Cauliflower Ceviche

Name: Cauliflower Ceviche
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 3 cups diced cauliflower (about 1 small head of cauliflower); 1 cup diced tomatoes (about 2 tomatoes); ½ cup diced red onion; 1 diced jalapeño (seeds removed); ¼ cup lime juice (about 2 small limes); ½ cup chopped cilantro (about ¼ bunch); ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste); 2 diced avocados; tortilla chips

By Sarah Pilley · Updated Jul 22, 2026 · Published Jan 30, 2019

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Each bite of cauliflower ceviche has just the right balance of bright flavors from cauliflower, tomato, red onion, and avocado. Just let raw cauliflower marinate in lime juice to make this easy vegan ceviche appetizer.

Cauliflower ceviche in a brown bowl with a spoon, another bowl of ceviche and corn chips are in the background.

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Most vegan ceviche recipes I've seen start with blanching cauliflower florets. With this recipe, you can skip the extra prep work because it uses raw cauliflower.

The reason it works is lime juice! The acidity softens chopped cauliflower, while also giving this easy appetizer a delicious, citrusy flavor.

And let me tell you, the final texture is irresistible too. The cauliflower pieces are softened while still retaining a bit of crunch. You'll be dipping chickpea chips into it like there's no tomorrow.

Plus, with no cooking involved, the recipe comes together quite quickly. You can throw it together in just 15 minutes for a party or potluck, but you'll get the best flavor if you let it chill for an hour.

Ingredient Notes

You will need these simple ingredients to make cauliflower ceviche:

Ingredients needed to make cauliflower ceviche: cilantro, cauliflower, avocado, limes, jalapeño, tomato, red onion, and salt.

You'll use both the stem and florets of a small head of cauliflower for this ceviche recipe. Chopping the florets into smaller pieces helps it soften quicker as it sits in the lime juice. You could even use a bag of riced cauliflower for this recipe.

Finely chop tomatoes and red onion to get a little bit in every bite. You don't want large chunks for this recipe. I used beefsteak tomatoes but Roma are a great option because they are a bit less watery. If you're using beefsteak, just leave behind any excess liquid.

Depending on how spicy you want your ceviche you can add more or less jalapeño. The ribs and seeds will also add a lot of extra heat. Make sure to wear gloves while chopping, you only need to make that mistake once! Trust me.

Fresh lime juice is key to softening the cauliflower. The longer you let it sit, the better the texture of your ceviche will be. Plus, it allows all of the flavors to meld together. If you're in a pinch, bottled lime juice or lemon juice works as well.

Avocado is more common in Mexican ceviche and not usually added to Peruvian ceviche. I like the creaminess it adds to balance out the acidity of the lime and heat from the jalapeño. Feel free to leave it out though!

The recipe card below includes the full list of ingredients + instructions.

How to Make Cauliflower Ceviche

Cauliflower florets chopped into small pieces.

Chop cauliflower into small bite-sized pieces. Try to make them random in size and shape.

Cauliflower, cilantro, tomato, and onion all combined in a metal bowl.

Add cauliflower, onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt to a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Cauliflower ceviche on a spoon with the rest of the bowl in the background.

Add the avocado and toss gently, taking care not to mash it. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

Serving Ideas

There are so many options when it comes to serving ceviche. Depending on the region, it's know to be served with fried plantains, saltine crackers, or roasted corn.

Personally, I love to serve it with unsalted corn chips because it really allows the flavors of the vegan ceviche to shine. Another gluten-free option is to enjoy it with chickpea chips.

Cauliflower ceviche is a great side dish for blackened tofu tacos or smoky chickpea cauliflower tacos. It's also a tasty addition to grain bowls with black lentils and lemony quinoa.