Vegetarian Ceviche

Name: Vegetarian Ceviche
Prep time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients: 1 medium cucumber; peeled and chopped3 to 4 green onions; finely chopped; or ½ cup finely chopped red onion1 jalapeño pepper; finely chopped or ¼ cup red salsa2 lemons or limes; squeezed for juice (about ⅓ cup)1 small (or ½ medium) head of cauliflower; cut or broken into large florets3 medium tomatoes; chopped1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder or 6 cloves garlic; minced1 cup chopped cilantro¾ teaspoon salt1 avocado; chopped (optional)

This unique take on ceviche is full of fresh veggies.

Bowl of colorful diced vegetables with dressing.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 to 4 green onions, finely chopped, or ½ cup finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped or ¼ cup red salsa
2 lemons or limes, squeezed for juice (about ⅓ cup)
1 small (or ½ medium) head of cauliflower, cut or broken into large florets
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder or 6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped cilantro
¾ teaspoon salt
1 avocado, chopped (optional)

Directions

Wash hands with soap and water.
Rinse or scrub fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before preparing.
In a large bowl, stir together the cucumber, onion, jalapeño and lemon or lime juice. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place the cauliflower in the boiling water for 2 minutes to make it a little tender. To do this in the microwave, put the cauliflower and 1 Tablespoon water in a microwave-safe dish with a cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 minutes.
Drain and rinse the cauliflower in ice-cold water. Chop into small pieces and add to the bowl of other vegetables.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the avocado. Stir to mix well.
Add the avocado just before serving, if desired.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

Try basil or dill (dry or fresh) instead of cilantro. Use ¼ to ⅓ cup of dried herbs because they are more concentrated in flavor.
Add more color with yellow or purple cauliflower.
Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or crackers.

Thanks to Victor Villegas and the OSU Extension Latin Heritage Workgroup for this recipe.

Comments

Submitted by russeste on Fri, 02/07/2025 - 13:08

This Vegetarian Ceviche recipe is amazing! At first I thought I would add it to a wrap to give my lunch a boost of flavor and fresh veggies, but I ended up eating a bowl of it as is because it was so delicious! I did add avocado just before serving. Yum! There's leftovers, so I may try the wrap idea later for an easy, healthy dinner.

Vegetarian Ceviche

Submitted by walscaro on Thu, 08/11/2022 - 13:18

This is delicious! Everyone who tasted it was impressed with the fresh flavors and how the cauliflower fit in for fish. If there are leftovers, they hold up well and make a nice addition to any salad.

Submitted by mcmullid on Wed, 08/10/2022 - 15:46

I made this recipe for a Food Hero Tasting that I did at Food for Lane County's Mobile Food Pantry event and it was a hit! This site serves a large Latino population and they were thrilled about this recipe. Some people were skeptical about the cauliflower flavor, but were surprised that it was a great addition and fish/shrimp replacement. I can't wait to make this for other tasting events! :)

Submitted by shara anslow on Tue, 08/09/2022 - 11:28

Absolutely love this recipe, so refreshing and delicious!