Thursday, August 16, 2018

Veggie Ceviche! (Vegan Tofu/Veggie Salad)

Veggie Ceviche! 
Veggie Ceviche is an amazing recipe if I say so myself! You have to taste it's limey, cilantro goodness to see how delicious it is. The tofu truly gets so flavorful that one can eat a whole bowlful even without any of the additional ingredients - yes, I did exactly that!

There are 3 ways to make this ceviche; with tofu, cauliflower (raw or cooked until just tender), or hearts or palm - all equally delicious. This ceviche is an easy make ahead recipe and a great addition to the appetizer/starter, lunch, or a light meal repertoire.

NOTES:

Fresh limes work the best for this recipe; let the limes warm up to room temperature if chilled. If the limes are not juicy, or they are small, you may need more limes.

The tofu/veggies may be marinated up to a day in advance. To insure fresh taste and flavor, add the tomato and cucumber no more than about an hour or two before serving.

Jalapeño chiles maybe cored for a mild ceviche; leave cores in for more spice.

If fresh corn is not an option, frozen corn kernels maybe used; cook in a hot pan until slightly caramelized, cool, and then add to ceviche. Also, if you have leftover grilled corn, use it here!

Ceviche maybe served in many ways; one of our favorite way is to let everyone pile it on small romaine/endive leaves or warm corn tortillas. It maybe spooned onto tostada shells also or scooped up with tortilla/corn chips.

About 4-5 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 block Regular OR Firm Tofu (14 oz), cut into 1/4" cubes 
1 clove fresh Garlic, mashed well
1 small Red Onion, finely diced
2 Roma OR 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, diced small
2 Persian Cucumbers, diced
2 Corn on the cob, grilled and cut off the cob
1-2 Jalapeño chiles, cored and minced
2-3 large Limes, juiced
1 large bunch Cilantro, finely chopped, divided
1 tsp Salt, divided
1/2 Mandarin/Regular Orange, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup Green Olives, sliced (optional)
1-2 Avocadoes, diced

To Serve:
Lime wedges
Hot Sauce (Mexican type)
Romaine/Endive leaves
Corn Tortillas (warmed)
Tortilla Chips/Tostada Shells

METHOD:

Drain the tofu thoroughly and rub with a couple of pinches of salt, wrap in toweling, weight down, and drain. Blot well and cut into cubes.

Pound together using a mortar and pestle or pulverize using a food processor, half the cilantro, 1/2 tsp salt, and half the jalapeño chile.

Combine Tofu, the pounded cilantro mixture in a non-reactive bowl (glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowl), and the juice from one lime; mix well. Place the tofu mixture in a ziptop bag, flatten the bag gently so the tofu is in one layer and there is enough juices to coat all the cubes. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

If using cauliflower (raw or cooked until al dente and cooled) or hearts of palm, cut them into small florets or cubes. They don't need to be pre-marinated. Just combine them with the rest of the ingredients.

Grill the corn on the cob and let cool. Cut off the kernels carefully from the cob.

In a large non-reactive bowl, mix together the garlic, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn kernels, rest of the green chiles, rest of the cilantro, the juice from one lime, and the olives if using. Stir in the tofu and season with salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon or so. Add the mandarin/orange if using, to the ceviche and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours if not serving immediately.

Just before serving, gently stir in the diced avocado. Taste and add more lime juice as needed.

Serve with chips, tostada shells, tortillas, romaine and/or endive. Pass the hot sauce and lime wedges.

Enjoy!!
Veggie Ceviche! 

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful recipe. Thank you for sharing this. One question: when do I add the onion and garlic?

Geetha said...

Hello Unknown, Thank you for catching the omission. I have updated the recipe with the information. The garlic and onions are to be added when the marinated tofu is combined with the rest of the ingredients. Happy cooking and ceviche making!