As a near-lifelong veg*n there are so many animals I have thankfully never consumed and have only ever had the plant-sourced versions. Though I did have lobster as a child, I’ve never had lobster rolls and this is a recipe I’ve been wanting to make for some time.

The classic recipe is with hearts of palm chopped in larger pieces, and you can - and should! - do it that way, on vegan brioche buns. Since I was given these elegant little hors d’ouvres cups to test in the TV studio kitchen, I decided to make these Save the Lobsters Tartelettes.

Since I’m “addicted” to Calabrian peperoncino, I go through phases during which I put it in nearly everything. You’ve seen me add it to recipes on TV, so you already know…! If you’re not a spicy person, it is easily omitted. This recipe has so much flavor even without the kick.

Make this for special occasions or even as a meal - on its own or tossed in a salad.

Yields: 12 tartelettes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: a few hours or overnight

Ingredients

1 14-oz can of hearts of palm, roughly chopped to consistency of lobster meat (cut long pieces in half, then chop into small half circle pieces)

1/2 Tbsp old bay seasoning

1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 clove garlic minced

3/8 cup vegan mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tbsp Crushed Calabrian Chili Pepper (optional)

1 stalk celery & leaves, finely chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely diced (about ¼ cup) - use leftover for garnish

3/4 Tbsp dried dill

½ tsp seaweed granules or toasted & ground nori sheet, optional

1 Tbsp vegan butter, melted

12 tartelette cups

Parsley for garnish

Salad leaves

Instructions

1. Grind nori sheets in a mini-blender: Toast them in the oven at 275°F (135°C) for 20-25 minutes, until aromatic. Remove and let them cool. Tear the sheets into smaller pieces, and process them for roughly 30-45 seconds.

   2. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, Old Bay, 1Tbsp lemon juice, and the minced garlic. Add it to the bowl of chopped hearts of palm and marinate for a few hours or overnight.

   3. Whisk the vegan mayo and 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice in a bowl. Add the chopped celery, red onion and dill, and pepperoncino. You can omit the pepperoncino if it’s too spicy. Whisk again, until well-combined. Add the seaweed granules into the dressing. Cover and store in the fridge to firm up.

   4. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the hearts of palm mixture and sauté for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until slightly brown on all sides. Set aside to cool.

   5.     Toss the cooked marinated hearts of palm mixture with the chilled dressing to coat.

   6.     “Line” the tartelettes with salad leaves.

   7.     Spoon the “save the lobsters” mixture into the tartelettes. Garnish with parsley, sprinkle with more Old Bay.

   8.     Drizzle with melted vegan butter, sprinkle with more ground nori, Old Bay, and minced red onion & parsely.

    

    

When you make this recipe, post a photo or video and tag @ Lucia’s Vegan Lifestyle! All the social handles are at the bottom of this page!