Recipes
Side
Gefilte Fish

Gefilte Fish

by Rhea Parsons

The past few Passovers I just skipped it but this year I wanted to make a vegan version of Gefilte fish—a version without the cruelty and death, without the cold tastelessness and slime. And I wanted it to look like the original and taste like fish (but better). This is the recipe I came up with. It’s made with chickpeas and sautéed vegetables. The fish flavor comes from the seasoning—kelp and dulce flakes (if you don’t have both you can just use whichever you have), Old Bay, and lemon. They look just like Gefilte fish, the texture is spot on and they taste like a much yummier version of the original “treat.” I’m so glad my Vegan Gefilte “Fish” will grace my seder table this year. Happy Passover and Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ small onion, chopped
2 small or 1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped (save some for garnish)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 – 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 + ½ teaspoon dulse flakes
1 teaspoon kelp flakes
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Zest and juice of one lemon
Red cabbage, shredded
Prepared horseradish, if desired

Instructions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and let them sweat for about 3-4 minutes. You don’t want them to brown or change color. The veggies should just get softer. Add the chickpeas to the skillet and toss with the veggies. Mix in the seasonings. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Transfer the chickpeas and veggie mixture to a food processor. Add the lemon zest and juice of half the lemon. Pulse the mixture and then process until smooth. Taste for any seasoning adjustments. Using a measuring cup, scoop one third cup of the mixture and mold it into a gefilte fish shape. The shape is like a small football or a lemon. Lay the molded gefilte “fish” on a small baking sheet or plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Cover the gefilte fishies with plastic wrap, letting the wrap fit around each piece. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
Serve each piece of Gefilte “fish” on a small bed of red cabbage and garnished with a small slice or a few shreds of carrot. Squeeze the remaining half lemon over the “fish” and cabbage. Serve with horseradish, if desired.