A Baja favorite, these Tostadas with Hearts of Palm Ceviche from Vegan Mexico by Jason Wyrick aren’t your usual bean-and-cheese affair. These are lively and fun, zesty and spicy, light and crispy. Feel free to use a good-quality, store-bought tostada, but for the absolute freshest flavor, make your own. Jason use tofu as an option to make these heartier as a meal. The diced baked tofu is perfect for these crispy treats, and combined with the hearts of palm, lend a real seafood-like quality.
Tostadas with Hearts of Palm Ceviche
Tostadas de Ceviche
Makes 8 tostadas
Ingredients
- 8 (3-inch) hearts of palm pieces, fresh or jarred, but not canned
- 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
- 1/2 small red onion, minced
- 2 ripe Hass avocados, pitted, peeled, and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (8-ounce) package savory baked tofu, cut into 1/4-inch dice, optional
- 8 (5-inch) corn tortillas
- Corn oil, for frying
- Chipotle chile flakes, optional, for garnishing
Preparation
Smash the hearts of palm a few times using a molcajete (mortar and pestle) or in a mixing bowl with a potato masher. In a medium bowl, combine the hearts of palm, tomatoes, serranos, onion, avocados, cilantro, Mexican oregano, salt, lime juice, olive oil, and tofu (if using). Let this sit for at least an hour. If it is going to sit for more than 2 hours, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated. It will last about 1 day refrigerated.
Add about 1/2 inch of corn oil to a medium pan and heat it to 375°F, until it’s hot but not smoking. Fry a tortilla on both sides for about 1 minute, until crispy, then it set aside on a paper towel to cool and drain.
Top each fried tortilla with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the hearts of palm mixture. Garnish with the crushed chipotle chile flakes if you want it spicier.
Make It Without Oil: Omit the olive oil from the ceviche. Bake the tortillas in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes, until crunchy.
Recipe from Vegan Mexico, copyright © 2016 by Jason Wyrick. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press.
Printable Tostadas with Hearts of Palm Ceviche recipe:
- 8 (3-inch) hearts of palm pieces, fresh or jarred, but not canned
- 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
- ½ small red onion, minced
- 2 ripe Hass avocados, pitted, peeled, and chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (8-ounce) package savory baked tofu, cut into ¼-inch dice, optional
- 8 (5-inch) corn tortillas
- Corn oil, for frying
- Chipotle chile flakes, optional, for garnishing
- Smash the hearts of palm a few times using a molcajete (mortar and pestle) or in a mixing bowl with a potato masher. In a medium bowl, combine the hearts of palm, tomatoes, serranos, onion, avocados, cilantro, Mexican oregano, salt, lime juice, olive oil, and tofu (if using). Let this sit for at least an hour. If it is going to sit for more than 2 hours, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated. It will last about 1 day refrigerated.
- Add about ½ inch of corn oil to a medium pan and heat it to 375°F, until it’s hot but not smoking. Fry a tortilla on both sides for about 1 minute, until crispy, then it set aside on a paper towel to cool and drain.
- Top each fried tortilla with about ¼ to ⅓ cup of the hearts of palm mixture. Garnish with the crushed chipotle chile flakes if you want it spicier.
- Make It Without Oil: Omit the olive oil from the ceviche. Bake the tortillas in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes, until crunchy.
