This no fish cauliflower ceviche is so delicious you won’t be able to stop eating it! Serve it as an appetizer for a party or enjoy it as a light and refreshing Mexican meal. You can pair it with an ice-cold drink for the most amazing warm-weather meal.
What is Ceviche
Ceviche (or cebiche) is believed to have originated in the country of Peru, but it’s a common dish throughout many Latin American countries.
This recipe is more of the Mexican-style of making ceviche.
Ceviche is traditionally made using fish, but other seafood like shrimp, octopus, conch, and also different seafood mixes exist.
Of course this recipe is for fishless, no seafood ceviche, it’s 100% vegan!
Typically the fish is marinated in lime juice to help cure it or cook it. The citrus acid helps kill off any bacteria there may be and changes the texture to look just like cooked fish. For other seafood, they may be parboiled first before marinating and incorporating other ingredients to create the dish.
What Ingredients Does Ceviche Have
In Mexican style ceviche, the most common ingredients usually consist of the fish or seafood, onion, chile pepper, tomato, and lots of lime juice.
Other ingredients that can be used are olives, tomato sauce or ketchup, avocado, cucumber, and cilantro. I’ve also seen some recipes adding some oil to the mix.
How to Make Fishless Dishes Taste Closer to The Real Thing
A very important trick for any meatless recipes which are trying to mimic a similar taste and smell of seafood is to use seaweed. That magical ingredient can truly transform your vegan and vegetarian dishes with another level of flavors.
Either nori sheets, (the same ones used to roll up sushi rolls), or wakame seaweed (the little green leaves floating in miso soup) are both perfect for this. I always use them for my faux seafood recipes.
How To Eat Vegan Ceviche
The simple answer is, just like you would eat regular ceviche!
Ceviche can be served with corn chips for scooping it up, with saltine crackers or also on crispy corn tostadas.
It can be served or topped with avocado, and your favorite hot sauce for extra heat.
Drinks that go perfect with a ceviche meal are ice-cold agua frescas, micheladas or chelada beer cocktails and of course a margarita or your favorite hot-weather cocktail or drink.
Cauliflower Ceviche | The Best Vegan Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- One small head of cauliflower stem removed (equal to 4 cups chopped)
- water for boiling
- salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely minced, optional*
- 1 or 2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers
- 1 finely chopped serrano pepper optional**
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground wakame***
- 1 teaspoon of salt adjust to taste
- 2 cups chopped Roma tomato about 3 medium tomatoes
- 3/4 cup finely chopped cilantro I used the leaves and stems
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- To Serve: chips or saltines and/or tostadas
Instructions
- Remove the stem from the cauliflower and then carefully separate the individual florets from the upper part of the stem. You can save the hard stems for stock or composting. Chop the small florets into small odd shaped pieces but that are still similar in size.
- Bring about 6 cups of water to the boil, add some salt then carefully drop in the bits of chopped cauliflower and parboil for about 3 to 4 minutes. You want it to have soften a bit but not turn completely soft and mushy. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a large glass mixing bowl add the rinsed cauliflower bits, then begin mixing in the onion, garlic if using, the chile peppers, wakame, and salt until well combined. Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix to combine. Next, add the cilantro and again mix, lastly add the lime juice and mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- After marinating taste and if needed adjust the seasoning as desired. Serve as an appetizer with corn chips or saltine crackers or with tostadas. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
**Depending on how hot you’d like your ceviche you can omit or add more chilies. You could also remove the seeds for a slightly milder taste.
*** For the ground wakame I just pulverize some in my blender then measure out how much I need afterward. If you don’t have wakame nori sheets may be used instead.
**** Other ingredients like chopped cucumber and olive oil may be added to the mixt for extra flavors.
What Does Cauliflower Ceviche Taste Like
This vegan ceviche is a flavor explosion in your mouth!
The taste is a bit similar to fish ceviche but of course not quite like it. By parboiling the cauliflower we help it be able to absorb more of the flavors as well as mute the intense raw cauliflower taste. Each ingredient plays it’s part perfectly in bringing this ceviche togher.
I really hope you give this recipe a try. It’s perfect weekend food or when you want to liven up your weekday.
Remember if you make this or any of our recipes be sure to tag us on Facebook or Instagram @MexicanMadeMeatless
Other Recipes To Try
- Hearts of Palm Ceviche
- Michelada
- Carlota de Limon or Mexican Lime Icebox Cake
- Agua de Sandia or Watermelon Agua Fresca
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