thick and no big chunk of mushroom is visible. Add more soy milk if you want a thinner texture.
Transfer to a jar or ramekin. Chill at least 2 hours to firm up.

Note:
* Use cashews that have been soaked in hot boiling water for 30 minutes in place of lotus seeds.

boiling lotus seeds — In a boiling pot, simmer the lotus seeds for 15-20 min until very soft.

chopping the mushroom — Thinly chop the mushrooms while waiting.

sauteing the aromas — Heat a pan over medium and add coconut oil, then sauté shallot and garlic until fragrant.

adding mushroom to saute — Add shiitake and cook patiently until moisture cooks off and edges turn golden.

adding tofu to saute — Add tofu, salt, soy sauce, pepper, and five‑spice.

making Vegan Pâté — Cook together 2-3 minutes so flavors mingle.

transfer into a blender — Transfer everything to a blender, including cooked lotus seeds.

blending everything till silky and rich texture — Blend until silky and thick.

testing Vegan Pâté texture — Check if there's any big chunk of mushroom visible.

adding table salt to Vegan Pâté — Sprinkle with a little bit of table salt.

transfer Vegan Pâté to a container and refrigerate it — Transfer to a jar or ramekin. Chill at least 2 hours to firm up.

🎯Tips for success

Blend in 1–2 tablespoon warm water if the mixture is too thick.
Simmer in a hot pan for a minute or add 1 teaspoon extra coconut oil if the mixture is too loose.

🥖Final Thoughts

Making this Vegan Pâté From Lotus is a lot of fun and deepens the connection to my culture. Vietnamese cuisine has always been adaptable, seasonal, and deeply plant-forward. As I usually put forth, a new tradition is not about replacing, it can be rooted in the old and find its way through the power of choice and creativity.

If you grew up eating pâté in bánh mì, give this version a try. If you didn’t, it might just become your new favorite spread. Happy spreading!

Vegan Pâté served with banh mi and vegan deli meat

If you have tried my recipe, please let me know what you think by leaving me a review on this page or tagging me on Instagram @veggieanh. I would love to see your creations!