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, sliced
- 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, 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
I like the concept of this recipe, but I’m not a fan of canned peas. I followed the recipe but substituted red kidney beans for the peas. I cooked dried kidney beans and used the recipe from this website. I don’t know if I broke any cooking rules, but I really like the dish using the kidney beans. Thanks for sharing the original recipe.
This was very easy to make and perfectly fills the role of “salty moreish spread” that chopped liver usually does. Does it taste exactly like liver? No, but it’s tasty and can be eaten the exact same way with less animal cruelty. I will definitely be making this again.
Hi Tori
Thank you for posting this reliable recipe for Vegetarian Chopped Liver. I lost my 40 year old recipe and didn’t remember if it called for green beans or peas; this recipe is the right one. BTW if anyone reads this, although I make this with caramelized onions, it doesn’t hurt to add a bit of minced white onion on top when serving.
Same here. My recipe was given to me over 40 years ago by a Jewish friend. The only difference was that the recipe I had used either string beans or green beans; and walnuts. It was so long ago that I just couldn’t remember the quantities. Now I have a starting point. When I finally get ti right, I think that my vegan step-son will love it.
This was very nice. I would suggest that when you say add eggs into the processor, that you provide a number. When I printed your recipe without pictures, it did not state how many, just divided. I had to come to the website again to see if I missed something and saw the 3 eggs in the processor. Also, I followed your recipe to the T but it was still a wee bit dry. I put about a tablespoon of vegetable broth to help it out. All in all, we enjoyed it. Thank you
The combination of egg-white, style peas and walnut give us delicate fat. This aunt bev’s vegetarian chopped liver has healthy ingredients. I also like the way you put chopped egg-white on the dish. And some green parsley make it more attractive.
This recipe looks good. I wanted to make it for breaking the fast. Should I assume it would feel like it was missing something if the eggs were omitted? I’m vegan.
Yes! I am not sure at all what it would taste like without eggs… they are really a vital component. I wouldn’t choose this recipe if you’re vegan. Perhaps try something from my vegan category instead? https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/recipes/recipes-vegan/
A truly delicious recipe! I had tried another recipe for mock chopped liver made with mushrooms in the past but this was much, much better. This recipe is a keeper!
This was amazing! I am a true carnivor who is trying to make better choices. This took me right back to my childhood!
Glad to hear it!
Unless I missed it you don’t tell for how many people this chopped liver recipe is suitable I can’t tell if it’s for six or eight please advise
The recipe makes roughly 8 servings.
I love your recipes..Thank you!
Thanks Laura!
It was wonderful! I prepared it exactly according to the recipe. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I usually make an eggplant-based mock chopped liver, but frying the eggplant is so tedious, I decided to give this recipe a try. It was delicious! The texture was spot on, and I preferred the flavor of this over the eggplant-based recipe. This is my new go-to recipe.
This recipe was fantastic. Served it at a pre-Passover Seder and the chopped liver loving members of my party were very impressed. I also blended the peas, onion, and walnut first and froze them a few weeks ago. Defrosted, blended in the eggs and tastes great! Be sure to really Caramelize the onions and toast the walnuts for depth of flavor.
Forgive what may be a silly question from a European. The recipe calls for 1 cup of walnuts. Is this a by volume amount? If it is, is it whole walnuts or crushed – the actual weight would differ. I notice the one cup of onion got converted in metric 160 grammes; so would it be 160 grammes of walnut?.
It’s 1 cup of chopped walnuts– that’s an American cup, or 1/2 pint, or 8 ounces, or 236.59 ml.
About freezing mock chopped liver (and regular chopped liver too I guess). I just had a brainstorm: I want to double or triple the recipe and freeze some because it’s kind of labor intensive (and addicting!). Hard cooked eggs don’t freeze well though — they get kind of rubbery and watery. SO, I am going to divide the recipe and leave out the eggs until I defrost it. Then I can just give it a whirl in my food processor with freshly cooked eggs. I bet it works!
Great plan Janne! Let me know how it goes, would love to recommend it to readers if it works.
It has onions twice in the ingredients list, and no measurement for the walnuts.
Thank you for the heads up Sri! We recently switched over to a new recipe system and there were some errors during the transition. This one has been corrected.
Hi Tori,
Love your blog. In the vegetarian chopped liver recipe, no quantity or instructions are provided???
Larry P.
Hi Larry! I’m not sure what you mean. I see the recipe on my computer, which includes the amount of servings and full instructions with pictures. Can you describe to me in more detail what you’re seeing on your end, including what device you are using to access the site?
Delish! The mushroom recipe may be a bit better to my taste but none on hand so in a pinch this is great! Nutrition info?
Hi Marsha! We are working on adding nutrition info for all recipes across the site. Check back soon!
I adore this recipe! My dad (now gone 🙁 ) was a famous chef in NYC and he used to make this for me. Your recipe tastes exactly like his. Thank you for sharing it!
So I don’t know if this really tastes like chopped liver or not but it’s AMAZING. I did caramelize the onions slowly for about 45 minutes but otherwise followed the recipe (oh, and I processed the walnuts for about 30 seconds (pulsing) before adding the rest). This recipe is a keeper and with way less ingredients than a lot of the others