VEGAN SEAFOOD WATERMELON SALAD
Vegan seafood salad, made with shiitake mushrooms and heart of palm, layered with lemon and herb marinated watermelon, cucumber, spinach, and arugula. This recipe is crisp, refreshing, packed with flavor, and absolutely perfect for your Labor Day Party!
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VEGAN SUMMER SALAD RECIPE
There is nothing quite like a refreshing salad on a hot summer’s day. And what could be more refreshing than watermelon? Combine them together and you are golden! This vegan seafood-inspired watermelon salad recipe is a must. Made with a lemon and herb marinated watermelon and cucumber salad, lightly dressed greens, and a vegan “seafood” salad, this recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This salad is perfect for this year’s Labor Day Party or for a simple refreshing lunch or light dinner.
Although there are three elements to this salad, fear not, they are all super simple and quick to make. And trust me, it will be time well spent when you taste the combination of flavors!
VEGAN SEAFOOD
When the beach days begin, so do my seafood cravings, so plant based seafood alternatives are a must in my world. Maybe it’s a diet or allergy that has you searching for a plant based seafood alternative. Or maybe you’re just simply trying to eat more veggies and ease up on the animal products. Whatever your reason, you have come to the right place for a vegan seafood alternative.
When it comes to mimicking seafood, flavor and texture are very important. The base of the seafood blend consists of shiitake mushrooms and heart of palm. I went with these two because of their flavor and texture. Shiitake mushrooms have a great chew to them that reminds me of clams and mussels. They also bring an amazing earthy flavor to the table.
Heart of Palm is super light and refreshing. When you cut them up they look like little baby scallops.
To give the shiitake and heart of palm a seafood-inspired flavor I added a few things. First, I started by sautéing them in olive oil. Once they cooked down a bit, I added nori flakes, lemon, and old bay seasoning. Nori flakes gave the blend a umami, seafood flavor. Old bay adds that familiar flavor we associate with seafood.
The flavor building did not stop there. Once everything was sautéed, I added vegan mayo, capers, and celery to create a flavorful, refreshing “seafood” salad.
LEMON AND HERB MARNINATED WATERMELON
Watermelon is perfectly satisfying and delicious all on its own. But when you dress it up and include it in a salad it can really be taken to the next level!
Watermelon is full of water, which makes it the ultimate refreshing summer snack. But it is also great at absorbing flavor. Adding lemon juice to watermelon is a great place to start. Doing so really brightens the flavor and gives it a nice kick.
For this recipe, mint and basil were also added to the mix, along with cucumber and a touch of olive oil. This combo alone is magic, but combined with the vegan seafood salad and greens…now you’ve got a perfect crowd-pleasing salad for your Labor Day Party!
SPINACH AND ARUGULA
For the sake of health, I do my best to include dark, leafy greens in almost every salad I create. Spinach and arugula are so good for you! Between the two of them, you are absorbing a good dose of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as magnesium, potassium, and calcium…amongst many more vitamins and nutrients.
Plus their flavor is delicious. Spinach is a bit more neutral in flavor. But arugula really brings a nice peppery bite to a dish. And it doesn’t take much to jazz them up, a touch of salt, olive oil, agave, and lemon goes a long way!
Vegan seafood watermelon salad
Ingredients
VEGAN "SEAFOOD" SALAD
- 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 can heart of palm, drained
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp agave
- 1 tbsp nori flakes
- 1 tsp rice vinegar can substitute white or red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp old bay seasoning
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 1 tsp capers, chopped into small pieces
- 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
MARINATED WATERMELON AND CUCUMBER
- 1/2 small seedless watermelon, cut into small cubes
- 1 English cucumber, dices small
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
GREENS
- 2.5 oz baby spinach and arugula Can substitute any greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp agave Can substitute maple syrup
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- salt to taste
Instructions
MAKE VEGAN "SEAFOOD" SALAD
- Open and drain heart of palm. Cut into smaller pieces. Set aside
- Dice celery into small pieces. Set aside
- Cut capers into tiny pieces. Set aside
- Slice shiitake mushrooms into thin slices
- Combine olive oil and shiitake in a non-stick skillet
- Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms begin to brown
- Add heart of palm to pan along with soy sauce, nori flakes, agave, and vinegar. Cook for another 2-3 minutes
- Remove from heat and move to mixing bowl
- Add mayo, capers, celery, old bay seasoning, mayo, lemon juice, and salt
- Mix until evenly combined. Set aside
MARINATED WATERMELON AND CUCUMBER
- Cut watermelon into small cubes. Add to new mixing bowl
- Cut cucumber into small pieces. Add to mixing bowl
- Slice mint and basil into small pieces. Add to bowl
- Add lemon juice, salt, and olive oil to bowl. Mix until evenly combined. Set aside
GREENS
- Combine baby spinach and arugula in new mixing bowl with olive oil, agave, lemon juice, and salt
- Mix until evenly combined. Set aside
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- Plate the marinated cucumber and watermelon first
- Top with greens
- Top with vegan "seafood" salad
- Serve and Enjoy!
- **If serving family style, you can serve combined salad in a large bowl or you can keep elements separate and let everyone build their own bowl
Looking for more vegan seafood-inspired recipes? Try my vegan seafood pizza or carrot lox toast recipe!
