This sundried tomato and hemp paté is a falvourful nutrient packed spread that’s sure to become a family favourite. It’s delicious on sourdough or crackers, in a sandwich or wrap with tempeh, tofu or chicken, and is a great addition to any buffet table with crunchy vegetables. Having a jar of this stuff in the refrigerator will make even the most mundane meal flavourful and turns a boring bowl of pasta into somethind spectacular. Just dillute some of it in pasta cooking water, like you would a pesto, toss it in the strained pasta and enjoy.

For best results, use semi sundried tomatoes, NOT packed in a jar of oil. Make sure you rinse them well and soak the before using them as they tend to be extremely salty and will make the paté inedibly so if not soaked before hand. The soaking also softens them so they are easier to blend into a creamy spread. The soaking is used in small amounts, as needed to emulsify, in place of using too much oil.

The processed and pureed sundried tomatoes on their own make a delicious spread, but the addition of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts amps up the protein and healthy fat content of the spread, making it more nutritious and satiating. The hemp hearts also leds to the creamy texture.

Sundried Tomato & Hemp Heart Paté

Author Nissrine Boufawaz @ HolisticNiss.com

Time 15 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Servings 2 Cups
Diet vegan, gluten free
Category Condiments

Ingredients:

1 C (100-110g) Sundried Tomatoes (not oil packed)
1/2 C (70g) Hulled Hemp Seeds
1/4 C (35g) Sunflower Seeds, dry toasted
1/4 C (35g) Pumpkin Seeds, dry toasted
1 Small Clove of Garlic (optional)
2 - 4 Tbsp Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Peperoncino (aka red pepper flakes), to taste (optional)
4-6 Tbsp Soaking water, as needed

Method:

Rinse the sundried tomatoes really well to remove any residue then soak them in boiled water for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly dry toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a pan over low heat, one at a time, being careful not to burn the them. The pumpkin seeds will start to pop as they toast. The sunflower seeds don't pop as they toast, but they brown very quickly, so keep a close eye on them.
Drain and rinse the sundried tomatoes and reserve the soaking water as you will need it to emulsify the pate, in place of using too much oil.
Add sundried tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, peperoncino (if using), toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds and hulled hemp seeds to a food processor and puree to a smooth spreadable consistency, adding the soaking water in small increments as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Serve it with crackers, vegetables or as a pasta sauce by dilluting it with a small amount of pasta cooking water to get a creamy pesto like consistency.