Vegan Aguachile (Easy and No-Cooking required!) (2024)

This vegan aguachile recipe is a refreshing, tangy, and delicious Mexican dish that is super easy to make. This recipe incorporates meaty king oyster mushrooms and hearts of palm to substitute the shrimp. The meaty mushrooms, hearts of palm, cucumber, and red onion is marinaded in a zesty and flavorful salsa verde.

Vegan Aguachile Recipe

This vegan aguachile recipe makes me feel like I’m back on the coast of Mexico. It reminds me of relaxing at the beach with an ice-cold beer and no deadlines on my mind. This is one of my favorite dishes to make in the summer because it is light, packed with veggies, and requires no cooking. Oh wait, did I mention that you’ll only need 9 ingredients?

The aguachile recipe is different than ceviche as it is marinated in a different salsa. Ceviche typically uses fish instead of shrimp (even though there is shrimp ceviche) and regular ceviche is only marinaded using lime juice and not a vibrant salsa.

Ingredients and substitutes:

• King oyster mushrooms: These are one of my favorite kinds of mushrooms because they are meaty and versatile. Find them at your local Asian grocery market as they are more affordable. Whole Foods and Sprouts also carry them but be ready to spend a bit more. Always check your grocery outlet, dollar stores, Walmart, and Target and they can also have them sometimes.
• Hearts of palm: Hearts of palm are a great substitute for some seafood dishes. They re typically sold in a can. I like to buy mine canned at Trader Joe’s as they are most affordable here. Find them in most larger groceries stores in the canned vegetables section.
• Red onion: I highly recommend using red onion over any other type of onion. It is milder and complements the dish very well. The color also helps the dish be as pretty as can be 🙂
• Cucumber: Choose your favorite type of cucumber. Just make sure to peel it and deseed it. The seeds will not be wasted, save them to blend into the salsa.

The Salsa for the Vegan Aguachile

• Lime juice: I recommend using fresh lime juice for the best result. The lime juice will help soften and “cook” the oyster mushrooms so do not skimp! Lemon juice can also work but try to use limes if you can.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is what gives this sauce its vibrant color and flavor. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can try using parsley but the flavor will not be the same.
• Garlic: I used two garlic cloves but the amount you use is totally up to you!
• Peppers: This recipe typically uses only serrano peppers but they are spicier than jalapeños so I opted for a medium-spicy level. If you want a much milder flavor I recommend using 1 jalapeño that is deseeded.

Other Easy No-Cook Recipes:

Ensalada de Garbanzos (Chickpea Salad)

Black Bean Avocado Salad

Chickpea “Tuna” Salad

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