Make Your Own Raw Vegan Sushi Rolls

When I was introduced to sushi bar style sushi by my son years ago I loved it immediately! Bite sized nuggets of yum that would melt in my mouth! Unfortunately I no longer can eat that type of sushi. Nor visit the sushi restaurants of my past in good conscience, knowing all that I have learned about food. Sadly this is because I simply do not know where all the the ingredients come from, if they are even GMO free, or contain MSG. Rice is a GMO crop and unless I can find organic brown rice sushi I just will not make the purchase. Since my husband and I consider sushi a favorite food treat, I had to investigate ways to make sushi rolls at home. If you are new to making sushi rolls do not worry, it is quite simple. My homemade rolls are not visual perfection, although they sure do taste great! Have fun with this one!

Raw Vegan Sushi Rolls

Nori seaweed sheets

Jicama peeled

Carrots

Cucumber

Avocado peeled

Red Cabbage

Sprouts

Red peppers

Romaine Lettuce

Lemon

Coconut Aminos

The above list of veggies is a suggestion. You can of course use what is in season or on hand, to create your sushi roll. Use fresh ingredients that you would like to eat! The main items that you must have would be the nori sheets and the jicama. If you can find raw nori sheets that would be great, if not, don't stress out over the difference. 

In the past I made my own sushi hand-rolls with sticky rice and Nori, which was very good. For those new to changing up their food choices, if you can get organic brown rice and veggies, then this would be a good transition meal to make instead of eating store bought mystery sushi. Just use the organic rice instead of the jicama to make something you are familiar with for your first time. As you progress into healthier foods try making this raw vegan jicama rice style sushi. You and everyone will love it!

I do prefer to replace the rice layer with shredded jicama. The job of shredding the peeled jicama is best done with a Cuisinart food processor machine although you can use a cheese grater. Once you shred your jicama, remove the liquid from the jicama shreds, by grabbing them in your hand and squeezing, or placing against a mesh strainer. Save the juice to drink, it is really good. Once you have chopped your fresh organic veggies you will be ready to put this simple meal together. Most of the ingredients should be sliced lengthwise to fit the shape of the sushi roll. Now begin your zen slicing and chopping.

Once your ingredients are arranged for easy access it's time to create your hand roll! You may lay your nori sheet on a plate, a cutting board, or a sushi roll mat. All work fine. Start by sprinkling the jicama shreds across the nori sheet leaving an inch of uncovered nori at one end. This will eventually be your seal area. As you can see I got excited and put my Romaine lettuce leaf down first. In the end it does not matter, so no worries if you do not do things exact. This is very much like making a veggi wrap only you are using seaweed to surround the mix. So add what you wish!

Arrange your ingredients in alternating layers and strips. Just leave the bottom empty.

If you use a sushi mat it will help you to make the roll tighter by placing even pressure across the roll. Don't forget to squeeze out the liquid from the jicama before you add it to the seaweed sheet, so your nori does not get soaked. I learned this the hard...or should I say soggy way. You may have to squeeze the jicama shreds a couple of times. When you have finished adding your items on top of the Nori sheet drizzle some lemon juice over the veggies, especially across the avocado slices. 

Drip some of the juice across the bottom empty edge of the nori. Begin to roll from the the opposite full end and hold in place when you reach the bottom. You can press the wet empty edge against the roll. If you have a sushi mat your roll will be thinner than if you roll the sushi by hand. If you are using a mat, tuck it tightly around the sushi, slowly roll and compress, pushing the roll out in front of you, and bringing the mat back toward you, until you complete your mission!

Wet your knife before slicing across your completed roll. Cut off the ends and move to a platter. You can eat the sushi roll like a veggie wrap, or slice it into many discs like traditional sushi and arrange upright. If you decide to slice the rolls into bite sized pieces remember to keep re-wetting your knife to make the cuts through the seaweed. Sorry I cannot find my photo showing a platter of upright sushi circles. Use your wild imagination! Looking at this photo now I am imagining dipping these sushi rolls in balsamic vinegar reduction! Oh yes... I think I will do that next time. You can see the difference in circumference size in the photo below between the two methods. The big fattie was rolled by hand, without using a sushi mat. Like anything in life it will get better with practice. You could also slice the veggies thinner and put less stuff on the nori! Haha!

Instead of soy sauce I prefer to use Coconut Secret brand coconut aminos which is found at health food stores. This is because I am hypothyroid and I avoid soy products for health and GMO reasons. Coconut aminos contains less sodium as well, as in 5% vs. 38% of your daily limit. If you still chose to use soy sauce as your dipping sauce be sure it is organic. A helpful ingredient for hypothyroid peeps like me is the seaweed nori because it contains iodine. This is a better way to get iodine instead of table salt.

I hope you enjoy your adventure into making and eating raw vegan style sushi. I knew you could do it! Although sushi tastes great year round, this dish makes a cool and casual meal on a hot summer day! Plus you will be eating the crunchtastic rainbow! I am getting hungry!

I have added a few videos below that have detailed instruction and tips for making your raw vegan jicama sushi. Three are from Dan 'The Life Regenerator and the other is from his lovely partner Sophia. The timing of the bottom two videos appeared just after I posted this article and I am thrilled to share them with you now! They all have different ideas for making veggie sushi. The last video is my favorite in which Dan is having a bit of fun while showing just how easy veggi sushi can be to create. Sofia who makes a jicama carrot rice, also uses the Coconut aminos as a soy substitute, and will even read you the label! Four different ways help to show you the simple raw vegan sushi roll. Spread some sushi love with your friends! Be healthy. Be happy. Be peace.

A quick video below of a fabulous colorful raw food feast that includes the raw vegan sushi rolls too! WoW! Awesome!

Learn how to prepare your jicama and sushi from the fabuloso 'Dan The Man' The Life Regenerator! Can You dig it?