When you are feeling like having something super fresh and bright, a little bit spicy and tangy, look no further than a Ceviche! There are many kinds of ceviches, and if you are thinking of the famous Peruvian ones, those are completely different in technique and ingredients. The Mexican ones are pretty simple, but they pack a ton of flavour. Commonly made with seafood - be it the freshest shrimp or fish, they always have a lot of citrus juice (it’s what “cooks” the raw seafood), tomatoes, onions, chiles, avocado cilantro and sometimes fruits such as mango or pineapple. In all its variations, a good ceviche is amazingly good.
As people started eating less protein, vegan ceviches became more the thing. You can make all kinds of different ceviches that would be considered vegan, like this one made with palmitos. Other examples of vegan ceviches would be mushrooms, chickpeas, cauliflower, young coconut, or any combination you may think of. The idea is to have something fresh, bright and delicious!
Hearts of palm are the inner core of certain palm trees. They are mainly grown in Asia, subtropical Africa and Central and South America. I have never had a fresh one, but I hope to one day be able to try it! Up here in Canada, we find the canned variety. They are very mild tasting and have a soft consistency, so you have to be gentle when you mix them into this ceviche so they don’t fall apart too much. This ceviche is best eaten the day it’s made, as the vegetables purge a lot of liquid as they sit.
CEVICHE DE PALMITO
Hearts of Palm Ceviche
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 Jalapeño, minced, or 1/4 habanero, seeded and minced
1 tsp salt, or more to taste
Juice of 2 large limes
1 3/4 cups diced Lebanese cucumber (about 4)
1 1/2 cups diced Roma tomato (about 3)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 can hearts of palm, drained, hearts of palm quartered lengthwise and then cut into 1/2” pieces
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tostadas, plantain chips or corn chips to serve
In medium non-reactive bowl, place red onion, Jalapeño, salt and lime juice. Stir and let sit while you prep all ingredients.
After a few minutes, onions will have softened. Add cucumber, tomatoes, Jalapeño, cilantro and avocado and mix well.
Gently fold in hearts of palm so you don’t break them too much. Drizzle in olive oil, mix again and adjust seasoning. Let ceviche rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Serve with tostadas, plantain chips or corn chips.
Serves 6.