How to Prepare Delicious Peruvian-Style Ceviche (Vegan Alternative!)
Traditional Peruvian ceviche is a super delicious, raw fish dish that lands itself on the “must-try” list when visiting Peru. I first dined on Peruvian ceviche while in Lima, which was my first destination while visiting Peru. I had heard rumors of this special dish and was super excited to give it a try. It did not disappoint.
For the past few years, I’ve followed a primarily plant-based diet. I made the switch at the beginning of 2020 for both health and environmental reasons.
I am not a strict vegan, but every chance I get, I try and order the most “vegan” or “plant-based” items on a restaurant’s menu. If I do decide to eat an entree with meat in it, it’s only ever something with fish. The taste of any other meat actually doesn’t even appeal to me anymore.
I spent ten days in Peru, and of those days, almost half of them were spent ordering the ceviche at whatever eating establishment I was at. That’s how much I enjoyed this traditional fare. And no matter where I was in Peru, it always tasted wonderful.
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What is Peruvian ceviche?
Typical ceviche contains raw fish or seafood tossed and served in a marinade called Leche de Tigre. This marinade is one of the signature flavors that put Peruvian ceviche on the map for international foodies.
It’s a lime-based mixture with freshly squeezed lime, garlic, cilantro, spicy peppers, and onions. You may see it prepared slightly differently in each region of Peru, but this ingredient list is basically the gist.
Ceviche has a long history in Peru. It was typically served at lunchtime as soon as the local fisherman arrived with their catch of the day. This was due to their lack of refrigeration abilities all those years ago.
Archaeologists have even uncovered remains of ancient fishing nets, and the tradition of using boats called caballitos de tortora continues even today in certain areas of Peru.
Why is Peruvian ceviche so good?
What truly makes Peruvian ceviche so tasty is the Leche de Tigre marinade. Also, the chiles used in its preparation are powerfully spicy, colorful, and aromatic.
I firmly believe that you can have the best of both worlds of enjoying delicious ceviche while maintaining a vegan or whole-food plant-based diet.
How is Peruvian ceviche different from other ceviches?
In Peru, ceviche is prepared slightly differently than what you’ll see in other countries like Mexico or Ecuador.
In Central Latin American countries, you’ll see the ceviche as more of a soup-like dish.
However, in Peru, the ceviche is prepared with less lime juice and served on a plate rather than in a bowl. You’ll also see it served with some of Peru’s local superfoods such as sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, and even large kernel corn called choclo native to the country.
The fish marinates in less time and incorporates the use of spicy hot peppers to wake up those taste buds!
While many countries will claim their ceviche to be the best, Peru is the only country that marks the recipe as their national dish.
There is also strong evidence that this recipe was utilized in Peru over two thousand years ago by the Moche people! There is even a holiday (National Ceviche Day) dedicated to its honor!
How is this recipe vegan?
This Peruvian ceviche recipe has been made vegan by substituting the raw fish for hearts of palm. Hearts of palm is the perfect seafood substitute as it has the consistency and slight flavor of white fish.
Is Peruvian ceviche healthy?
Peruvian ceviche, whether vegan or not, is inherently healthy because of its incorporation of fresh and nutritious ingredients. This vegan-inspired Peruvian ceviche is particularly high in vitamin C, protein, essential fatty acids, and fiber.
Until you can go to Peru to experience it for yourself, or if you’re a strict vegan but interested in food that’s bursting in Peruvian flavor, here’s how to make it at home. It’s an opportunity to enjoy ceviche and the flavors of Peru yet still maintain a plant-based (or vegan) diet.
Vegan-Inspired Peruvian Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients:
Leche de Tigre (the marinade)
- 3 limes, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, packed
- ½ habanero chile, deseeded
- ½ small red onion, diced
- Pinch of salt, to taste
Vegan Ceviche
- Hearts of palm, diced
- 1 large cucumber, diced
- 1 small white onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
For the side: 1 small sweet potato or ear of corn*, husked
*Peruvians use a large kernel corn called choclo. I tried finding it in my local grocery store with no luck. From what I’ve gathered, it’s pretty challenging to find this specific variety of corn in the United States.
For this recipe, I used Love Corn. Their sea salt flavor is a personal favorite of mine.
Directions:
Step One
Set up a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Puree the first four ingredients and a couple of large ice cubes in a blender until smooth. Next, add the onion and pulse 3-4 times. Strain all the liquid into the bowl and season with salt. Cover and chill while prepping the ceviche.
Step Two
Drain the hearts of palm and rinse under cold water to remove some of the brine. Chop up the cucumber, onion, cilantro, and avocado and add to a large bowl.
Step Three
Pour the Leche de Tigre marinade over the ceviche mixture and toss to combine. Add salt to taste.
Step Four
Fill your plate with a heap of ceviche, garnish with the chopped cilantro, and serve with your sweet potato or corn kernels. It can be served immediately or be refrigerated for later.
Step Five
ENJOY!
As a side note, Peruvians love their spice. When making the Leche de Tigre marinade, keep in mind that the habanero pepper has quite the kick. If you’ve got a sensitive palate, scale back the habanero pepper to a quarter slice instead of half. Or substitute it with a deseeded jalapeno pepper instead!
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I’ve visited Peru a couple of times. The first time we didn’t have the best food experiences but the second time was much better and I did love ceviche! Your clever switch from fish to palm hearts, cucumbers, onion and avocado to make a vegan version looks delicious.
Thank you! It really is delicious and most won’t even know you made the switch 😉
This is a great recipe!! I was vegan for a few years before I developed a gluten sensitivity now I am gluten free and dairy free, but like you I try to eat vegan whenever it’s possible.
I’m nor sure I could ear raw fish so the vegan ceviche would suit me better. Peru is on my bucketlist so I’ll have to try it when I do get there.