Those who follow raw vegan diet probably sigh everytime they hear someone else talking about delicious sushi they just ate last night for dinner. You know, sushi is not raw. It can still be vegan if you use the right ingredients (tofu, cucumber, sweet potato, avocado, carrot, capsicum…). But raw? No chance.
Well… Not really. You think you can’t have raw vegan sushi because you haven’t tried this recipe! If you are open to trying something completely new and you don’t always follow a crowd, this raw cucumber sushi recipe is definitely for you!
This raw cucumber sushi doest use any rice so it’s lower in carbohydrates than usual. Instead, it uses mashed avocado, mashed cauliflower, carrot sticks, and cashews. If you like to enhance the taste of this raw cucumber sushi you can make a mushroom dip, too. I enclose the recipe for it here, too.
This eaw cucumber sushi is fresh, crispy, spicy, and juicy. Not mentioning it’s super cool. You’ll have so much fun while making it! It’s also quite easy. You can find most of the ingredients at home in your fridge or pantry within your vegan essentials.
Make this sushi anytime in a year. Ingredients used in this recipe are not necessary seasonal and available throughout the year. You can make a double portion and share it with others.
This recipe uses raw cashews for dressing. I recommend to let cashews soak in water at least 1 hour before. That’s because after soaking cashews become softer and therefore easier to blend. Soaked nuts are processed more quickly and it’s possible to make smoother dressing or dip. Another benefit of soaked nuts is that they become more easily digested. Beneficial enzymes are activated and our body can get more nutrients. Cashews are great if you want to lose weight on a vegan diet and they work as a supplement for tofu.
Raw Cucumber Sushi
Preparing time: 30 minutes
Serving: 16 rolls, to serve 4 (4 rolls each person)
Ingredients:
Cucumber skin sushi
1 cucumber
120 g cauliflower
1/2 avocado
1 small red capsicum, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
1 tsp virgin sesame oil
1 tsp white rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
Spicy cashew dip
100 g soaked cashews, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp ginger, chopped
1 tsp wasabi paste
Cucumber wrappers
1 cucumber
50 g spinach leaves
1 carrot, chopped in thin slices
2 tbsp cashew butter
Mushroom dressing
50 g mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp salt
50 ml water. vegan. recipe, dinner,
1 tsp ginger, chopped
Instructions:
- Cut the top and tail of one cucumber. Cut the cucumber into 8 pieces, each about 4 cm long. Scoop out the seeds and half of the cucumber flesh from each piece. You form 8 sushi rolls with a hole inside. Set aside.
- In a food processor, combine cauliflower, sesame oil, white rice vinegar, and salt. It should resemble cooked rice.
- Mash avocado with a fork in a separated bowl. Add salt and/or pepper to taste it. Set aside.
- Fill each hole in a cucumber sushi with cauliflower rice. Add avocado on the other side to fill the hole completely. Add spring onion and red capsicum.
- Start making spicy cashew dip. In a food processor, mix soaked cashews with ginger and wasabi paste.
- For cucumber wrappers, cut the top and tail of the second cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half, then cut each half in very thin slices lengthways. For each roll, you need 3 thin stripes (that’s 24 slices altogether).
- Arrange 3 cucumber strips on a rolling board. Place a few spinach leaves in one end. Do the same with carrot slices. As the last, add a little bit of cashew dip.
- Start rolling the cucumber wrap from the filled end. Roll all the way until you get a nice wrapper. Arrange wrappers on a plate.
- As the last, make the mushroom dressing. Blend the mushrooms, salt, and water in a food processor until you get a very smooth paste. If the paste is too thick, add a little bit more water. If you wish to have a darker dressing, add a little bit of soy sauce.
- Serve cucumber sushi with additional soy sauce or just with the mushroom dressing and spicy cashew dip.
- Don’t forget chopsticks. Enjoy!
