Sushi rolls may seem time-consuming, but they are actually very simple to make and are a great healthy vegan lunch at home. They can also be wrapped in wax or parchment paper for an on-the-go meal or snack—just don’t forget the dipping sauce! This is my go-to recipe, and it’s especially easy to pull together when I already have a batch of raw pâté sitting in the refrigerator. Don’t have time or the ingredients for a homemade pâté? Use storebought hummus! Anything goes in these vegetable rolls, and while I love this sweet teriyaki dipping sauce, you can also dip your rolls into a creamy salad dressing (try my homemade peanut sauce!) or just plain tamari. Happy lunching!
Serves 1
What you need:
For the teriyaki dipping sauce:
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped green onion
For the sunflower seed pâté:
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup finely chopped carrot
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1 clove garlic
For the nori rolls:
- 1 nori sheet
- ½ avocado, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup julienned English cucumber
- ⅓ cup julienned carrot
- ⅓ cup julienned red bell pepper
- ¼ cup sunflower sprouts
What you do:
- For the dipping sauce, into a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- For the pâté, into a high-speed blender or food processor, add all pâté ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- To assemble nori rolls, place nori sheet on a bamboo sushi rolling mat. Spread pâté in a thin layer over sheet. Arrange avocado, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, and sprouts along the bottom third of sheet, stacking on top of one another. Tightly roll nori using the rolling mat, and seal seam with wet fingertips.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces. Serve with dipping sauce.
Healthy hints:
- >> This may seem obvious, but a sharp knife is key for slicing nori rolls. You can even wet your knife before cutting, or use a sharp serrated knife.
- >> No bamboo rolling mat? No problem! Use parchment paper instead.
>> While I tend to make these rolls with pâté or hummus, you can certainly make with rice or quinoa or whatever grain you have on hand.