Light & Easy Hearts of Palm Ceviche

Sometimes, as a vegan, you want something that you didn’t even remember you liked. Enter ceviche. It’s not something I’ve ever eaten on a regular basis but on the rare occasions I’ve had it, I loved it. Then I came across hearts of palm.

It’s not something I’ve eaten on the regular basis, or ever really but I’m always on the lookout for fresh and refreshing dishes that cut down on my time in the kitchen when I need to spend extra time in the writing cave. So when I saw an actual ceviche dish that used scallops and hearts of palm I thought to myself, why not leave it as is minus the seafood?

Why not, indeed.

This recipe is actually pretty simple and only requires about ten minutes or so of prep work, most of that is chopping and tossing ingredients into a bowl. At this point you can pre-heat the oven for the chips if that’s how you choose to eat it and let me tell you that those hot, slightly greasy chips are a great companion to vegan ceviche.

Here’s what I used:

Hearts of palm (3)

Plum tomatoes, pulp removed & chopped finely

Scallions, sliced thinly

Cucumber, diced

Parsley

Jalapeno (only because I couldn’t find habanero)

Lime juice

Bell pepper (optional)

Chop everything and put it into a bowl and season it as you see fit. I added salt, pepper, garlic granules and lime juice with a pinch of smoky paprika to keep it simple. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors blend and serve with hot chips.

This vegan ceviche is low in calories, about 200 calories per serving and that’s WITH the chips, so if you need something a little heartier put it on a bed of lettuce or do like I did and pair it with olives and peppers, antipasti style. Because it’s fresh, high fiber foods it’s actually pretty filling despite it’s low calorie density.

This works as a salad or an appetizer, so keep it in mind for a quick and easy dish to bring to a party, potluck or holiday meal.