A refreshing vegan ceviche recipe with creamy avocado, small bites of cauliflower, chile, tomato, and cucumber soaked in loads of lime and toasted cumin. Rich in antioxidants and healthy fats!
Recipe first posted September 28, 2021 and last updated January 13, 2024.
Very high on the very long list of things I’m grateful for, is my ancient, enormous avocado tree. Living in the heart of California avocado country is truly magical.
In the summer months, we easily devour our bounty in the form of this light, yet satisfying vegan version of classic ceviche where avocado is the main ingredient in place of fish.
I personally love this combination of ripe avocados, crunchy cauliflower, fragrant tomatoes, red onion, chiles, and lime.
Our home in Ventura, California sits on the site of a former avocado orchard.
The orchard was sold in the late 1940’s and broken up into parcels but many of the avocado trees still stand.
In fact, Ventura County is home to acres and acres of avocado trees. California as a whole has more than 3,500 avocado growers, on approximately 54,000 acres. Growing the avocados you buy in your grocery store.
Did you know that every Hass avocado in the world can trace its lineage to the original Mother Hass Tree in La Habra Heights, California?! Pretty amazing, right?
There’s so many ways to enjoy a ripe avocado like tomatillo-avocado salsa, charred jalapeño avocado crema, and of course guacamole but one of our very favorites is this plant based vegan ceviche! It is truly the best vegan ceviche recipe I’ve ever tried.
A Nutrition Packed Snack
This vegan ceviche is:
- Low in calories
- High in fiber
- Low in carbohydrates
- With the fresh lime and Roma tomatoes it is also high in Vitamin C
What Is Ceviche Anyway?
Traditional ceviche is a beloved part of Latin cuisine and goes by many names depending on what country you’re in.
Also known as cebiche, seviche, or sebiche it is typically made with raw seafood or fresh raw fish. The white fish is “cooked” only with the acid from citrus juices as it marinates, like my citrus seafood ceviche which is marinated in lime and orange juice.
The differences between Mexican ceviche, Peruvian cebiche, and Ecuadorian ceviche are subtle. They all rely on really fresh fish or seafood and lots of lime or lemon juice.
In Mexico, they prepare it with only fresh ingredients and it is typically served on a tostada with hot sauce for drizzling on top.
In South America, traditional Peruvian ceviche is Peru’s national dish. It is almost like a salad with raw and cooked ingredients like corn and sweet potatoes mixed together and in Ecuador, shrimp is king when it comes to ceviche and it is served with lots of sauce, almost like a soup.
Ceviche makes the perfect party food! If you’re worried about keeping the ceviche cold or wondering what to serve with it, follow my tips for how to serve ceviche at a party.
Ingredients
- Avocado
- Cauliflower
- Tomatoes. Use whatever is ripe and flavorful, even halved cherry tomatoes would be great
- Cucumber
- Small Red onion
- Serrano peppers or jalapeño pepper or yellow bell pepper if you don’t want the heat
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Limes. 2-3 limes for about 1/4 cup lime juice
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Cumin seeds
- Tostadas or pita chips, for serving
How To Make This Recipe (Step-by-Step Instructions)
This flavorful vegan ceviche recipe is a ceviche de aguacate or avocado ceviche and is based on a traditional Mexican ceviche recipe made with lots of lime juice, chiles, and tomato.
The nice thing about a vegan ceviche is you don’t have to worry about the freshness of the fish or its ill effects. It’s even safe for pregnant women (something I was joyous about during the long summer months of both my pregnancies). Plus it can sit out at room temperature for awhile.
step one
Prep the veggies. These tostadas de ceviche are really simple to prepare, just chop all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
step two
Mix. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to give the flavors time to intensify.
step three
Serve! Taste the ceviche and add more salt or lime juice if needed. It makes a great appetizer served in a large bowl with tortilla chips, tostadas, or even lettuce cups for a light lunch. It even makes an excellent summery side dish with Chiles Rellenos or Beer-Braised Barbacoa
Varitations
There’s different ways you can make this recipe with other veggies depending on what you like. Feel free to try some of these variations:
- Finely diced jicama
- Blanched yellow wax or green beans, chopped
- Fresh pieces of chopped coconut
- Cooked garbanzo beans
- Sliced heart of palm—vegan hearts of palm ceviche mimics the texture of fish!
- Or try my vegan cauliflower ceviche with kumquats
How Long Does It Last?
Like any ceviche, eat this the day you make it. If you have some leftover, transfer to an airtight container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ceviche then refrigerate.
As long as the surface is tightly covered with a piece of plastic, it will keep a day or two in the refrigerator before the avocado starts to brown.
Top 5 Most Popular Ceviche Recipes
- Scallop Ceviche with Tomatoes and Avocado
- Shrimp and Melon Ceviche Tostadas
- Cauliflower Ceviche with Kumquats
- Shrimp Ceviche with Coconut and Lime
- Citrus Seafood Ceviche
Vegan Ceviche With Avocado: Pass the Tostadas!
The next time you get that ceviche craving I hope you give this recipe a try! When you do I want to hear about it! Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Vegan Ceviche with Avocado
A very good vegan ceviche recipe with creamy avocado, small bites of cauliflower, chile, tomato, and cucumber soaked in loads of lime and toasted cumin seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small ripe, fresh avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
- 1 cup cauliflower, finely diced
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- 1/3 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 serrano chile, stemmed and seeded if you'd like it less spicy then minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
- Tostadas or pita chips, for serving
Instructions
- Mix. In a large bowl, combine avocado, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, serrano chile, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and cumin seeds. Stir gently to combine you don't want to break up or mash the avocado.
- Marinate. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let marinate.
- Serve. Stir once more and taste. Add more salt or lime juice if needed. Serve on tostadas or with pita chips.
Notes
- For a spicier kick: Leave the seeds in the serrano chile or add an extra chile for more heat.
- To make the vegan ceviche more filling: Add cooked garbanzo beans or sliced hearts of palm.
- If you don't have cumin seeds: Use ground cumin, but reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Avocados: Ensure the avocado is ripe but still firm to hold its shape in the ceviche.
- If serving the ceviche as a side dish: It pairs well with Chiles Rellenos or Instant Pot Barbacoa.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 64Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 89mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
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Yasmari Bello says
OMG I love it ceviche with avocado! Delicius
Wendy says
Que rico se ve ese ceviche. Gracias por la receta. Se me aguaron los labios.
Kate Ramos says
¡Gracias! Wendy
Valentina says
This is a delicious vegan ceviche! Thanks so much for the easy recipe. 💖
Kate Ramos says
I know! Easy recipes are key to cooking from home everyday.
Brenda says
This vegan ceviche looks delicious! Love the pictures, I will make it soon for my family!
Kate Ramos says
Yay, thank you Brenda!
Vanessa Mota says
Now this interesting! I had never heard of vegan ceviche. Can’t wait to try it.
Kate Ramos says
Please do, I’d love to know what you think!
SERGIO BUSTAMANTE says
I am from ARIZONA , TUCSON AND THINK TAT THE CEVICHE VEGAN RECEIPE WITH LOTS OF LIME IS THE BOMB.