When the weather gets too warm to turn on the stove, ceviche offers a cooling respite. Typically made with high-quality raw fish or seafood “cooked” in citrus juice, this vegetarian version doesn’t require a trip to the fishmonger—and is far cheaper. Turn to a trusty can of fat butter beans for the base of the dish. The bigger and “meatier” the bean, the more reminiscent this dish will be of proper ceviche—you could even cook your own gigante, corona, or white lima beans from dry; but any can of white beans will suffice in a pinch.
Inspired by Ecuadorian and Mexican shrimp ceviches, which feature a soup-like broth, you’ll blend a large, ripe tomato (if you can’t find a nice heirloom, use smaller Campari or Kumato tomatoes, which are sweet and juicy year-round), then stir in lime juice and hot sauce for a powerful bean-marinating liquid. While you could add toppings—sliced jalapeño and red onion for heat, offset with buttery avocado—immediately and chow down with a bag of chips, the longer the beans sit in the tomato mixture, the more flavor they’ll absorb.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pureé 1 large heirloom tomato, cored, coarsely chopped, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. sugar in a blender until smooth.
Step 2
Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice and 2 Tbsp. Mexican hot sauce. (Mixture should taste sharp.) Mix in one 15-oz. can butter or cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed, and 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Step 3
Transfer bean mixture to a large shallow bowl. Arrange ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, ½ avocado, thinly sliced, and 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced, over and drizzle with a little more oil. Serve with tortilla chips or broken tostadas for scooping.
