Congratulations all you vegans – this year’s Swedish Midsummer we have a treat for you: super creamy vegan pickled herring with eggplant, homemade mayonnaise, mint, fennel seeds, lemon and parsley.

By the way, this is not the first time we decide to make vegan herring for Midsummer. But it’s the first time we actually do it. And instead of herring, we use eggplant. Okay, we get it. You think “eggplant herring” sounds odd? We do too, and that’s why we have to try it.

Vegan eggplant herring
(2 jars)

2 eggplants
1 cup creamy oat fraîche
0.5 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
almost 1 cup cold-pressed rapeseed oil
0.5 cup fresh parsley
0.5 cup fresh mint
2 spring onions
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp fennel seeds
zest from 1 organic lemon + 1 tbsp freshly squeezed juice
a pinch or two of salt
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Peel and cut the eggplants into sticks. Cut the sticks into cubes or “herring-sized” pieces. Steam for 5 minutes (place a strainer over boiling water), they should be al dente. Rinse in cold water and let drain.

The mayonnaise is surprisingly easy to make. Combine soy milk, mustard and apple cider vinegar in a blender. Then add the oil gradually while the blender is going, and let it go until thickens.

Finely chop the herbs. Shred the spring onions. Finely chop the garlic. Use a mortar to crush the fennel seeds. Combine it all and season with salt and pepper, and maybe some extra lemon. Add the eggplant. Transfer to two clean jars and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

And by the way, this is not our recipe. We got if from Therese Elgquist. You know, Therese “The Green New Salad” Elgquist, who has helped us with our cookbook. And who has written this lovely cookbook (unfortunately only in Swedish). We asked her for a simple vegan herring recipe, and as always, she came up with something incredible. What can we say, some people have it all.

Creamy oat fraîche?
Well, yes, unfortunately it’s hard to find a good plant-based Fraîche. Oatly’s Creamy Oat Fraîche contains some questionable ingredients (a reader told us it contains organic palm oil), but unlike many other options, it does not contain citric acid. We did not have time to try different options this time (Midsummer is the day after tomorrow), but if you come across a great alternative, please let us know! Or perhaps it’s just as tasty without the oat fraîche?

Tomorrow, we’re baking the world’s most incredible cake for Swedish Midsummer. Stop by the grocery store today and pick up buckwheat flour, plant-based milk of your choice, eggs, a box of fresh dates, pure vanilla powder, lots of berries, coconut whipped cream and three green bananas.

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