Repeat until you run out of ingredients and serve the slices with soy sauce for dipping and a garnish of sesame seeds.
Vegan sushi is one of my favourite meals. It might sound like an oxymoron since sushi is essentially synonymous with fish, but a roll with avocado and rice in some nori is essentially the perfect plant-based meal. Recently I started thinking about how to make a version of the California roll with avocado cucumber, and crab.
Makes: about 4-6 rolls
Prep: Soak 1/4 cup raw cashew pieces for at least an hour to soften prior to blending.
The secrets to this concoction are all below — it is a blend of chickpeas for the meatiness, nori for the seafood flavor, some cabbage for feel, and cashews for body and some creaminess. It’s sooooo great and (as far as I can remember from a decade ago) tastes a lot like crab. It’s the perfect filling for sushi rolls.
Step One
In a food processor (yes, I understand, a food processor and a blender at the identical recipe, but it is really important), combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, carrots, cabbage, about 2/3 a sheet of nori (broken into pieces) and some salt and pepper. Pulse just a few times. Drizzle in the cashew cream and pulse just a few more times. It should be perfect after a few pulses — you don’t want mush! But don’t hesitate to give it a taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. This can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated, but it is best made just before preparing the rolls.
However you’re doing this, start with a sheet of nori and add a layer of rice and use hands to smooth the surface. If you’re doing the rice on the outside, add plastic wrap on top and flip it all over, then add some cucumber and avocado slices. Then, slowly roll the whole thing up and (ideally) use one of these bamboo mats to form into the best roll. Slowly slice into 3/4-inch or 1/2 rounds with a knife.
The interesting thing is, many California rolls are made with Surimi, or imitation crab, which is essentially a glue of various mystery meats (eew). But that makes our job of producing a vegan version more easy because we can create a paste. I had high hopes for my imitation crab, but they were exceeded all by this recipe. The textures and tastes are spot on.
Combine the cashews till you get a smooth cream, after soaking and set aside. This will add a huge amount of creaminess.
Make a whole lot of sushi rice according to package directions. About 2 cups of dry rice and 2 1/2 cups of water should be about right. Allow to cool then fold in a dash of salt and 2-3 tablespoons of rice vinegar when it is done.
Step Four
Now, you’re ready to make the rolls. A California roll will look with the rice on the outside of the nori and the ingredients on the inside, like the photographs. This is about 3.5 times more difficult and less convenient to eat than simply putting the rice and ingredients on the inside, but it does not look as impressive. It’s nice to do it.
Source: Natural Foods
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