Some foods are slightly more difficult to adapt for plant-based eating however that has not stopped me yet from working on translating foods that I used to enjoy eating! Homemade vegan nori rolls are in my top 5 favorite foods. And when they are homemade, they are much more affordable! There are a few caveats though, “mock” fish can be highly processed soy or seitan (wheat gluten) and can be difficult to digest and filled with unwanted food additives. If you are not plant-based, there are concerns regarding where fish are being raised and overfishing in the ocean. So there are compelling reasons to think about less or no fish in the diet. EWG is one source to look at if you are eating fish to determine the safety of the fish you are eating though, at this point, I do not recommend it.
Homemade vegan nori rolls can also be a fantastic way to make vegetables interesting. We generally find the rolls to be pricy at the store so we save them as a “treat food” when shopping. Most importantly, making them at home reduces the cost considerably. All the varieties of flavor with vibrant veggies rolled compactly with sushi rice has never failed us. Some rolls don’t roll quite as evenly while other rolls are balanced brilliantly even though I haven’t done anything differently – at least from my point of view. Though if I am honest, being mindful while stacking the ingredients always makes a difference. Likewise, taking my time to fold over the roll matters too.
There are so many options as to how to create a homemade nori roll. The first step is to purchase nori sheets, sushi rice, and rice vinegar next time you are grocery shopping as this is the starting point. From here, you can make nori rolls anytime you are interested. I love to see what is in the fridge and create flavor blends from what I have available. The beauty of eating plant-based is that you have so many options and combinations.
Here is the list for what is in the role picture above:
Blanched Asparagus/Kale, Toasted Nori, Shredded Carrots, Faux tuna (see below), Avocado, Sriracha sauce, Kimchi, Sushi rice
I also love to add fermented foods like kimchi. It has a wonderful bite and beneficial probiotics to boot. Interested in fermented foods, check out this post. Here are the instructions on how to make it!
I wonder about how I would try these with other fermented foods. Have you tried this before?
That is a great idea… I have used all kinds of fermented foods to go inside the rolls. Right now, I have some fermented carrots that I would use. You could also use any type of fermented cabbage – some have seaweed in them which is also a good option.
xo,
Dr. Siri Chand