Learn how to make delicious vegetarian chopped liver from a Jewish family recipe. This meat-free recipe truly mimics the flavor of chopped liver. It includes whole food ingredients – nothing processed. With a healthy blend of sautéed onions, hard boiled eggs, peas, and walnuts, what’s not to love?
Chopped liver is an iconic Jewish dish. I usually make it the traditional way, which I’ve outlined in great detail in this post. But lately we’ve been eating more meatless meals. I’m gravitating towards vegetarian recipes, and this one fits the bill!
There are so many variations on meat-free chopped liver. A reader named Sheri Ellyn Gross shared this particular version with me back in 2010. She calls it “Aunt Bev’s Mock Liver.” Of the recipe, she says: “I make this every year for the holidays. My Mom likes it better than the real thing.”
Sheri’s background is Ukranian. Her grandparents came to America in the early 1900’s from Kiev, Russia, and settled in Chicago. Her great grandfather was a baker by trade; he opened a bakery in Chicago and became famous for his challah and other breads.
My family really enjoys Aunt Bev’s recipe. It is much lighter than traditional chopped liver, and has plenty of protein. Although nothing beats the real thing, the flavor of this Vegetarian Chopped Liver might surprise you.
Many thanks to Sheri Ellyn Gross for sharing Aunt Bev’s delicious Vegetarian Chopped Liver recipe with us!
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Aunt Bev's Vegetarian Chopped Liver
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (the original recipe calls for vegetable oil)
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 4 peeled hard boiled eggs, divided
- 15 ounces peas, drained (1 can)
- Salt and pepper to taste
NOTES
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot enough to fry. Sauté the chopped onion for several minutes until it softens and caramelizes.
- In a food processor, combine sautéed onion, toasted walnuts, 3 of the peeled hard boiled eggs, and peas.
- Pulse, then process until the puree resembles chopped liver. Add salt and pepper to taste, and process again to blend.
- Chop up the remaining egg. Garnish the vegetarian chopped liver with the last chopped egg and parsley. Serve with crackers for spreading, or matzo during Passover (if you are celebrating Sephardic style - peas are considered kitniyot). Enjoy!
Nutrition
How many ice=cream scoops does it make? How many does this serve as an appetizer? Thanks!
Just made it and I didn’t realize the peas needed to be cooked.
I got frozen peas from Trader Joe’s and simply poured warm water over them until they defrosted.
My chopped liver is now a bright GREEN!
Tastes just as good I imagine!
Thx!
This mock chopped liver is the best you’ll try! Follow recipe exactly (tho I prefer to just add that last egg in vs crumbling it). Made for 3 holiday meals in a row. Whole family loves it, and though I am a real liver fan, we will not be switching back. This works for everyone, its healthy, easy to make, the picky eaters love it, and the vegetarian at the table can eat it too!
i made this. It was too dry with 1 cup chopped walnuts. Reading some of the other comments, I see some have added oil.
I don’t eat eggs so am thinking this recipe would work equally well using tofu for the egg. So looking forward to this.
HOLY COW!!! This is absolutely delicious!
Now I wish I had some rye bread in the house.
Thank you, Tori.
Amazing Beth 🙂 enjoy!!
Yummy. We used Lesoeur Petit Poit (the version that’s only peas, no mint, no mushrooms) and to get it to texture had to add more oil. Of the four hard boiled eggs we put two whole eggs in the mix for the food processor and discarded two yolks and mildly chopped two egg egg whites and hand stirred them in.
Yummy after we added more oil. Lasts about 5 days in the fridge.
Oh just superb!
This is one of my new favourites, as we’re pescetarians here.
Thanks for sharing such tasty, warming & joyous dishes with we readers.
Much appreciated!
Mine is GREEN- tastes fine but looks like it missed St. Patty’s Day.
Hi Faith, did you use canned peas? If you used defrosted frozen peas or fresh cooked peas, they will be far brighter/greener and will give the faux chopped liver this green hue. I rarely use canned peas, but in this recipe it is important they be canned to achieve the proper color and texture.
Hi Tori,
Looking at your aunt Bev’s vegetarian chopped liver, I’m wondering if it’s necessary to used canned peas vs. frozen peas.
I don’t think I’ve purchased can peas in 30 years, and I’m wary! Yiyr thiughts?
Thanks for your great recipes.
Drb
This recipe can also be made adding a can of French green beans. You’ll have enough for a party!
This tip may have been posted already but here it is: This vegetarian chopped liver can be frozen IF you leave out the eggs until you’re ready to thaw and serve.
Has anyone made this with canned asparagus? I had a recipe from decades ago that I can’t find. All the other ingredients are the same, except I specifically remember it used canned asparagus, not peas (sorry…just too yucky for me). I’m going to try this with the asparagus.
I really like this recipe. I find that peas add a nice liver-y funk that green beans don’t, and mushrooms impart a different kind of earthiness that doesn’t quite work for me. But that’s just my opinion. I plan to make a batch this week and this time I will remember to leave the chopped egg out of some of it so I can freeze it and add in the eggs after it’s thawed. Eggs do not freeze well at all — they get a really unpleasant rubbery texture.
I agree about the peas. And great tip about the eggs!
I loved this! First had it for Passover and made again for The new year. I like more onion than called for but followed everything else in recipe. Served fresh challah. Yummy. This will be a staple in my refrigerator!
I have been experimenting with mock chopped liver and I’ve landed on cooked lentils, sautéed baby bella mushrooms, lots of sautéed onions, hard boiled eggs, parsley, a handful of pecans, that I sautée a bit with the mushrooms and a lot of black pepper. I love real chopped liver but I think I love this more.
Oh yes I agree!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and I love it! But, how many days can I make this in advanced?