I've got two. One has a traditional jewish chopped liver taste due to the egg and onion. I don't make that one too often except when I having guests. The other is a pate I really like and make more often to serve on toast points with soup.

Vegetarian Chopped Liver
1 1b. fresh string beans (I usually end up using frozen)
3 TBLSP oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 hard cooked eggs
sea salt to taste

Cook green beans until barely tender. (No more specifics on cooking the beans and since I almost always use frozen, I just thaw out and drain. I guess you would steam fresh beans).
Saute onions in oil, add celery and cook until veggies are translucent.
Grind the beans, onion mixture, walnuts and eggs through the coarse blade of a meat grinder and season with salt. (That's not how I do it, I just grind it all together in the food processor. Being a vegetarian, I don't have a meat grinder, lol!)

Tofu Pate (from Vegetarian Times magazine)
3 large cloves garlic, minced (I use less)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I use less or omit)
12 oz. firm tofu, well drained
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
2 TBLSP capers

Process in a food processor. Serve on a bed of lettuce with crackers.
Note: I add basil or parsley, and toasted pine nuts or walnuts. Parmesean cheese or a little brewers yeast is also good to add.

There's a recipe I found online and saved, called Brighton Beach Sid's Vegetarian Chopped Liver, which I can't vouch for since I haven't tried it yet--but the name alone makes it sound promising! I can see how the lentils might be the secret faux-meat ingredient.

Brighton Beach Sid's Famous Vegetarian Chopped Liver

Makes 3-4 cups

1 cup walnut pieces
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2-3 cups onions, thin sliced or chopped
1-1/2 cups well cooked green beans, chopped (even canned works in this)
3 hard-boiled eggs, coarse chopped
3/4 cup cooked brown lentils
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

1. Lightly toast the walnuts in a heavy based pan.
2. Set aside.
3. Saute onions in the oil, cooking until golden (but not burned).
4. Add tomato paste to this and cook 1 more minute.
5. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
6. Add onion mix, toasted walnuts, and remaining ingredients to blender or food processor and grind together well (add a few spoons of water or vegetable broth, if necessary).
7. Taste for additional salt and pepper.
8. Chill for 4 hours (this also allows the flavor to develop).
9. Bring to room temperature for serving.

This would probably be even better if you made it with schmaltz instead of vegetable oil. (Just kidding.)

I may finally be inspired to try this myself, since my now-vegetarian husband no longer eats the real chopped liver I make on rare occasions. (And I do have one of those old-fashioned meat grinders, since I didn't think it was possible to do chopped liver and kreplach without one.)

I'd be interested to hear what your results are with whatever recipes you end up trying. And your challahs were beautiful, by the way.

Here's two lentil-based ones I found online that sound worth trying sometime.

Brighton Beach Sid's Famous Vegetarian Chopped Liver
1 cup walnut pieces
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2-3 cups onions, thin sliced or chopped
1 1/2 cups well cooked green beans, chopped (even canned works in this)
3 hard-boiled eggs, coarse chopped
3/4 cup cooked brown lentils (cook in veggie broth)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

MOCK CHOPPED LIVER

2 1/2 cups (600 ml) water
1/2 cup (120 ml) dried lentils
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) coarsely chopped walnuts

1 large carrot, coarsely shredded
1 cup (240 ml) chopped onions
3/4 cup (180 ml) cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon red miso
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

Garnish
Lettuce leaves
Carrot slices
Cucumber slices
1 green onion, minced

Combine the water, lentils, and salt in an open 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to medium, and cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still firm.
Grind the walnuts in the food processor until almost smooth.
Add the shredded carrot, onions, brown rice, miso, soy sauce, and pepper to the walnuts in the processor. Drain and discard any excess liquid from the cooked lentils and add them to processor. Process for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to an attractive lettuce-lined serving bowl or platter and garnish or serve chilled. Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, Mock Chopped Liver will keep for three days.

Yeah Michael these guys do better with Wesson oil, IMHO. Gets kinda rough on them doing their business when the FP blades start whirring, though.

Here is what I've been making past few years, adapted from Joanna Piatek somewhere on the net. I have a friend allergic to nuts so I made it with sauted shrooms instead of walnuts for her, once.

Green Bean and Walnut Paté
1 lb beans (steamed or blanched)
1 C walnuts (toasted)
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 large peeled hard-boiled eggs
2 Tablespoons mayo
Salt and Pepper

Chop whole onion. Sauté the chopped onion over med-high heat in 2 tablespoons olive oil, until golden and tender. Add green beans, walnuts, eggs, and the sautéed onion into a food processor. Process until finely ground  the texture should be like a rough paté. Add the mayo and blend. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until cold.

Makes 1½ Cups of pate.

Here's the Brooklyn Sid's recipe, give or take a few items

It looks lovely. How does it taste?

It was good but nothing to stop you in your tracks. I'll try some more recipes. I'm thinking that the goop of my dreams maybe had sauted mushrooms...

Michael: I went to Google and put in :
( East Village Restaurant Vegetarian Chopped Liver )
A lot of Restaurant Web sites came up.
Maybe you can see the one that you went to.
And the Recipe. There were a lot of them.
It may be easier that trying 100 Recipes.
Let me know if you find it.
LOU
PS: With all the good food in the FF , Why ???????

Here's a recipe for Mushroom Cheese Pate from Mollie Katzen's "Enchanted Broccoli Forest." It's not what I would think of as a chopped liver substitute, but it might taste good. As one of my students said, "It's really true that everything tastes better with cheese." I have a real monkey on my back when it comes to cheese, lol! I have not made this but most of the things in that cookbook are pretty good.

This seems to make a lot. I'd halve the recipe at first unless I was having a party.

4 TBLSP butter
3 cups chopped onion
1 lb. mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt or more to taste
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. dill weed
black pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
3 TBLSP dry white wine
1/4 cup wheat germ
8 oz. neufchtel cheese or cream cheese
1 lb. ricotta cheese
paprika
freshly minced parsley

Saute onion and mushrooms in butter until soft and translucent. Add spices and wine, stir for 5 more min. Sprinkle in the wheat germ, stirring as you sprinkle. Cook 1-2 min. more, then remove from heat.

Cut the neufchatel into the hot vegetable mixture. Use a blender or food processor to puree the mixture. Transfer into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the ricotta.

You can put the pate into a buttered casserole and bake it, or in 2 loaf pans. If baked in a casserole it will be softer, and you can serve it in mounds on greens, or as a spread. If baked in a loaf pan, it will be sliceable, perfect for an hors d'oeuvre. (When you use loaf pans, butter them and line with buttered wax paper. Cool it in the pan then remove it, and peel off the paper.)

Baking time: 1 1/4 hours, uncovered at 400 degrees F.

In either case, chill before serving. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Lou, the place that had it was Kiev Restaurant. It's been through a couple owners, was closed for sometime, and apparently has reopened again. The original place run by "Momma" is long gone, as are the old menu items.

You are right of course in that there is plenty of great food right here in this forum... I'm just trying to recapture an old dream and put it in a bottle...

michaelp

Does anyone have a recipe fpor mock chopped liver that is not pureed :just chopped ? I saw one on line a few years back and have not yet located it again.

Well I just found one- a different one then I found before:http://voices.yahoo.com/vegetarian-mock-chopped-liver-4000501.html