Black Bean Pâté + Onion Jam Crisps with Almond Cheese

Black Bean Pâté + Onion Jam Crisps with Almond Cheese

Growing up in a German family I ate my fair share of crispbread or Knäckebrot, as we call it. Sometimes dinner consisted mainly of it, some hearty cheeses, liver pâté and maybe a side of cucumber salad – heavy on the onions. I’m still a pretty hard-core Knäckebrot fan to this day. If a coworker brings in bagels for a special office treat I almost always pass them up and reach for my stash of crispy bread – yeah, I have an entire office drawer full of the stuff. I would prefer to crunch away at a light, crispy cracker than chew on some white, squishy, doughy stuff. Mark doesn’t share my love (more like obsession) for Knäckebrot but he did eat the hell out of it when I topped it with this super savory combo of almond cheese, black bean pâté and onion jam. Remember these toasts that Jacob made for the food photography workshop!? I haven’t been able to get them out of my mind since. Seriously, for months I’ve been thinking about recreating them because they made such a lasting impression on my tastebuds. Well today this amazing flavor fusion is in my mouth again and I’m a very happy girl. It blows my mind that something can taste so super savory and be completely vegan. The onion jam alone is something you should keep in the fridge at all times – it’s made with an apple cider reduction so the sweetness is way more complex and delicious than if you were to just add sugar. The end result is a thick and jammy pot of gorgeous gold. It all requires some time on the stove to caramelize, simmer and bubble to build up slow-cooked savory flavors. So worth it though.

Black Bean Pâté + Onion Jam Crisps with Almond Cheese
  • Step 1

    Black Bean Pâté + Onion Jam Crisps with Almond Cheese

    Slice the onions into thin rings. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pan. Sauté onions with a generous pinch of salt on medium/medium low heat for 35 minutes or so until they turn translucent and start to caramelize. Add the apple cider reduction and apple cider vinegar. Sauté some more until the onions turn thick and jammy and most liquid has evaporated.

  • Step 2

    Black Bean Pâté + Onion Jam Crisps with Almond Cheese

    Place the ingredients for the pate in a small pot on medium/low heat. Let the mixture cook for about 35 minutes or until the beans are mushy. Stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Discard the onion end piece and bay leaves.

  • Step 3

    Black Bean Pâté + Onion Jam Crisps with Almond Cheese

    Place apple cider in a small saucepan on medium heat. Let steam and reduce by half. This takes about 35 minutes. Use 1/4 cup of the reduction on the onions for the jam and keep the rest in the fridge for salad dressings, more onion jam, etc.

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Ingredients for the  Onion Jam 

4 large sweet onions

1/3 cup apple cider reduction (see below)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

enough olive oil to coat the pan so the onions don’t stick

generous pinch of salt (more to taste)

 

Directions  

Slice the onions into thin rings. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pan. Sauté onions with a generous pinch of salt on medium/medium low heat for 35 minutes or so until they turn translucent and start to caramelize. Add the apple cider reduction and apple cider vinegar. Sauté some more until the onions turn thick and jammy and most liquid has evaporated. Let cool slightly, place in jar and keep in the fridge.

 

 

Ingredients for the  Apple Cider Reduction

1 cup of apple cider

 

Directions  

Place apple cider in a small saucepan on medium heat. Let steam and reduce by half. This takes about 35 minutes. Use 1/3 cup of the reduction on the onions for the jam and keep the rest in the fridge for salad dressings, more onion jam, etc.

 

 

Ingredients for the Black Bean Pâté

2 cans black beans, drained

an onion end piece from the above onions (discard after cooking)

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dark miso

couple dashes liquid smoke

salt to taste

 

Directions  

Place the ingredients for the pate in a small pot on medium/low heat. Let the mixture cook for about 35 minutes or until the beans are mushy. Stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Discard the onion end piece and bay leaves. Mush it all up some more and place in jar.

 

Assemble crisps with a schmear of almond cheese – homemade or store-bought, as shown. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

 

Notes

FINN CRISP shared some boxes of their crispbread with me – it only has four ingredients: wholegrain rye flour, water, salt and yeast. I think that’s pretty awesome and I like them a lot. All opinions are my own.

  • Omar @ Lands and Flavors

    Looks soooo good, Grace! Umami and tangy and sweet… Sounds like a wonderful pairing with the almond cheese. Thanks for the shoutout, too!

  • http://www.wholenourishment.net/ Katie @ Whole Nourishment

    Grace, you’ve really hit the nail on the head with this one. The smoky, deeply savory, umami flavors here are the epitome of vegan food, done well. My husband and I both would gladly eat this for dinner. I liked hearing you talk about your German traditions. Living in Switzerland I certainly recognize some similarities with their dinner time and yours. They still tend to cook their main meal at lunch and have bread (less likely crisp bread – though I know the Swedes would share in your obsession), cheese, cold cuts, etc for dinner.

  • http://www.mynaturalkitchenblog.com Christine l my natural kitchen

    Combinations like this are a favourite at my house, and I really love the sound of this onion jam. Can’t wait to make it!

  • Laura

    I love those thin crisp bread things so much. My dad used to sell the Ryvita ones at his store and when I was working there as a teen, I would crush three boxes a week no problem. And little savoury snack spreads like this are just my favourite way to eat. Your onion jam sounds pretty much perfect for topping everything :)

  • Jessie Snyder | Faring Well

    I have never heard of any of these things, and now your post has me craving them hardcore! This sounds so unique and delicious, love learning a little about your upbringing and these tasty looking crackers. Plus that onion jam?! Hullo. Need that. <3

  • http://mabelandthewoodenspoon.com/ Lindsey Leahy

    This. Girl, you had me at onion jam. And then there was black bean pate and almond cheese. What kind of sorcery is this?!