Easy and Elevated Vegan Lobster Rolls

I have a confession. I have never had a lobster roll from a real, live lobster. I became vegetarian (therefore fish-free) when I was five, so it’s not that surprising I have no idea what a “traditional” lobster tastes like, besides, lobster rolls were hardly on the menu in the 80’s in South Florida. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been intrigued with the idea of making a vegan lobster roll, I do love “bay flavor” with a touch of smoked paprika and celery things on rolls, and any excuse to use fresh dill.

With just a few simple ingredients like vegan mayo, chopped hearts of palm, bay seasoning, lemon juice, and some herbs and veggies, you can swap a traditional lobster roll for a fancy plant-based heart of palm lobster with much less effort (and cruelty)!

Usually, lobster salad is paired with, well, a roll. The simplest way to prepare a lobster roll is by stuffing lobster salad into a hot dog bun and calling it a day. Instead of going this way (which you totally can and still wind up with a quick and delicious vegan lobster roll), I decided to make “cups” out of pastry dough, which wound up feeling like a total elevation when plated. It also was a great balance of textures between the vegan lobster meat and the “roll”. If you add some melted vegan butter when the “cups” are still warm, it’s irresistible.

This is a great meal to make if you want something quick, delicious, and impressive. You don’t need any special tools, just a large bowl, your ingredients, and a circle cut out that’s oven-friendly (like a cookie cutter or oven-safe bowl). This is also a great meal for people who work at home or cook on the weekend. You can prep in the morning (15 minutes tops) and plate in the afternoon (15 minutes tops).

One ingredient that may be new to you is heart of palm. Though it may seem exotic and hard to find, it’s been increasingly easier to find. You can usually find it with the canned and jar food. You want to buy the kind packed in water and unseasoned. They come in tubular strips you will need to roughly chop up. You don’t need to cook them or do anything to them, which is part of the magic that makes this meal quick and easy.

Another thing you may not be familiar with is Old Bay seasoning. This would be the quickest route to achieving the typical lobster roll seasoning goal. I happen to make my own “bay” seasoning because it’s not available where I live and it’s a very quick, cheap, and easy vegan recipe. Feel free to do whatever works for you.

For this recipe, I use a premade vegan pastry sheet. They usually have a cook time of under 10 minutes. These are often found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, rolled up. There are a ton of vegan options, but check the ingredient list to make sure there is no milk or egg.

Are you ready to get started?

First, turn on your oven according to your pastry sheet instructions.

As you can see, you don’t need a lot to make this meal. When you open up your heart of palm, make sure none of the pieces are too tough. They will not work in this recipe if they are hard to chop. You are going to chop the pieces roughly, keeping some full circles, and chopping others smaller. You will want to pat them dry and transfer them to your bowl.

Add the dill, bay seasoning, lemon juice, mayo, and dill, and gently mix until well blended. Transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to marinate.

While the vegan lobster is marinating, you can make your pastry cups. When you unroll your pastry sheet, cut it length-wise, as pictured. Take one half and wrap it around your circle cut out. I am deliberately “sloppy” and dramatic when I do this. It makes for a more beautiful shape once it’s baked through. It is important that your oven is preheated in order to achieve this “sculptural effect” successfully. If you put it in too early, it will kinda meltdown a bit and now have so much flair. Once fully baked, I like to brush with a little butter and sprinkle dill on the dough cup. After the cup is fully cooled off, it’s ready to fill with your vegan lobster salad and garnish!

Click Here for the Old Bae Seasoning Recipe

If enjoyed this meal let me know what you think by leaving a ★★★★★ star rating and comment below with any questions or feedback. These are two small things that add up to a ton of support, which I really appreciate. Also show off your pics to me on instagram by tagging @theveganholidayblog and #veganholidaypic – I am excited to see your meals!

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