I'll be honest, I've never had whitefish spread in my life. I did eat fish at one point, a long time ago, but a classic deli whitefish salad was never something I came across. So this recipe was built entirely from research and instinct rather than nostalgia. But give me something fresh and crunchy built on hearts of palm, pepperoncini, celery, and onion, all folded into a creamy, briny, lemony base, and that's a dip I will happily dive into face-first!
This is my plant-based take on the whitefish spread you'd find at a classic Jewish deli. It's flaky, briny, a little tangy, and loaded with crunch. It comes together in one bowl with no cooking required, and it's the perfect partner to the beet lox on a vegan bagel board, or piled onto its own bagel with lots of crunchy greens.
Jump to:
why you’ll love this vegan whitefish spread
- It has real "seafood" flavour without any seafood. Dulse granules and Old Bay do a lot of the heavy lifting here, giving the spread that briny, oceanic flavour you'd expect from the real thing.
- The texture is genuinely convincing. Hand-shredded hearts of palm break apart into flaky little pieces that mimic whitefish shockingly well.
- It's endlessly crunchy. Between the celery, cucumber, red onion, and pepperoncini, every bite has real texture! This isn't a one-note, mushy dip.
- It's a proven crowd-pleaser. I fed this to my neighbor, who's part Jewish, and he texted me afterward to say it was incredible. If that's not a seal of approval, I don't know what is.
ingredients
- hearts of palm is the base of the spread. Squeezing out as much liquid as possible (a nut milk bag or fine mesh sieve works well) before hand-shredding it, is the key to the right flaky texture. If you skip this step, the spread ends up watery.
- dulse seaweed granules bring a briny, sea-forward flavour that's essential to selling the "whitefish" flavour. If you don't have dulse, kelp granules are a fine substitute, though they're a little stronger, so start with less.
- Old Bay seasoning adds the classic seafood-seasoning flavour you'd expect from a deli whitefish salad. As you know very well, I use it in all of my seafood dupes!
- pepperoncini, celery, cucumber, and red onion are all finely chopped for crunch and brightness. Don't skip any one of them, since together they're what keeps this from tasting like a plain mayo dip.
- vegan sour cream and vegan mayonnaise make up the creamy base. Using both instead of just mayo gives the spread a lighter, tangier finish.
- lemon zest and lemon juice add brightness that balances the richness of the sour cream and mayo.
- vegan worcestershire rounds out the flavor with a little extra umami depth.
how to make vegan whitefish spread
- prep the hearts of palm. Drain them from the can and place the pieces in a nut milk bag or fine mesh sieve. Squeeze out as much excess water as possible into the sink to discard, then hand-shred the pieces into a large mixing bowl.
- season and chill. Add the dulse granules, Old Bay, sea salt, and ground pepper to the shredded hearts of palm and toss to combine well. Let this sit in the fridge while you chop the remaining ingredients.
- fold everything together. Add the pepperoncini, celery, cucumber, red onion, dill, chives, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vegan Worcestershire, and stir until fully combined. Chill before serving so the flavours have time to meld.
serving suggestions
Pile this onto a toasted bagel with a smear of cream cheese or a huge pile of crunchy greens, or serve it as part of a vegan bagel board alongside beet lox, pickled onions, capers, and fresh dill. It also holds up well as a simple dip with crackers or crudités. You might find yourself eating it with a spoon right out of the container too!
how to store the whitefish spread
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. The flavour actually improves after the first day, once everything has had time to sit together.
frequently asked questions
Yes, in fact, it's better made a day ahead. Letting it chill overnight gives the flavours time to fully come together. So I actually recommend you make it ahead of serving it for a party.
Yes, it’s generally healthier than traditional versions since it’s cholesterol-free, lower in saturated fat, and packed with plant-based nutrients and fiber.
Hearts of palm give the best flaky texture, but canned jackfruit or artichoke hearts (well-drained and shredded) can work as a substitute in a pinch. I use marinated artichoke hearts to make my crispy crabless cakes, so it's definitely the most similar!
While it doesn’t taste exactly the same, the combination of seaweed and seasonings creates a surprisingly similar flavour profile.
Yes, as long as your vegan mayonnaise, sour cream, and Worcestershire are all gluten-free (double-check labels, since some brands vary).
Kelp granules work as a substitute, though they have a stronger flavour, so start with about half the amount and adjust to taste. You could also use nori flakes if that's all you can get your hands on!
vegan whitefish spread
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz/400 g) hearts of palm
- 1 teaspoon dulse seaweed granules
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 pickled pepperoncini peppers, finely chopped
- ¼ C finely chopped celery
- ¼ C finely chopped cucumber
- ¼ C finely chopped red onion
- ¼ C fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- ½ C vegan sour cream
- ⅓ C vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon vegan worcestershire
Instructions
- Drain the can of hearts of palm. Place the pieces in a nutmilk bag or in a fine mesh sieve. Squeeze of excess water into the sink to discard. Hand shred the pieces into a large mixing bowl.
- To the hearts of palm add dulse granules, Old Bay, sea salt, and ground pepper and toss to combine well. Let this sit in the fridge while you chop up the remaining ingredients.
- Add the pepperoncini, celery, cucumber, red onion, dill, chives, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, and worcestershire and stir until very well combined and refrigerate. This spread is best if made the night before or a few hours before serving.
Lauren Toyota
Lauren is a plant-based powerhouse, a former TV host turned wildly successful food creator, best-selling cookbook author, and the woman responsible for making vegan comfort food a thing worth craving. Through her blog and YouTube channel, hot for food, she’s amassed a dedicated following by recreating all the nostalgic, indulgent dishes we love—mac & cheese, burgers, cinnamon rolls—but making them entirely plant-based. No compromise on taste, no weird ingredients, just damn good food.