Ceviche is one of those fringe means of preparing food that I didn’t really bother with until recently. Cooking something in citrus seemed rather farfetched and, for some reason, ineffective. But one big, beautiful bite of this hearts of palm ceviche bowl, and I was immediately sold.
One bite of this hearts of palm ceviche tastes like this..
Soft, creamy stands of hearts of palm, partially cooked in lime juice, tackle your tastebuds and transport you to a land of fresh, vibrant flavors, plentiful in bright and pungent punches of citrus. Surrounding the ceviche are much needed garnishes that provide some balance and relief: sweet oranges sections; juicy tomatoes; fragrant cilantro; fresh and zippy jalapeño and red onion. And on top of all that, there’s a spicy grated ginger and rice wine vinaigrette, which soaks through the entire bowl, right down to the hearty base of brown rice – a soft and whole-grain sponge that absorbs all the pooling flavors so that you don’t miss a single drop!
Needless to say, this dish isn’t for the meek, as it’s quite intense, and a bit wild and sour. But ultimately, it’s an invigorating and refreshing and amazingly energizing healthy bowl of fresh food. Plus, it’s gluten and oil-free, so accessible for even those with stricter dietary requirements. Best of all, there is very little cooking in this recipe; most of your concerted efforts will simply be chopping up veggies and marinating the hearts of palm. So, even if you’re a rather aloof in the kitchen, I believe that you can make this successfully.
Are you in the mood for a dynamic bowl of vegan hearts of palm ceviche? Then this is the perfect one-dish meal for you!
Hearts of Palm: A Brief History
Firstly, I recognize that there are people who may not know what hearts of palm are. This is understandable, as it’s an unusual ingredient, not something most of us encounter on a day-to-day basis. And by name or unassuming appearance alone, it doesn’t really excite or entice one to salivate and daydream about it in the same way that other foods can.
For me, my introduction to hearts of palm arrived mostly by happenstance. I had tried a month or two of the plant-based meal delivery service, Purple Carrot. The company delivers a menu and pre-made meal plan, as well as all the fresh produce you need, in this gigantor container right to your front door. One of the meals (I forget what it was exactly) featured hearts of palm!
Out of the can, hearts of palm look like they belong in a library more than in a kitchen; they appear to be little beige scrolls, briny and fleshy and soft. My first thoughts were, “how do you eat these?” and more importantly, “who would want to?!”
But little did I know that this simple introduction would inspire me to work with them and transform into incredibly delicious food later on, like this hearts of palm ceviche recipe.
After some experimentation, I realized what a versatile ingredient these little beige scrolls were: they could be battered, fried, baked, marinated, and eaten raw, and yet whatever their form, they would still taste delicious. Better yet, when prepared properly, they have this very delicate white fish-like texture that almost melts in your mouth as a creamy thread of sheer bliss.
Needless to say, after that I was hooked. It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and I use it quite often as a way of emulating certain seafoods, and/or adding a briny, creamy element to any dish.
If you want to discover more recipes than just this vegan hearts of palm ceviche, check out my category, Everything Hearts of Palm, to uncover other amazing recipes for this incredible, indelibly delicious ingredient.
Embrace the Citrus and the Spice
Part of eating this hearts of palm ceviche, or any ceviche for that matter, is to embrace the beautiful sourness of the fresh citrus, namely the lime juice in this recipe.
While it can be quite acidic and at times very in-your-face (literally and figuratively), lime juice is the perfect citrus in which to marinate hearts of palm. It’s really does partially cook and tenderize it to the point where the little threads of delicate palm meat become very soft and creamy and utterly eatable.
The second ingredient to embrace is the raw ginger, which when grated into the vinaigrette has this intensity of spice that pairs really well with the astringent and flavorful seasoned rice wine vinegar. It makes a fantastic dressing that adds even more pep to an already throughly effervescent bowl of goodness.
Lastly, while most of the garnishes, like the jalapeño or red onion or tomato, are interchangeable with whatever other fresh veggies or fruits you have on hand at the time, I would highly recommend that you do not forgo the orange, or some type of sweet citrus like it (mandarin oranges, for example). The reason for this is simple: the natural sweetness from the orange, when eaten with the sourness of the lime or spiciness of the ginger, tames the two and keeps them dynamic. It’s important to have some kind of relief from the acid of this hearts of palm ceviche, otherwise every bite can become a bit one-note and monotonous.
Some Secrets of Raw Kale
We all know kale. It seems like it was the original health food craze, before people moved on to chia seeds, and beet juice, and whatever else it is now. But long before fads or flings or brief flirtations with leafy greens, kale had been there: healthy, hearty, wholesome and totally awesome – regardless of public opinion about it.
Yes, it’s chewy raw, but snipping kale with scissors and then massaging it a bit is a great way of combating that chewiness.
Firstly, snipping kale into thin, irregularly sized ribbons allows you to break it down it into more eatable, edible portions. And in this recipe, doing this also allows the ginger dressing to coat more of it, and more easily. The reason to use scissors instead of chopping it with a knife is that, with scissors, the cuts of kale are a bit more random, and so the texture will be more varied. You’ll have differing lengths of kale ribbons, but ultimately more interesting and eatable greens post-snip.
Secondly, massaging the kale after sniping it with scissors is a great way to ease up the texture even more. Kale, like most people, becomes softer and more pleasant to be around after a massage. All you have to do is give it a couple of turns and squeezes with your hands before dressing it, and you’ll be good to go.
Vegan Hearts of Palm Ceviche
In short, if you’re not an avid cook or haven’t used much hearts of palm before, this is this hearts of palm ceviche recipe for you. Since there really isn’t a whole lot of cooking, the effort in order to make this delicious is pretty minimal.
I would encourage anyone who likes zippy, metabolism-revving dishes to give this a try. It’s healthy, filling, and most importantly, very tasty and vibrant.
Open a can of hearts of palm, and get to it!
Hearts of Palm Ceviche Bowl
Ingredients
For the Ceviche
- 1 (15-ounce) can of Hearts of Palm, drained and shredded with a fork
- Zest from 1 lime
- Juice from 3 limes, about ½ cup
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Dash of salt
For the Kale and Dressing
- 8 stalks of lacinato or curly kale, or both, finely snipped with scissors
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- ½ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
- Dash of dried red pepper flakes
Garnishes
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- Some orange sections
- 1 tomato, finely sliced
- 1 jalapeño, finely sliced
- Some cilantro
- Some brown rice, as a base
Instructions
- Begin by removing the hearts of palm from the can. Drain, but don't rinse them. Shred the hearts of palm with a fork, until you have long, thin strands, and then marinate those in a medium bowl with the lime zest and juice, chili powder, and salt, for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the stem, and then sniping the leaves into small ribbons with some scissors. After that, massage the ribbons a bit with your hands to soften them up.Once that's done, into a small mixing bowl, whisk the finely grated fresh ginger with the rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Set aside for later.
- Now, appropriately prepare the rest of your garnishes, such as slicing the tomatoes, red onions and jalapeños thinly, as well as sectioning oranges. Also, prepare at least 2 – 3 cups worth (when cooked) of brown rice for a base of the bowl.
- Assemble the Hearts of Palm Ceviche in a deep, wide bowl, by laying down brown rice, topping that with kale ribbons, followed by the garnishes around the edges, and the hearts of palm ceviche in the center. Dress the bowl with the ginger dressing, and enjoy!
Nutrition
I hope that you enjoyed this hearts of palm ceviche recipe. If you did, please consider leaving a rating and comment down below. And if you love hearts of palm, don’t forget to check out these delectable hearts of palm fish tacos, too!
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May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
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