You'll Be Craving These Vegan Sushi Recipes

You'll Be Craving These Vegan Sushi Recipes

Word Count: 1678

Time to Read: 9 minutes


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When it comes to choosing a meal that’s fresh, nutritional and delicious, it’s hard to beat sushi.

And the great news is that there are some amazing vegan sushi recipes around.

Let’s get something clear - you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy vegan sushi recipes! In fact, you don’t even need to be vegetarian. The fact is that however you enjoy your sushi, there are always great new recipes to try.

The fact is that however you enjoy your sushi, there are always great new recipes to try.

Originating in Japan, sushi is a mix of specially prepared rice, with vegetables, meat, fish or whatever combo you choose. Traditionally, of course, raw seafood was a major component.

History Of Sushi

Sushi is generally served with a variety of ‘sides’, including wasabi, soy, pickled ginger and daikon radish.

Interestingly, sushi originated more through need than taste. Using salted fish and fermented rice, this was a food that could last for weeks, even months.

Over time, sushi evolved into what it is today. And although many traditional ingredients are still used, the wide range of vegan sushi recipes show what a versatile dish it is.

Sushi Seen As Sustainable

Worldwide, sushi has become big business. Let’s face it, it’s probably the healthiest takeaway food you can buy! High in protein and naturally low in fat, it’s a whole lot of nutritional goodness packed into each mouthful.

But there are other reasons for its popularity. Vegan sushi recipes are becoming increasingly popular with those concerned about animal suffering and other environmental issues, such as genetically modified food.

It’s said we are what we eat and, when you look at world obesity statistics, it’s clear we’ve been eating the wrong foods. Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.

Fighting Obesity With Sushi

More than 1.9 billion adults were considered overweight in 2014; of these, 600 million were considered obese. Frighteningly, 41 million children under the age of five were also considered obese.

And with obesity comes a whole raft of largely avoidable illnesses and diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and more.

At the other end of the scale, a healthy vegan diet can actually help prevent illness and disease. For example, it dramatically reduces the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer

That means the delicious vegan sushi recipes we are going to share with you here, can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, some cancers, cataracts, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and so much more.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, you don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy vegan sushi recipes. It may be that you enjoy a healthy, refreshing change sometimes, or your metabolism needs a boost.

Here are some ideas that can do just that!

Quinoa and Vegetable Sushi Rolls

First prepare your quinoa by cooking it in water with a little ground ginger and sea salt.

Once cooked, remove from heat, stir through a tablespoon of rice vinegar and (optional) a spoonful of maple syrup, and set aside.

Next, peel and seed half a cucumber and half an avocado, and slice into long thin strips.

Slice a handful of baby carrots into long thin strips.

Lay out your first nori sheet on the bamboo sushi mat. Spoon on two thirds of a cup of quinoa, and gently spread out with damp fingertips, leaving 2cm of the nori uncovered.

Lay down a line of baby lettuce leaves on the quinoa-topped nori, about 5cm in from the edge. Top with your other vegetables and, using the mat, gently roll up your first sushi roll.

Chill, slice, and serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi.

A Word About Nori

That was an easy vegan sushi recipe to get you started. We’ll ramp it up in a second with something a little harder! But first, a word about nori sheets.

Nori is made from a red algae called porphyra. It is high in protein, minerals, vitamin C and natural iodine. It is known for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.

It also contains polysaccharides, which can help prevent Type 2 diabetes and heart disease; stabilise blood sugar; improve liver function, and boost the feel-good chemicals in our brains.

No wonder nori is such a key component is creating mouth-wateringly healthy vegan sushi recipes!

Nutritional Benefits of Vegan Sushi Recipes

A vegan diet offers many nutritional benefits, including reduced saturated fats, fibre, and folate, magnesium and potassium, protein and phytochemicals. It also removes from your diet those toxic substances found only in animal protein.

Okay, it’s time to ramp up the action with some more delicious vegan sushi recipes!

Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Sushi

Start by picking 2 sweet potatoes with a fork and baking them for around 45 minutes in an oven set at 400 degrees. Set aside.

Cook 2 cups of wild rice in 5 cups of water in a rice cooker (use brown rice setting). Once cooked, mix with 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and set aside.

Peel and slice sweet potatoes, and an avocado, into long thin strips.

Place a nori sheet on your bamboo rolling mat and place 9 spoonfuls of rice mixture on top. Spread out the mixture (as per previous recipe), and add a line of sweet potato, avocado and a few sliced almonds.

Roll, chill, slice and serve.

Avocado Is King

Have you noticed that vegan sushi recipes - in fact, most sushi recipes - often include avocado?

Avocado is a fruit, and a healthy fat food. It is rich in vitamin C, folate, fibre, antioxidants and vitamin E. With one quarter of an avocado containing only 6g of total fat, it’s the healthy alternative to include in your diet.

Another of our favourite vegan sushi recipes containing avocado is coming right up!

Avocado, Mango, and Brown Rice

Cook 1 cup short grain brown rice in 2 cups of water in rice cooker. Combine with rice vinegar and sea salt as before.

Prepare your filling ingredients by slicing a cucumber, a ripe mango and an avocado into long thin strips.

Continue as per previous recipes, topping your fruit and vegetables with some micro greens.

Dessert Sushi

Yes, you can even use vegan sushi recipes for dessert. It’s easy!

First prepare your rice by cooking half a cup of sushi rice in 1.5 cups of coconut milk, with a little sugar to taste.

Lay down a sheet of non-stick paper instead of a nori sheet, and spread out the rice. Then instead of piling up your vegetables, use sliced strawberries and kiwi fruit, with some fresh shredded mint leaves.

Roll, chill, slice and serve.

Delicious variations on this theme include adding other fruits, or rolling your fruit sushi roll in sesame seeds.

Use Your Imagination

As you’re probably beginning to see, the secret to preparing amazing vegan sushi recipes is to use your imagination, along with the freshest, healthiest ingredients.

Now you’ve mastered the method, don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit, adding new ingredients not only for taste, but also for texture. Nuts, seeds and toasted coconut shreds are fantastic in vegan sushi recipes.

Whether you are vegan or vegetarian, your entire body will appreciate these healthy treats, and reward you with increased vitality, clear skin, and healthy hair and nails.

Listen To Your Body

The great thing about vegan sushi recipes is that you’ll find them almost everywhere. Dining out or grabbing some takeaway can be a challenge if you’re vegan, but sushi always delivers.

And we’re expecting to see more variations of vegan recipes in the future, as we all start to change our eating patterns. Worldwide, the number of vegans is growing, even in traditional meat-loving countries. Britain now has around 542,000 vegans.

People are choosing vegan diet plans because they make them look and feel healthier and give them more energy. They also see it as a greener way of life.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Research shows that minimising our use of animal products can reduce our carbon footprint. The production of meat and animal products uses a lot of resources, from food and water for the animals to production and transport.

For example, in Brazil, around 5.6 million acres of land is used to grow soya beans to feed animals in Europe. A vegan lifestyle is considered more sustainable for the future.

You may not know it yet, but your own body could be telling you to change. Do you feel tired and lethargic much of the time? Is your hair dull and lank? Are you prone to break-outs? Do digestive problems ruin your day?

Watch Out For The Signs

Those are the signs! A vegan diet plan will give you more energy, and help maintain a healthy weight and BMI. It can even help with weight loss and, due to the lack of animal products, it can reduce body odour and bad breath!

A vegan diet can also reduce the symptoms of migraines, allergies and PMS, and lead to better digestion. No wonder it appeals so much to women!

In fact, a research project into managing PMS with diet delivered some astonishing results. 33 women who experienced severe periods and PMS were put on a plant-based diet for two cycles.

Find A Healthier You

The women reported a significant reduction in pain, bloating and other symptoms. Much of this was considered due to the anti-inflammatory benefits of a vegan diet.

But here’s the clincher. The women were supposed to then go back to their regular diet to compare results, but several of them refused! They said they felt far too good on the vegan diet to even consider going back.

So there you have it; perfect your vegan sushi recipes and you will be well on your way to a healthier you!

About the author

Julia Ott
Hi! I'm Julia and I'm a vegan recipe inventor, furniture collector and mum to a little boy. I've been a vegetarian for 25 years, and a vegan for 4. I spend all of my spare time visiting farmers markets, searching for antiques at flea markets and cooking up a vegan storm in the kitchen! I co-founded Vegan.io to make the world a better place.

Want to try a vegan diet?

We created a meal planner app to help you! Get your fresh customized meal plan full of delicious, quick, budget friendly, healthy recipes.

GET YOUR MEAL PLAN!