Salads + Sides: Summer Vegetable and Fruit Vegan Ceviche
This raw vegetable salad is a delicious vegan take on a classic seafood ceviche. The traditional fresh fish or shrimp are replaced with raw vegetables and fruit, tossed in lime juice and olive oil and “marinated” for an hour before serving. The colors in this dish are amazing. It’s one of those recipes that is visually stunning as well as delicious.
Traditional Ceviche—made with raw fish or shrimp that is cured with citrus juices—is thought to have originated in Peru, where it is considered a national dish.
Loving this vegan alternative on the classic ceviche recipe? Try this floral variation
Although this salad is a beauty all by itself, if you’re lucky enough to have a few edible flowers, use them as a final touch for a true taste of summer.
This delicious dish makes for a wonderful appetizer for many of my other recipes such as Bud’s Cracklin’ Pork Shoulder or Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce.
Summer Vegetable and Fruit “Ceviche”
Ingredients
- Zest of 2 limes
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 green onions, roots and tough green tops removed, thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
- 1 zucchini or yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch dice
- Corn kernels from 3 ears of corn
- 3 nectarines or plums, washed well, pitted, but not peeled, cut into thin wedges
- pint multi-colored cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, julienned
- When adding the mint and cilantro, add the petals of some of your favorite edible flowers to the vegetable mixture. Garnish the top of the ceviche vegetable salad with some whole edible flowers.
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk the lime zest and juice with the olive oil, scallions, jalapeno and shallot. Season with a pinch of salt and white pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the edamame, zucchini, corn, nectarines or plums and tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing and carefully toss to just combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, cube the avocados and carefully fold in the cubes (so they don’t break up in the salad); add the cilantro and mint also. If you are making the variation using edible flowers, remove some of the petals and toss with the salad leaving 5 or 6 of your most stunning flowers for a final garnish.
