Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Atlantic salmon, a common species of ray-finned fish, is that they always return home to give birth. They can spend years out in the ocean, but when it’s time to spawn new life, they will return (with an impressive degree of accuracy) to the very same river, and sometimes even the same stream, that they themselves were born in. According to the United States Geological Survey, this isn’t just habit, but it’s because they know it’s a safe, good place to spawn, and finding anything else would be a waste of time.
There are plenty of other interesting facts about salmon. They can jump at least 12 feet in the air, plus they can live in both saltwater and freshwater. But here’s another fish fact: in the European Union, up to 58 million were slaughtered for food in 2017, according to estimates by Fish Count. And in the US, it’s the second-most consumed species of fish after shrimp. This growing appetite for the fish doesn’t just raise ethical questions, but it’s also not sustainable either. Here’s why it might be time to consider giving up salmon and instead, swapping to one of the many delicious vegan alternatives on the market.
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Is salmon fishing harmful?
Most of the salmon that land on plates around the world won’t have spent their lives swimming back and forth between a stream, as they have evolved to do. Instead, they will have been raised on a farm; roughly 70 percent of salmon eaten globally has been farmed.
But research suggests that this is having a detrimental impact on the ocean. For one, all of these farmed fish have to eat. And in the wild, they would eat other fish. This means that about 18 million tons of wild fish a year are used in fish farm feed, which is contributing to fish population depletion and the ongoing overfishing problem. According to the World Bank, almost 90 percent of global marine stocks are now overfished.
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There are significant welfare issues, too. Farmed salmon are particularly vulnerable to sea lice, which are parasites that feed on their skin and blood. These fish can’t be sold, but it also affects their health. In January, there were reports that deaths on Scottish fish farms had doubled because of lice, but also because of poor welfare standards and jellyfish blooms.
“Deaths in fish pens have reached record levels for a number of reasons, including a sharp rise in infectious diseases among the fish who are packed into unnaturally overcrowded cages, as well as poor gill health and rough treatments to remove lice from the infested waters,” Abigail Penny, the director of Animal Equality UK, told the Guardian. “As the industry grows, so do these issues. We must take back the power and boycott farmed fish—it’s the only way that we can begin to curb this ever-worsening problem.”
What is vegan salmon?
Boycotting salmon is getting easier than ever because the vegan seafood market is constantly growing. In 2021, it was valued at more than $42 million, and as more brands offering sustainable, realistic, and fish-free alternatives hit the market, by 2031, it’s set to climb to around $1.3 billion.
These products can be made with many different ingredients, including pea protein and soy protein for texture, as well as seaweed for that fishy flavor. There are also many whole food alternatives on the market, which use simple plant-based ingredients like carrots to create that distinct fishy texture.
Is vegan salmon healthy?
Salmon is often hailed as a healthy food, and that’s because it contains nutrients like omega-3, protein, and iron. But in the past, studies have suggested that fish also often contains something that’s likely not so healthy: traces of microplastics. Research is currently ongoing into how harmful this could be for humans.
A vegan diet is not free from microplastics, let’s be clear (there are reports of microplastics in fruit and veg, for example). But many vegan seafood brands claim to be microplastic-free.
Not all vegan salmon has the same level of nutrients, so how healthy it is for you depends on which ingredients are used to make it. But most plant-based alternatives are a good source of protein, and many brands choose to add omega-3 and vitamins like B12 to their products.
How to make vegan salmon
To ensure your vegan salmon is nutritious and delicious, why not make it from home using whole-food plant-based ingredients, like papaya, carrots, or tofu? For inspiration, here are a few of our favorite vegan salmon recipes.
Murdoch Books
1 Papaya Salmon
For a convincing vegan alternative to raw salmon, try using chopped papaya, which is rolled in garlic, onion, dulse flakes, and dill. For a boost of nutrition, serve with a salad of kale, creamy avocado, and zesty clementines.
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Nora Cooks
2 Tofu Salmon
Grilled salmon, rice, and veggies are a delicious go-to weeknight meal for many. But you can make it fish-free by swapping out the salmon for tofu, which is marinaded in beets, liquid smoke, garlic, salt, and broken-up nori sheets for that extra fishy flavor.
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Simple Vegan Blog
3 Carrot Salmon
Smoked salmon and cream cheese are the ultimate bagel filling. Avoid missing out on this delicious staple by replacing the salmon with carrots, which are baked, cooled, and then covered with a tasty nori and tamari-based sauce. Just make sure you leave enough time to prep, as the carrot will need to marinade for at least 24 hours.
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The Edgy Veg
4 Jackfruit Salmon
For a nutritious, delicious rice bowl, swap the fishy topping for jackfruit, which has a similar flaky texture to canned salmon when shredded.
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Power Hungry
5 Red Lentil Salmon
Make sure you have a blender to make this easy recipe, which binds together red lentils, carrots, and water to make the ultimate fish-free salmon. It’s quick, simple, low-cost, and delicious. What more could you want?
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Where to buy vegan salmon: 16 brands to try
If you don’t have the time, energy, or desire to whip up your own vegan salmon, that’s totally fair enough. And you don’t have to either, because, whether you prefer your salmon smoked, in sushi, or in fillet form, there are many different alternatives on the market for you to choose from. Here are some of the best.
Vegan Finest Foods/Instagram
1 Vegan Zeastar
Owned by Vegan Finest Foods, Vegan ZeasStar is all about revolutionizing the plant-based seafood game. No longer do you have to miss salmon, shrimp, calamari, cod, or tuna, because it has created convincing vegan alternatives for everything. Its Sashimi Zalmon is ideal for vegan sushi, or get creative and add it to a poke bowl.
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Revo Foods
2 Revo Foods
According to the team at Revo Foods, they love fish so much, they’re going to leave them in the ocean to swim about as they please. But that doesn’t mean the world has to miss out on the taste. Right now, it has three vegan salmon products: smoked, gravlax, and spread (so grab some bagels and get munching!).
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Zebra Plant Based/Instagram
3 Zalmon
Zalmon demonstrates that to make a convincing and delicious version of vegan smoked salmon, all you need are a handful of simple whole-food ingredients: carrots, rapeseed oil, liquid smoke, salt, and citric acid.
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VBites Foods
4 V Bites
Founded back in the 1990s, V Bites has been serving the world with plant-based alternatives to popular animal products for some time. It has built up an extensive portfolio of vegan meats, cheese, and fish products, including Fish Free Salmon Slices.
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Vivera
5 Vivera
In 2018, Vivera wowed Brits with its ultra-realistic vegan steak product, which sold out in Tesco after just one week. But, since then, the brand has been busy creating a whole range of delicious vegan alternatives, including a Plant Salmon Fillet, which can be baked or fried. It even contains added omega-3.
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Good Catch/Instagram
6 Good Catch
Founded by plant-based chef pioneers Derek and Chad Sarno, Good Catch is on a mission to make vegan, sustainable the norm. Last year, it made history when it launched the first-ever plant-based salmon burgers in the US, which are packed with 16 grams of protein.
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Sophie’s Kitchen
7 Sophie’s Kitchen
Vegan seafood brand Sophie’s Kitchen has been around since 2010, and it’s still consistently innovating and expanding its product range. As well as Original Whitefish Burgers, Toona, and Crab Cakes, the brand offers several different plant-based salmon products, including Smoked Salmon, Spicy Salmon Burgers, and Miso Salmon Burgers.
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Plantish
8 Plantish
Last year, Israel-based food tech startup Plantish raised $2 million to bring its vegan, whole-cut salmon to restaurants. “Our vision is to be the world’s leading seafood brand, all without hurting a single fish,” CEO Ofek Ron said. It’s not widely available yet, but keep your eyes peeled as it’s aiming for a big launch next year.
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Lily’s Vegan Pantry/Instagram
9 Lily’s Vegan Pantry
Lily’s Vegan Pantry used to be called May Wah Vegetarian Market and was founded in the 1990s. Back then, it was a small family business in New York City’s Chinatown, but over the decades, it has earned a reputation for producing some of the best, most realistic vegan meat products. Right now, it has a few different types of plant-based salmon, including salty slices and fillets.
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Goldie Lox
10 Goldie Lox
San Francisco-based Goldie Lox is another plant-based brand that demonstrates you really don’t need a lot of ingredients to make delicious vegan smoked salmon. Like its website reads, it’s just “a bag of carrots and some good ju ju.”
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Current Foods/Instagram
11 Current Foods
If you’re looking for a quick and easy lunch that doesn’t negatively impact the ocean, Current Foods has you covered. Made with pea protein, its 100% Plant-Based Salmon Slices are ready to go straight out of the packet. Plus, it’s a source of vitamin B12 too.
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Be Leaf Vegan/Instagram
12 BeLeaf
California-based BeLeaf is committed to showing the world that you can enjoy all of your favorite foods without hurting any animals, and while enjoying a healthy lifestyle too. It offers a wide range of tasty, creative products, including BeLeaf Fish Ham and BeLeaf Pork Loin, and just recently, it added to its range with BeLeaf Salmon Sashimi.
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Veganz
13 Veganz
Berlin-based Veganz is constantly breaking down barriers in the food industry. When it was founded back in the early 2010s, it was the first-ever vegan supermarket chain in Europe. Now, it offers more than 160 products in 26 different countries, including its seaweed and microalgae-based Veganz Salmon Style Slices (which are a source of omega-3).
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Hooked Foods
14 Hooked Foods
In the words of the Swedish brand Hooked Foods, “it’s not fish, but fish…ish.” For a satisfyingly fishy experience, without harming any sea creatures, try its frozen Salmoonish pieces, which will liven up wraps, salads, pasta, and more.
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Save Da Sea
15 Save Da Sea
If you want to know the mission of this popular plant-based brand, the clue is in the name. Save Da Sea is, of course, all about protecting the oceans by making simple, minimally-processed, delicious seafood alternatives, like carrot-based Plant-Based Smoked Salmon.
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Sainsbury’s
16 Plant Pioneers
In the UK, even the supermarkets are in on the vegan salmon hype. Sainsbury’s own plant-based line Plant Pioneers offers a tasty, convincing salmon alternative, which is made with jackfruit, seaweed, and king oyster mushrooms.
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For more on vegan seafood, read:
Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
