Have you been missing a favorite fish dish since you became vegan? If so, this vegetarian fish dish is just what you need. We only need ten things to make simple, versatile vegan fish fillets that go well with a lot of different dishes. This vegan fish substitute is great in tacos, soups and stews, fried, and more. It has a pretty black nori “fish skin” on one side and a tasty, flaky jackfruit and seitan “meat” on the other. Make a bunch and put them in the fridge to use all week. Plus, you’ll be helping to protect the oceans!
Vegan seafood is having a moment. As more people seek to reduce their consumption of animal products for ethical environmental or health reasons, demand is growing for plant-based alternatives to fish and shellfish. But what exactly are these products made from?
The seafood aisle is no longer just filled with fish harvested from our oceans. Now you can find shrimp made from algae and konjac, tuna made from peas and soy, and salmon filets made from jackfruit and seaweed extracts. While early generations of vegan seafood relied heavily on tofu and seitan, food tech is creating ever more innovative and convincing alternatives.
The Main Ingredients in Vegan Fish Products
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Soy – A common ingredient thanks to its high protein content, omega-3 fatty acids and low saturated fat. It provides a neutral base that takes on flavors well.
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Peas – Pea protein is a popular alternative to soy thanks to its sustainability, high protein levels, and hypoallergenic properties. It has an earthy, savory flavor.
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Wheat – Wheat gluten and wheat protein provide chewy texture and an absorbent canvas for flavors.
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Jackfruit – Shredded young jackfruit mimics the fibrous texture of fish flesh in products like fish-free crab cakes and fish fillets
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Seaweed – Dried seaweed adds flavor complexity and oceanic tastes. It also contributes omega-3s and valuable minerals.
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Algae oil – As the original source of omega-3s in fish, algae oil adds back these heart-healthy fats lost by going plant-based.
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Yam flour – Adds binding power and retains moisture to recreate the juicy mouthfeel of fish.
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Chickpeas – Included for their high protein content and to add savory flavor.
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Lentils – Used along with other legumes to boost protein levels and add meaty texture.
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Konjac – This Asian root adds bouncy, chewy texture to mimic shellfish and cephalopods.
Advanced Food Processing Techniques
While using the right plant ingredients helps, nailing the unique textures of seafood requires special processing techniques:
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Extrusion – A high-pressure squirt of dough from a nozzle cooks and binds ingredients into nuggets and patties with an inner shredded texture.
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Directional freezing – Freezing blocks of algae gel creates channels that can be injected with flavors and fats to mimic raw fish flesh.
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3D printing – Building up intricate layers of plant proteins lets developers recreate specific fish muscle structures.
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Heated molding – Pressing dough into heated molds allows fish-like shapes with proper flaky layers.
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Fermenting – Culturing and fermenting wheat or soy introduces fishy flavors through microbial action.
So next time you pick up a package of plant-based crab cakes or see vegan lobster on a restaurant menu, you can understand the science and innovation behind these products. While early veggie meats relied on hiding soy and wheat behind breading, new techniques allow incredibly fish-like textures and appearances.
Of course, as with any processed food, you’ll want to aim for options with short ingredients lists focusing on whole foods. But overall, experimenting with vegan seafood lets you enjoy fish flavors and textures while sparing sentient marine creatures. With the right combo of plant ingredients and food processing wizardry, you can even find plant-based sushi, ceviche, smoked salmon and other delicacies.
Since most people eat seafood for its healthfulness, many brands focus on adding back in the omega-3 fatty acids that make fish so beneficial. And they skip the mercury and microplastics increasingly found in the bodies of marine animals. As climate change and overfishing drive more interest in plant-based eating, expect ever more sophisticated vegan fish products to grace your plate.
So next time you have a hankering for tuna sashimi or grilled salmon, see if there’s a convincing fish-free option to satisfy your craving. You may just discover a new sustainable way to enjoy the flavor of the sea without harming its fascinating and sensitive creatures.
How to Make Vegetarian Fish Alternative
These vegan fish fillets aren’t too hard to make, but they’re going to take a little time. My biggest piece of advice is to be slow and gentle. If you work the dough too much, it can lose its flaky texture, and if you work it too little, the fillets can become tough. First, use a food processor to blend the silken tofu with everything else except the jackfruit, vital wheat gluten, and nori. This part needs to be smooth and even, and you shouldn’t work on it too much. Just let it go. The next part is when you need to be more careful. In quick, short pulses, add the jackfruit. I found 4 pulses to be just perfect. So make sure you’re not making a jackfruit smoothie. You want to keep the texture of the jackfruit but break it up. Next, add the important wheat gluten and pulse a few more times. You only need to mix in most of the flour, so stop. Move the dough to a bowl and slowly fold and turn it with clean hands to fully incorporate the important wheat gluten. Don’t kneed it, or it will be too tough. Just gently bring the dough together. Once your dough is formed, cut two pieces of nori in half. Put one of these half sheets aside for the next time you make fish or for another use. You only need three of them. Spread the dough out evenly over the half sheets of nori, making sure to cover the whole surface. Next, wrap the fillets in aluminum foil, first in parchment paper to keep them from sticking and then all the way around. To cook the fillets, steam them. I used an instant pot and did mine for an hour, but you could also use a regular steamer. You may need to steam them for a little longer, though, and you’ll need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t dry out. After you steam them, take off the foil and paper and let them cool with the nori side facing up. If you don’t, the nori could get soggy. After that, they’re ready to be used in your favorite fish-free applications!.
Looking for Vegan Seafood? Try one of these recipes!
- Jackfruit is used to get the flaky, fish texture. You can find canned jackfruit in a lot of grocery stores, most likely in the international foods section. Stores like Trader Joe’s will have it as well. It doesn’t taste very good by itself, but it’s a great way to make something flaky and meaty. Make sure the jackfruit you buy is green, also known as unripe. It should be in water or brine. Jackfruit that is ripe and usually canned in syrup is sweet and won’t work in this recipe.
- Important Wheat Gluten is what holds the fish together. It’s sold in a lot of grocery stores and online. Seαten, or wheat meat, is made with the strong protein in gluten. It’s great for vegan fish as long as it’s not overworked.
- It is important to use silken tofu to break up the texture of the important wheat gluten. This keeps your fish from getting too tough at the chewy stage.
- Dulse is a type of red seaweed that tastes great when used as an alternative to fish for vegetarians. I put it in my dough to make it taste like fish. The dulse I eat come from the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. You can use another type of seaweed instead of dulse if you can’t find it.
- Nori is also used in this recipe. It helps us make the “skin” side of the fish fillets. We should use sushi nori instead of snack nori because it’s stronger, doesn’t have any flavors or salt, and is the right size for our fish.
- Vital wheat gluten has a very specific taste that apple cider vinegar takes away. You only need a little bit. Use white vinegar if you don’t have apple cider vinegar.
- The fish tastes great with garlic, miso paste, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce, which all have savory, salty, and umami flavors.
Quick and easy Vegan fried fish using hearts of palm!
What is Vegan Fish?
Vegan fish is a fun and easy recipe with tofu and nori seaweed seasoned with lemon, olives, tomatoes, capers, and garlic, then wrapped in parchment paper and oven-baked. This recipe is excellent for an original and delicious dinner with family and friends; it’s packed with Mediterranean flavors, and everyone will love tofu served this way.
What is vegan seafood?
You probably already figured it out, but vegan seafood is seafood made without any animals. It’s better for the oceans and marine life because it’s not attached to overfishing and ghost nets. Animal-free ingredients can be used to make shrimp, canned tuna, fish filets, sushi-grade fish, crab cakes, and more. What it’s made from varies by brand.
What is vegan Tuna made of?
The vegan tuna is made from a blend of six plant proteins: pea protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, chickpea flour, lentil protein, faba protein, and navy bean flour. In May, the company launched a new line of breaded vegan seafood products, including frozen fish sticks, crab cakes, and fish fillets. Get it here.
Are vegan seafood products good for marine life?
Indeed, vegan seafood brands have proliferated recently. The products have become ever-more realistic in mimicking the taste and texture of fish, while some provide a healthy dose of protein and omega-3s. This is good news for marine life. Decades of overfishing to meet growing global demand for seafood has depleted many fish species.