Low Carb Vegan Sushi Rolls

01 March 2016

I absolutely adore traditional sushi, but I wanted to make a healthier low-carb vegan version for meat-free days, for better blood sugar regulation & for those of you who are pregnant and are avoiding raw seafood. This vegan sushi recipe is made from blitzed up cauliflower instead of the traditional white rice. Just think low carb, low calorie, ultra-nutritious and absolutely delicious!! No cooking required here so this is also a winner for all the raw food enthusiasts too! If you are tight on time, simply throw the ingredients into a bowl for a quick healthy supper.

Pre Time: 90 mins | Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

10 nori seaweed sheets

Sushi ‘rice’

440g parsnips (or cauliflower)

Small bunch or curly parsley

150g sunflower seeds

1.5tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp. ground flaxseed

3 tbsp tahini

Pink crystal salt to taste

Sushi Filling

1 tbsp. root ginger, finely chopped

3 tbsp. black sesame seeds - toasted

4 spring onions - sliced diagonally

1 red pepper - finely sliced into long strips

2 avocados - finely sliced into long strips

1/3 cucumber - finely sliced into long strips

Small handful of kale - tough stems removed

Small handful - bean-sprouts

Smoked tofu - sliced into thin strips

1 cup endamame beans - cooked

Miso Dip:

2 tbsp dark miso paste

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. xylitol

1 tbsp. finely chopped root ginger

Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Sushi ‘Rice’:

Soak sunflower seeds, a pinch of salt in 450ml of water in a bowl for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain & rinse the seeds. Place in a food processor & pulse for a few seconds until finely chopped. Tip into a large mixing bowl. Peel & roughly chop cauliflower into rough chunks. Add lemon juice, ground flaxseed, rice wine vinegar, tahini & parsley. Pulse mixture until cauliflower resembles rice grains. Add chopped parsnip mixture to the bowl with the sunflower grains & mix together. Taste & season with more salt if required.

Step 2: Prepare Filling

Finely chop ginger root. Slice all remaining vegetables into thin strips. Toast black sesame seeds in a large pan on low heat for 1-2 mins, watching closely until done. The toasting process helps release the natural oils from the seeds & so enhances the aroma & flavour of the seeds.

Step 3: Assemble Sushi

Place a sushi mat on a chopping board with slats running horizontally. Place a sheet of nori seaweed shiny side down onto mat. Using wet hands (a bowl of water by your workstation is handy at this point), spread a thin layer of the sushi rice on top of the nori with damp fingers or a silicone spatula. Leave a border at the side furthest away from you. Layer fillings evenly on top of seaweed layer take care not to overfill. Sprinkle a little chopped ginger root on top of fillings. Pick up the side of the mat closest to you & using your thumbs & forefingers, begin rolling until you form a tightly packed sushi parcel. You want a firm roll so that everything sticks together when sliced up.

Repeat the process above until all the rice & fillings are finished. Chill sushi rolls for 20-30mins in the fridge. Using a sharp knife, slice each roll into 6-8 pieces.

Step 4: Prepare miso dip:

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl and stir well.

Serve with pickled ginger and a little wasabi

Enjoy!

Yours in Health Always,

Cara-Lisa

@caralishious

xoxo