Heart of Palm “Whitefish” Salad
Heart of Palm “Whitefish” Salad – This vegan update to the classic smoked whitefish salad is made with beans and hearts of palm and is perfect on a bagel, on toast, crackers, and more!
Heart of Palm “Whitefish” Salad – This vegan update to the classic smoked whitefish salad is made with beans and hearts of palm and is perfect on a bagel, on toast, crackers, and more! This recipe is perfect for a vegan-friendly bagel board and comes from Nosh: Plant Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine by Micah Siva.
Growing up in New York, you take certain things for granted. Things that you miss when you move away. And one of those things is a classic Jewish deli.
If you know me, then you know that my love for a classic New York bagel with schmear and lox runs deep. But there’s so much more to a deli than bagels. There’s the pastrami on rye. The matzoh ball soup. The knishes! And so much more.
But one of my distinct memories is the smoked whitefish.
My mother used to create meals from the golden-skinned smoked whitefish, and I loved staring at the smoked fish, eye to eye, through the deli display glass as a little girl. I was at the perfect height to look deeply into the display and watch my mother choose one to take home. It was the easiest shortcut for a simple dinner, and she would round things out with fresh vegetables from her garden.
But if we’re going to talk about smoked whitefish, then we must discuss whitefish salad. I loved it on top of a toasted bagel, especially with a few slivers of red onion! The umami of the smoked whitefish adds so much complexity to an otherwise simple dish. When I moved out of New York, the only time I was reunited with smoked whitefish salad was on trips back home.
These days, I’ve been eating more plant-forward, yet another reason to miss the deli classic. But all that changed when I welcomed Micah Siva on the podcast to discuss her cookbook. NOSH (affiliate link) celebrates plant-forward recipes of Jewish classics, and her recipe for Heart of Palm “Whitefish” Salad is a perfect example! I was thrilled to try it out myself.
How to Make Heart of Palm “Whitefish” Salad
Heart of palm has a consistency that is reminiscent of tender smoked whitefish, and when combined with smashed protein-rich white beans, the texture works well in this vegan-friendly version! Extra umami comes from dulse, a type of seaweed, along with liquid smoke, which replicates that lovely smokiness of smoked whitefish. If you can’t find dulse, you can substitute with nori, or leave it out altogether.
To make the “whitefish” salad, start by mashing the beans in a large bowl, and shred in the heart of palm with a fork as you combine it with the mash.
Stir in the celery, red onion, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, liquid smoke, lemon zest, dulse flakes, lemon juice, and some of the dill and mix until well combined.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, top with the remaining dill, and it’s ready for your favorite bagel!
Listen to the Podcast with Micah Siva
For more plant-forward Jewish recipes, check out my interview with Micah Siva in Episode 91 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast!
More Plant-Forward Bean Recipes
White Bean Soup with Kale
Instant Pot Bean Soup with Pearl Barley
Lima Bean Salad
Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of Nosh to review for the Kitchen Confidante Podcast Episode 91 with Micah Siva. All opinions are, of course, my own. The post may have affiliate links; see my Disclosure page to learn more.
Heart of Palm “Whitefish” Salad
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 14-oz can whole hearts of palm, drained
- ¼ cup finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon dulse flakes
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill divided
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, roughly mash the beans with a fork. Using a fork, shred the hearts of palm into the bowl with the beans.
- Add the celery, red onion, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, liquid smoke, lemon zest, dulse flakes, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the dill and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of dill and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
COOKBOOK
Comments