Raw Vegan Sushi Recipe from Hippocrates Health Institute

Love sushi but want to eat vegan? You're in luck! Here's an easy and delicious recipe from the fabulous people at Hippocrates Health Institute!

Raw Vegan Sushi Courtesy of Hippocrates Executive Chef Ken Blue and New Times Broward-Palm Beach What You Will Need: A sharp knife for cutting vegetables A bamboo sushi mat A small cup for water Ingredients: 4 to 6 sheets of dried nori seaweed (un-toasted) 1/2 to 1 cup julienned cucumber slivers 1/2 to 1 cup julienned carrots slivers 1/2 to 3/4 cup thin-slices avocado 2 to 3 cups sprouts (alfalfa, broccoli, clover, etc.) Soy sauce, sushi vinegar or miso to taste (or any vegan dressing) 1 cup of water Step 1: Place your nori sheet “shiny side” down on the bamboo mat, making sure the edge of the nori is in line with the edge of mat. Take note of the dotted horizontal cuts (seen clearly above) along the length of the sheet. Use them as markers for how far to spread your sushi “stuffing” before rolling. Step 2: For all you 100-percent-raw vegans out there, skip this step. For those who prefer using some sticky rice, now is the time to spread a few spoonfuls within the first two rectangular sections on your nori sheet, then proceed to the next step. For a rice alternative, you can also consider using quinoa or sprouted kamut (shown above). Also, for a grain-free alternative — but a little more flavor — consider spreading a thin layer of hummus over the nori like you would rice. Step 3: Place the desired amount of sliced cucumber and carrot on your nori sheet along the edge closest to you. Be sure to spread the slices out so they fill the entire width of the nori sheet (go ahead and let it spill over the edge a bit) and filling the entire space before the first dotted line on the nori sheet. Step 4: Place sliced avocado along the top of the cucumber and carrots. Again, be sure to fill the entire space from left to right. Avocado lends the most flavor to plain vegetable rolls that don’t use grains, hummus or vinegars, so make sur you have enough. Step 5: Take a handful of sprouts and pull them apart so you can pile it across the avocado, cucumber and carrots. Sprouts may look like they take up a lot of room, but once you start rolling they compress fairly easily. If you choose not to use rice or quinoa, make sure you don’t skimp on the sprouts — or your roll will be very small and harder to roll. Step 6: Time to roll: grab the bottom of the sushi mat and bring it up and over the pile of veggies, creating a tube. You want to go for one-half roll so that you cannot see your filling anymore, then “tuck and squeeze” it under with your hands over the sushi mat. DO NOT keep rolling, or you will end up with a bamboo sushi roll. Not too appetizing. It’s important to make this “tuck” tight, so that your sushi stays together and the filling won’t fall out of the middle when you slice it. Step 7: Once you have your tuck, move the curled single roll section of the sushi back to the edge of the mat closest to you. Continue rolling. Stop when your roll looks like the photo above. You should have at least an inch left unrolled. You will need this section to “seal” your roll shut. Step 8: You’re almost done! To seal the edge of the nori paper to the roll, simply wet the unrolled portion of nori with some water (you can dab your fingers in a bowl of water and rub or sprinkle it on, or use a brush). Step 9: Go ahead and give it a final roll against the bamboo mat to make sure everything is sealed and tight. And there you have it: your very own homemade (and raw vegan) nori sushi roll. Enjoy!