Vegan Ceviche Recipe

By
Ubish Yaren
Ubish Yaren
Ubish Yaren
Ubish Yaren born and raised in Mexico. He is a former sous chef specializing in Mexican food with a huge passion to show and share the importance of Mexican food for the world. Ubish does food tours in Mexico City and believes that the best taco is the one you are eating now.
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Updated on 02/7/23
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Vegan Ceviche served on tortillas with a side of limes

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Marinate: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 to 5 servings
Yield: 5 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
672 Calories
44g Fat
44g Carbs
32g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 5
Amount per serving
Calories 672
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g 56%
Saturated Fat 12g 59%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 1402mg 61%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 15g 55%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 32g
Vitamin C 36mg 178%
Calcium 324mg 25%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 1506mg 32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

​​The tender texture and the tart, briny flavors of ceviche have traditionally come from marinating raw fish or shrimp in a citrus mixture. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the same flavors and textures in a plant-based recipe. For this ceviche, we use hearts of palm as a base, and we infuse the marinade with seaweed for umami and to harness that ocean flavor.

Hearts of palm come from the innermost core of açaí palm, coconut, juçara, palmetto, and peach palm trees. They are typically packed in water and have a slightly nutty, vegetive flavor. They have a crunchy-cream texture, and they absorb flavors well, which makes them an ideal ingredient for vegan ceviche.

"I found this vegan version of ceviche to be a great alternative to using fish. With salty notes of the ocean from the briny seaweed and hearts of palm that replace fish to the creamy bite of avocado and pop of cherry tomatoes, you'll appreciate this vegetarian-vegan salsa-like ceviche." —Diana Andrews

Vegan Ceviche Recipe/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 sheets nori seaweed, or 2 packages roasted seaweed snack, coarsely chopped

  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 1/2 medium diced red onion

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole hearts of palm, drained and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

  • 1 large ripe avocado, diced

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1 tablespoon minced serrano or jalapeño chile, more to taste

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped, lightly packed fresh cilantro

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, more to taste

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Tostadas, tortilla chips, or saltines for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Vegan Ceviche ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Combine seaweed and lime juice in a small, non-reactive bowl and soak until the seaweed is soft, about 5 minutes.

    Seaweed and lime juice in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Strain the seaweed in a fine mesh strainer, pressing to release all of the lime juice. Reserve the seaweed and lime juice in separate bowls.

    Seaweed and lime juice in separate bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add the onions to the lime juice and marinate for about 5 minutes.

    Onions and lime juice in a bowl, with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. To a large bowl, add the onion, seaweed, hearts of palm, cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, serrano chile, cilantro, oil, and soy sauce. Gently fold ingredients together. Taste and add more soy sauce and salt, if needed. Marinate a final 5 minutes.

    Vegan Ceviche in a bowl with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips, or saltines.

    Vegan Ceviche served on tortillas

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

  • Instead of hearts of palm, you could use silken tofu, jackfruit, or a combination.
  • Omit the soy sauce if you have soy sensitivities.

Storing

  • Once ceviche is finished marinating, it should be eaten right away.
  • Unlike fish ceviche, this vegan ceviche is safe to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator a day or two; it will not taste as good as it does freshly made, however.

How do you get plant-based foods to taste like fish?

For this recipe we use seaweed to infuse the lime juice with a briny, ocean flavor.