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    Home » Appetizers » Vegan Ceviche

    Vegan Ceviche with Coconut Recipe

    Published: Jun 4, 2020 · Modified: Aug 6, 2020 by Pavani · 25 Comments

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    Light, refreshing and delicious vegan ceviche made with young coconut. Great to serve as an appetizer or snack with tortilla chips.

    White bowl with ceviche

    Ceviche (se-vee-chay) is a popular dish made in Central and South America. It is made with marinated raw fish or seafood. Making a vegan version of it may sound like an oxymoron. But it had to done, since how else can a vegan/ vegetarian enjoy this citrusy, delicious dish.

    Traditionally seafood is marinated in lots of citrus juice, like lime/ lemon and spiced with aji or chili peppers. The acid in the citrus 'cooks' it. So, this is a raw dish that needs no cooking.

    How to make this dish Vegan?

    The main aim in making vegan ceviche is to mimic the texture of the original dish. In this recipe, I am using young coconut meat as a substitute.

    It has a texture very similar to fresh fish. It absorbs and takes on flavors added to it making it a perfect choice. This recipe is adapted from a cooking show in Cooking Channel.

    White bowl with ceviche topped with fresh cilantro

    Ingredients Needed

    The main ingredient to make this vegan ceviche is 'Young Coconut'. These are widely available in Asian grocery stores usually along side regular brown ones.

    Hands holding young coconut

    They have to be opened to get to the meat and water. It sounds daunting but it is not. The video below shows how I opened mine. You need a sturdy knife to do this job.

    Hands holding a blue bowl with chopped coconut meat

    Young coconut meat is tender with a subtle coconut flavor.

    Citrus plays a big role in the traditional recipe and so it does in this version as well. A combination of lime and orange juice add lots of flavor to the dish.

    All the other ingredients add texture, color and complement the flavors of the main ingredients.

    Steel bowl with chopped coconut meat, cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and halved lime, orange on the side

    Instructions

    The first and the time consuming part of this dish is the opening of the coconut. I tried to show how I opened mine in the video. It doesn't look very pretty, but I got the job done.

    Your aim is to remove the husk on the top part of the fruit just until you expose the shell. Once that is removed, the shell can be cracked quite easily with the knife. Drain the coconut water and scoop out the the delicious, tender meat.

    • Rinse, drain and chop the coconut. Add the chopped veggies - cucumber, tomatoes and scallions. Toss to combine.
    • Stir in orange juice and lime juice. Mix well.
    • Season with cayenne pepper (red chili powder), salt and pepper. If serving later, then this mixture can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
    • Just before serving, add chopped avocados, toss to combine and serve with tortilla chips.

    Tips

    • If you want to make this dish ahead of time, then add all the ingredients except for the avocado (and of course, the tortilla chips) and refrigerate the mixture for up to 2 hours. Add the avocado just before serving and toss gently to combine.
    • You can serve with tortilla chips or over a bed of lettuce as a salad. Either way it would be delicious.
    • This is great to serve with any Tex-Mex style dishes. Serve over tacos, burritos or add them to Mexican quinoa bowl. 
    • One delicious idea is instead of adding the avocado to the dish, mash it with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slather this over a crispy tostada shell and top it with the ceviche. Enjoy!!
    Hand holding a tortilla chip topped with coconut ceviche

    Taste Test

    This is a tasty and refreshing dish. There are so many delicious textures and flavors in this dish that even my picky son loved it. This is a great summer dish which can be enjoyed any time of the year.

    Substitution Ideas

    Here are some substitution ideas for young coconut to make vegan ceviche:

    • heart of palm - has similar texture. Rinse, drain and use canned.
    • regular coconut - but instead of using chopped, use grated coconut.
    • tofu - use firm or medium tofu. Make sure to press it well to remove excess liquid.
    White bowl with chopped cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, coconut, cilantro and blue plate with tortilla chips

    Few More Coconut recipes:

    • Bell Pepper Coconut Masala Curry
    • Indian Style Coconut Rice Noodles
    • Coconut flour Chocolate Muffins
    Grey bowl with avocado, tomato, coconut meat salsa

    Vegan Coconut Ceviche

    Light, refreshing and delicious vegan ceviche made with young coconut. Great to serve as an appetizer or snack with tortilla chips.
    Author: Pavani
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 20 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 Young Coconut
    • 2 tablespoons Lime juice
    • 1 tablespoon Orange juice
    • 2 Green Onions, chopped
    • 1 Medium Tomato, chopped
    • 1 Small Cucumber, diced
    • 1 Small Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
    • 1 Small Green Bell Pepper- seeded and chopped (optional)
    • 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon Cilantro, finely chopped
    • A pinch Cayenne pepper
    • To taste Salt
    • 1 Avocado, chopped
    • As needed Tortilla Chips, to serve

    Instructions

    • Using a heavy, sharp knife, remove the husk on the top part of the coconut until you expose the shell. Once that husk is removed, then using the pointy end of the knife, whack the shell until it cracks. Pry the top open using the knife.
    • Drain the coconut water and scoop out the the delicious, tender meat.
    • Wash the flesh and chop into ½" pieces and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
    • Add green onions, tomatoes, cucumber, jalapeno, green bell pepper (if using), cilantro, parsley, cayenne pepper and salt.
    • Stir in lime juice, orange juice and mix well.*
    • Finally add avocado just before serving and toss gently to combine.
    • Serve immediately with tortilla chips or refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

    Notes

    • If you want to make this dish ahead of time, then add all the ingredients except for the avocado (and of course, the tortilla chips) and refrigerate the mixture for up to 2 hours. Add the avocado just before serving and toss gently to combine. Serve with tortilla chips. 
    • This is great to serve with any Tex-Mex style dishes. Serve over tacos, burritos or add them to Mexican rice/ quinoa bowl. 
    • One delicious idea is instead of adding the avocado to the dish, mash it with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slather this over a crispy tostada shell and top it with the ceviche. Enjoy!!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooks_hideout or tag #cookshideout!
    Vegan Coconut Ceviche

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    Comments

    1. Sasmita

      June 13, 2020 at 1:02 am

      5 stars
      Such a nice twisted recipe for sure !!!
      the coconut here as a vegan alternate on seafood is brilliant idea. Love all the tender coconut pulp here 🙂

      Reply
    2. Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey

      June 13, 2020 at 1:21 am

      5 stars
      A few years back we tried something similar in one of the Latin restaurants and we fell in love with it. This vegan version is so tempting and tasty.

      Reply
    3. Priya Srinivasan

      June 13, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      Wow pavani, brilliant dish! coconut meat for fish is an amazing idea!!! Love the flavors here, would love to try this sometime!!! superb share!

      Reply
    4. Bless my food by Payal

      July 01, 2020 at 8:38 am

      5 stars
      The dish in itself has a unique name and intriguing flavours. All the ingredients though simple but making an exceptionally great recipe when amalgamated.

      Reply
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