Sushi is amazing. Sushi is also insanely filling and can make you feel super-bloated. Those little maki rolls look so innocent, but then you eat a million of them and then feel so much regret.
Going out for sushi, sashimi is always a great option to keep things light, but there’s something about that rice-seaweed-soy combo that is so irresistible. And for those of us who are trying to stay away from grains and/or soy, we need options, people!
sushi mat on hand. If you are a veteran sushi-roller, this will be a breeze and you can totally ignore the second half of my directions. If you’re new to the whole thing, don’t get discouraged if it takes a few tries. If my instructions aren’t thorough enough, I’d recommend scoping out a good video or step-by-step article to walk you through things. It’s exactly the same as making traditional maki, just with different ingredients.
This sushi rice recipe uses apple cider vinegar in place of the traditional rice vinegar-white sugar combo. The rice is still tangy and sweet, but you keep out the rice and refined sugar. If you’re OK with that stuff and prefer the classic flavours, feel free to swap in rice vinegar and a little of sugar. (I’d recommend coconut sugar.) I also dip the sushi into coconut aminos, in lieu of soy sauce, since I don’t respond well to soy.
In terms of the fillings, I went with the classic combo of cucumber, avocado and carrot, plus the addition of jalapeño and mung bean sprouts, but the possibilities are endless! I fully encourage and support experimentation here, as long as you don’t over-fill your sushi and end up with a big mess. A few other suggestions:
Steamed sweet potato
Steamed asparagus
Slivered mushrooms marinated in coconut aminos
Scallions
Sushi-grade fish (if that’s not already obvious)
What’s your fave sushi filling? Give me more ideas, please 💙
Cauliflower rice sushi
Prep Time 1 hr
Resting time 1 hr
Servings: 40 pieces
Ingredients
The rice
1 medium head of cauliflower about 6 cups, riced
2 Tb coconut oil
¾ tsp salt
½ cup full fat coconut milk
1½ Tb apple cider vinegar
1 Tb chia seeds
The maki
5 nori sheets
1 cucumber cut into long sticks (seeds removed)
1 large carrot cut into long matchsticks
1 avocado cut into sticks
Optional: diced jalapeño pepper and sprouts
Coconut aminos for dipping
Instructions
The rice
To rice the cauliflower, cut it into florets and then pulse in a food processor with the S-blade until it looks like couscous. You will likely have to do this in a couple of batches. If you fill it up more than halfway, it won’t break down into even pieces.
In a large skillet or wok, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
Add the cauliflower rice and salt to the pan and sautée for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
Add the coconut milk and chia seeds. Continue to cook until all the liquid has been absorbed or cooked off. If it’s watery, your sushi will turn to mush.
Stir in the apple cider vinegar and remove from heat.
Chill in the fridge for an hour or two, until cold and sticky.
The rolls (see photos above):
Lay the first nori sheet on your sushi mat width-wise with the shiny side down, so the faint lines that go across the sheets are vertical.
Fill the first two-thirds of the sheet with a layer of sushi rice about ½ a centimetre thick. Press it down firmly and evenly with your hands or a wooden spoon.
Spread a row of the veggies evenly a couple of centimetres up from the bottom. I usually do one row each of the avocado and cucumber and a couple rows of the carrot matchsticks, then sprinkle the sprouts and jalapeño.
Lift the mat with both thumbs from underneath, while holding the veggies in with your fingers. Roll the ends tightly and firmly over top of the veggies, pushing down as you go, until the edge of the bottom of the mat meets the cauliflower rice on the other side. Squeeze the mat tightly and evenly around the roll with both hands.
Continue to roll and squeeze until the roll has been fully wrapped up. If your rice is really dry, you may need a swipe of water across the end of the sheet to get the seaweed to stick.
Slice into 8 even pieces with a sharp clean knife. The easiest way to do this is to cut the roll in half, then cut each of those in half, and then each of those in half. Be gentle and use a sharp knife so you don’t squish everything.
Serve with coconut aminos and any other condiments you like.