Rainbow Vegan Sushi

You’ve probably heard the phrase EAT THE RAINBOW! Not to be confused with Skittles’ “Taste the Rainbow” slogan… this is the exact opposite of eating chemical/sugar-laden candies. It’s about having a variety of natural colors in our diet, because the more color means the more phytonutrients, and the more phytonutrients, the better for our bodies!

This is another recipe I came up with for my Energy-Boosting Meal Plan when I first started Good Witch Kitchen. It’s 100% vegetable, using cauliflower “rice” instead of traditional grains. Here’s what we’re using for the color spectrum:

Red: Red bell pepper, of course! Rich in immune-boosting Vitamin C, which also supports collagen production. Yay for our skin, hair, nails, and joints!

Orange: Carrots—containing glutathione, which helps break down toxins in the body and helps your liver do its many jobs. Also, as well as the rest of these vibrantly colored foods, high in Vitamin A.

Yellow: Yellow bell peppers.

Green: Avocado, adding some fat and additional fiber into the mix to make this a filling meal. Contains energy-boosting B vitamins as well. Feel free to add in some thinly sliced spinach, kale, collard greens or other leafy greens for this color.

Purple: Purple cabbage—a cruciferous vegetable with anticancer qualities. This is another food that’s healing to the liver and allows it to function better as it naturally detoxifies our body. You could use regular cabbage here, but how BORING! 😉

Not here for the color, but nutritious otherwise!: Cauliflower! Another cruciferous vegetable, this one is not often thought as super nutritious because of our tendency to associate white foods with high carbs, but don’t let the color fool you. Cauliflower actually contains more antioxidants than cabbage! You can use the regular version here, but it also comes in green, purple, orange, and yellow, so if you can find those, add them to your rainbow sushi for even more fun color! Apple is included here too for a little sweetness (and some fiber).

For non-vegans, feel free to add your favorite sushi-grade fish for extra protein. I do love a good tuna roll, but don’t love handling fish in my home so I didn’t include it here. I’ll leave that to the experts!

You don’t absolutely need a bamboo mat for sushi-making, but it’s helpful if you’re going to do this regularly. You can also use a tea towel and saran wrap. This takes some practice, so make sure you set enough time aside for this one to work on your rolling skills.

Rainbow Vegan Sushi

 

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Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp coconut sugar (optional)
• 6 sheets nori
• ½ avocado, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• ¾ cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 apple, cut into matchsticks
• Handful of spinach
• Tamari or coconut aminos (alone, or blend with almond butter!)

Instructions

1. Remove the stalk from the cauliflower and separate the florets. Pulse in a food processor until small and crumbly, or use a grater. Saute in a skillet with coconut oil and salt over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to soften. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar (and optional sugar). Let cool before using.
2. Place a bamboo sushi-rolling mat (or linen tea towel topped with plastic wrap) on your work surface and a nori sheet on top, shiny side down (make sure the lines in the nori are horizontal). Spread ½ cup of cauliflower rice over the bottom half of the nori and pat down—go to the edges on the left and right, and leave a ½-inch space on the bottom edge. Layer fillings evenly across the rice spread.
3. Pinch the mat and bottom section of nori with your thumb and index finger, lift and roll over the fillings, using your other fingers to push the fillings in as you cover them. Once your index finger hits the surface, give the roll a squeeze—not too tight or you'll lose your fillings! Continue rolling and gently squeezing until you're finished.
4. Unwrap the roll from the towel or mat, place on a cutting board, and slice in half with a sharp knife, then into 8 pieces. Use a gentle sawing motion and let the blade do the work so you don't crush the roll.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining nori.
6. Serve with a side of tamari or coconut aminos. If you like a peanutty sauce, mix it with some nut butter!

Notes

This is not that easy to do from words alone, so be patient! I suggest watching a YouTube video for a visual on how to roll the sushi. On first try, you'll probably realize you skimped on the fillings, especially around the edges, so don't be afraid to load it up!

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