How to Make Vegan Fish: Seafood-Inspired Plant-Based Recipes

People might choose to eat vegan fish for various reasons. One primary reason could be ethical concerns regarding traditional fishing practices’ environmental impact and sustainability. Individuals can minimize their contribution to significant issues in the fishing industry by opting for vegan fish alternatives, like overfishing.

Health is another critical consideration. Vegan fish options are often lower in mercury and other contaminants commonly found in seafood, making them a smart and healthy choice for many individuals. By choosing vegan fish, you’re making an ethical and sustainable choice that benefits your health.

Trying vegan fish dishes allows you to expand your gastronomic horizons and experiment with new flavors and ingredients. Here’s how to make vegan fish that’s flaky and delicious!

Delicious Vegan Fish Recipes

Vegans often miss fish more than most other animal food. If you miss the taste of salmon, tuna, calamari, and lobster, you can also learn how to make vegan fish. Sina from Vegan Heaven has teamed up with several bloggers to present vegan fish recipes that can quickly become favorites in any home!

The ideas are wild, with exciting recipes to recreate, whether you want Vegan Salmon, Vegan Fish and Chips, Vegan Crabcakes, Vegan Calamari, Vegan Tuna Casserole, or Vegan Lobster Roll. Chickpeas, seaweed, jackfruit, miso paste, artichokes, hearts of palm, watermelon, and tofu are some featured ingredients, interestingly lending their flavors and textures to these vegan fish recipes.

Easy Vegan Fish Substitutes

Anyone looking for ideas on how to make vegan fish will also want to imbue the saltiness of the ocean into plant-based substitutes. Algae like seaweed, nori, or wakame provide their marine flavor to your dishes. Algae also provides several nutrients, including antioxidants, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins. However, consume it in moderation because algae is also high in iodine.

Here are some easy vegan fish substitutes:

Vegan Fish Stock – When making fish stock for soups and marinades, use dried mushrooms and algae or boil ingredients like soy sauce, miso paste, and algae to create a delicate balance of taste.

Tofu – Soya beans form the base of tofu, making it a good source of protein. Tofu’s neutral flavor and absorbing qualities are suitable for recreating vegan fish dishes like fish fingers and burgers.

Seitan – Made from gluten found in wheat and other cereals, seitan has a natural flavor, making it easy to marinate and use as a fish substitute.

Jackfruit – The fibrous texture of jackfruit makes it a great fish alternative for vegan fish recipes requiring flakiness, especially when combined with the correct seasonings.

Heart of Palm – The tender core of certain palm trees has a texture reminiscent of crab or lobster meat. Shred or slice it to mimic the texture of fish.

Artichoke Hearts – Artichoke hearts have a fibrous texture replicating certain seafood textures.

 

Banana Blossoms – The edible blossoms of the banana plant have a texture similar to flaky fish when cooked, and they are a great fish substitute in certain dishes.

Tomatoes and Watermelon – These fruits make an excellent alternative to tuna when marinated with the right spices.

Carrots – Even though they may seem to have very little in common with fish, carrots absorb flavors well. Marinate carrot slices with oil, vinegar, liquid smoke, and algae; surprise, it tastes like salmon.

Plant-based Seafood Alternatives

The availability of plant-based seafood alternatives has steadily increased, with several options:

Fishless Fillets

These are typically made from soy protein or wheat gluten to resemble breaded fish fillets. You can find them in the frozen section of grocery stores and use them as a substitute for traditional fish fillets in recipes.

Plant-Based Shrimp

Companies have developed plant-based shrimp alternatives using konjac root, yam root, tapioca starch, and pea protein. Uses these shrimp alternatives to make delicious stir-fries, salads, and pasta dishes.

Vegan Tuna

Some brands offer plant-based tuna alternatives made from chickpeas, soy, or pea protein. These vegan fish alternatives can be used to make sandwiches, salads, sushi, and other dishes that traditionally use tuna.

Crab Cakes

Some stores sell plant-based crab cake alternatives, often made from ingredients like hearts of palm, artichokes, or jackfruit.

Plant-Based Caviar

Plant-based alternatives to traditional caviar are delicious and made from ingredients like seaweed or tapioca pearls. Use them to give a dish an exciting texture and flavor profile similar to traditional caviar.

Sushi Alternatives

Some companies produce plant-based sushi alternatives using marinated tofu, vegetables, or plant-based proteins. Find these alternatives in grocery store refrigerated or frozen sections.

Scallops and Squid

Mushrooms, konjac, or soy protein are plant-based alternatives to scallops, squid, and calamari. These treats can elevate any buffet.

Learning how to make vegan fish recipes is easier when you know which brands sell the best vegan seafood options. Get some ideas about your options from VegNews.

 

Quick and Simple Vegan Fish Dishes

There’s no need to worry that preparing vegan fish dishes will take too long. Here are some quick and simple vegan fish dish ideas to prepare for lunch or dinner, even on your busiest days:

Of course, you’ll immediately think of vegan fish and chips or vegan fish tacos when thinking of quick and simple vegan fish dishes. These are both excellent ideas for busy days. However, think of this journey of how to make vegan fish as a way to learn to get more creative with plant-based ingredients.

Rachel Smith makes it all look so simple on her blog, Food & Living Vegan, that you will want to try every single one of the 16 recipes for making vegan fish and seafood. Here, you will learn how to cook vegan fish with banana blossom, seitan, carrots, jackfruit, tofu, mushrooms, and tempeh. You will also learn to make vegan sushi with everyday ingredients like peppers, cucumber, and avocado.

Additionally, you will learn how to make vegan Jamaican saltfish ackee using Jamaica’s national fruit, ackee.

Creative Vegan Fish Options

Going vegan certainly requires creativity, especially if you want to recreate the flavors and textures of fish and seafood. Luckily, the ingredients from the plant world include a bounty of choices. Of course, we don’t all have the time to experiment with these.

Luckily, bloggers like Erin Wysocarski and her Olives for Dinner blog work for you, offering endless know-how for anyone wondering how to make vegan fish. The recipes include delicious ways to make the perfect substitutes for shrimp, scallops, crab, lobster, salmon, and fish.

Mouthwatering Vegan Fish Tacos

One of the best dishes to produce on a busy day is vegan fish tacos. Learn how to make vegan fish with Jessica in the Kitchen’s mouthwatering vegan fish taco recipe with vegan fish sticks served on tortillas with pico de gallo, vegan tartare sauce, and your choice of toppings.

You can use ready-vegan fish sticks or make your own with tofu. Here’s how:

Ingredients

• 1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into sticks
• 1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
• 2 T. nutritional yeast
• 1 t. each of garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup non-dairy milk
• 1 T. lemon juice
• Cooking oil spray or olive oil for baking

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Place some parchment paper or lightly grease a baking tray with oil.
3. Mix the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and enough salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl.
4. Whisk together the flour, non-dairy milk, and lemon juice in another shallow bowl to create a batter.
5. Dip each tofu stick into the batter. When fully coated, roll the tofu sticks in the breadcrumb mixture until well coated.
6. Place the coated tofu sticks in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Lightly spray the tops of the tofu sticks with cooking oil spray or drizzle with olive oil.
8. Bake the vegan fish sticks in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway through for an even color.

Tantalizing Vegan Fish Chowder

Fish chowder is more than just a broth. It combines a richness of ingredients and creaminess that’s filling and delicious. In this quest for how to make vegan fish, it would be unfair to leave out a good recipe for making vegan fish chowder.

Whether you want a vegan clam chowder or a seafood chowder, you will find several recipes online to replicate these flavors.

Thanks to its flavor depth, recreated with the clever use of seasoning, this Vegan Chesapeake Chowder from Dish Vegan is tantalizing. Onion, celery, zucchini, potatoes, and shredded cauliflower form the soup’s body. The broth contains vegetable broth, coconut cream, and lemon juice. It’s just perfect!

Vegan Fish: Healthy and Sustainable Choice

Choosing vegan fish as part of your diet offers health and sustainability benefits. Vegan fish alternatives are often lower in saturated fats and cholesterol than animal-based ones, making them heart-healthy.

Additionally, they are free from contaminants such as mercury, PCBs, and microplastics commonly found in seafood. From an environmental perspective, opting for vegan fish helps alleviate pressure on dwindling fish stocks and reduces the negative impacts of overfishing, bycatch, and habitat destruction associated with commercial fishing.

By embracing vegan fish, you can enjoy a nutritious and delicious seafood experience while contributing to a more sustainable future for our oceans and planet. For these reasons, it’s worth learning how to make vegan fish recipes to include in your meal plans.