Sushi befuddles me.
How do they wrap it so tight and get the rolls to stick together?
I got a wild hair and decided to try my hand at veggie sushi. No sushi mat, mind you. I still have no idea how sushi chefs’ rolls don’t fall apart. Mind did as soon as I picked a bite up. But they tasted wonderful! (Halfway through I discovered that cutting them with wet knife helps, FYI.)
I used parsnips to create the rice, making these rolls a light, veggie-only treat.
Even better was the sauce I served with them – a beet-wasabi puree. I used Greek yogurt to achieve a creaminess that pleasantly contrasted with the crisp veggies in these roll. The Greek yogurt I used was the Olympus brand I reviewed here. Its a super thick and creamy yogurt – perfect for a hearty sauce.
The roasted beets gave the sauce an earthy flavor that was really neat with the nori wraps, and accented with the heat from the wasabi.
This sauce truly is a fun, unique alternative to spicy mayo that works perfectly with the milder, more sweet flavors of the cucumber and carrots in these veggie rolls. I had some leftover, and it was quite tasty spread on a veggie burger, too!
Looking for protein in your sushi? Click here for a protein-rich vegan sushi roll idea.
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Veggie Sushi with Beet Wasabi Sauce
For the sushi:
- 2 nori sheets
- 1 parsnip, blended into “rice”
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 large cucumber
- 1 radish
- 1/3 C daikon sprouts
- 1/2 avocado
Scoop a few tablespoons of the parsnip rice onto the nori sheet and spread it across half. Add toppings and roll nori sheet as tightly as possible.
Slice into sushi pieces, or eat whole. Note: wetting your knife before slicing help to achieve a cleaner cut.
For the Beet-Wasabi Sauce:
- 1/2 C beet, roasted
- 1/4 C Greek yogurt (sub in almond/soy/coconut yogurt to make vegan)
- 1 tsp wasabi paste
- 1/2 in piece of fresh ginger
- Salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
If you are sensitive to heat, add the wasabi slowly, tasting to control for spice-level.
***
Totally unrelated, but I need to whine. I had leg day with my trainer Tuesday night. My muscles are so sore it hurts to even think about walking. Second day soreness is the WORST!
When are you the most sore – the next day or the second day after a workout? Or immediately? 😉
Do you eat sushi? What is your favorite roll?
I love these! My favorite part is that you don’t actually use rice in them! How awesome! I am not the biggest sushi fan because the raw fish freaks me out! But I love the veggie kind especially without rice so how perfect are these! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m a bit addicted to parsnip rice. It’s also good with cauliflower rice!
Hahaha whine away, my friend! Because after today’s lower body workout I might need to whine to you about my soreness..I have a love-hate relationship with DOMS! I LOVE sushi…can’t get enough of the stuff! Love me some salmon avocado! Good call on using Greek yogurt, it sounds like a great alternative to spicy mayo!
I’ll be happy to commiserate with you! 🙂
That sauce looks awesome laura! Veg sushi rolls are my favorite – especially this time of year. Its all I want to eat lately. Can’t wait to make this sauce.
Olympus Greek Yogurt is so good!
looks so pretty! def trying that beet sauce!
I’m dying to find a place that will make sushi with cucumber instead of rice – since I’m way too lazy to make it (and undoubtedly fail) at home.
You can do it so easily at home! Rolling it isn’t heard, it’s the slicing that kills me, but you could just eat it rolled up.
I tried making sushi once, and it was a total fail! Yours look great and I used to live in the Virginia Highlands in Atlanta and your blog brought back sweet memories!
I love ViHi! I like right by there. So much good food!
The beet wasabi sauce sounds amazing! And I’m with you on the sushi rolling… they offered this free class in college that taught you how to roll… and even with help from a chef I had the ugliest rolls in the room 🙂 But they tasted good! And thats all that matters!
I want to take a class now! They offer them occasionally at a local sushi bar in town.
The mat really does help! As for the soreness, definitely two days after. I think that’s when my muscles want to give me payback for ripping them up!
I get sore around day 2, it’s the worst because I always think to myself that since I’m not sore the day after that I can do another good workout. UGH, I will never learn.
Well, you CAN do another workout. Just not the same body part. 😉
Hi I have been reading about your latest plan to train for a figure competition and was curious about your training. What types of weight workouts are you doing? Maybe you could share with us a sample of what one of your weeks of training looks like…e.g. how many times a week are you lifting upper vs. lower; how many sets/reps in order to gain muscle, etc. I am actually a competitive cyclist, but am interested in putting on some more upper body mass. Thanks! – Elizabeth
I was thinking I need to do that! the actual workouts are more than you’d do in a “normal” routine (they are long), but I do have some 30-60 min workouts posted under my fitness tab. I will work on something for next week that talks about the new strategy though. Thanks for the feedback!
Cool, thanks. Yes, I am interested to see what sort of sets/reps/rest in btw you are doing and phases. Have a great weekend!
That beet sauce is soooooooo pretty!! So you use “roasted” beets – meaning you have to cook them first, then add them to the puree / remaining ingredients? Or do you buy them that way? Let me know!
I roasted them at home, but you could buy them cooked too (those are $$$ though!)/
I’m usually most sore the 2nd day too! You are so creative and much braver than I… attempting sushi is definitely not something I’m brave enough to attempt at home ! And I’d be lying if I said anything other than flash-fried sushi was my favorite. So, yeah… I’m laying it all out there for the healthy blog world to see. Fried sushi for me! Does that even count as real sushi?
LOL! I think American sushi can be anything you want it to. 🙂
I’ll definitely be trying a vegan version of the beet wasabi sauce!
Let me know how it is! I just occurred to me that cashew cream would probably also be a great sub for the Greek yogurt.
Yummy!!! What a great meal idea and a great way to load of veggies – even the rice! =)
I can solve your DOMS problem: Beta-Alanine. It’s a super cheap supp. It is a GAME CHANGER. I just recently used it for 12 weeks and I’m never going to train hard without it. I never got DOMS so I could train more frequently and harder. I was definitely able to get more reps on it too. It’s just a modified amino, it’s nothing weird. You can look it up and see if it’s something you’d be interested in but I just cycled off (and you don’t even have to cycle it because it’s just an amino) and the difference is unbelievable. I’m going to take it again in about 4 weeks when I start my next program and I can not freaking wait. I have DOMS in my ass right now and I can barely move.
That sounds like a dream pill! I just emailed my trainer to ask about it. Thank you so much for the suggestion! My legs are STILL sore.
I’ve been craving sushi like nuts lately. This isn’t helping, lady!
omg I’m totally suffering from 2nd day soreness today, too! I went to BodyPump for the first time in forever on Tuesday, and I’m just feeling it today. Then I saw my trainer today, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Those rolls look awesome btw! You should get a rolling mat, they’re freakishly cheap and help to roll them really tight.
Ouch! How are you feeling now? I need to learn how to use a rolling mat. I’m making it a goal to take a class soon!
Actually, I’m feeling pretty freakin awesome today! No easy way to describe in words how to roll well, so I would definitely suggest a class. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. pinning. hopefully making.
This sushi looks absolutely gorgeous my friend, how do you do it? (I ask this everytime I think :D)
I love veggie sushi but it is not always avaialble why need it if you can make it so deliciously at home!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I wonder if there is such a thing as dessert sushi…
These rolls look delish!!! I’ll have to try sometime!!
My soreness tends to be worst 48 hours after a workout. I start getting sore the next morning and it just builds from there!
You just described my day perfectly! 🙂
Oh gosh girl you KNOW your Meg love shed sushi 😉 I could go on and on. Have you ever watched my “how to roll sushi” vlog??? Maybe you missed that? 😉 I give you tips about the knife too 😉 hehehehehe!
Anyways, this meal looks divine! I love how light it is! You are so creative. I cannot wait to cook with my girl some day 🙂 Won’t that be fab, love?????
Ahhhh I can totally relate to your DOMS babe! I am suppose to do leg day BEFORE chest day and DAYS later my legs were still sore, so I had to do chest before legs! HAHA yeesh. We workout 😉
I missed the video! My work computer blocks video, so I never get to see them. Will go get my personal and check it out now though!!!
If we ever got to cook together for real… I’m pretty sure the food-world would implode. It would be epic and we must make it happen one day soon!!!
Seriously, we are one similar routines! Except I do chest/bis today, and I go legs again tomorrow. Hope I can walk by the end for my b-day dinner. LOL!
Come back to the continent and teach me to roll sushi! xoxo
Can I use canned beets? I know it’s probably an abomination, but is all I have available currently.
I haven’t tried it, but any cooked beet should work. Let me know how it turns out!
I made this with self-roasted beets. Do you cook the parsnip rice, my rolls were dry. The sauce is AMAZING! We’ll never have kechup again, and you can’t beat eating something that’s bright pink and good for you. This was my first at nori rolls, beets, and greek yogurt, so I was going out on a limb. I love your blog, and am inspired to cook more beets and work out more now. I’m on second day soreness today as well, so I know what you were feeling.
Thank you so much for trying it, and for the feedback! I’m SO glad you enjoyed it.
I do not cook the parsnip, but maybe mine weren’t dry since I used freshly washed veggies? There was some water residue in there, I’m sure. Steaming it may be a great option though!
Have a great weekend, and good luck with that soreness. 🙂
Wow. The colors are striking and the sauce is super-creative. Kudos!!
Congrats on T-9 too.
LL
Thank you so much! I think colorful food tastes better. 🙂
That veggie sushi looks so good! I need to try this out for sure. I totally get the DOMS feeling, it can be annoying when you want to get in a workout, but I also slightly like the soreness because I worked hard.
I’m the same way -a little soreness is satisfying. Having to use the handicap stall is a little painful though… 😉
That beet sauce sounds like a winner!! Must give it a try! 🙂
Wow, I saw this on the Top 9, congrats girl. This looks like a cool sushi roll and I am really going for that beet-wasabi sauce, very creative. A sushi mat really will hold it all together and they are pretty easy to use once you be the hang of it. Hey I made the macadamia nut cheese. finally found some raw at the healthfood store. I was going to e-mail you and akd you to send me some, LOL. Check it out, I like the macadamia better than the cashew. Wonder how it would work out using roasted, the flavor would be tasty. Hope you are having a great weekend.
Thanks so much, Suzi! Any excuse to eat more wasabi. 🙂
I bet that macadamia was incredible! I can’t have it one my fitness diet, but I will add it to the cheat day list!!!
wow that wasabi sauce looks really bright and delicious! so as the sushi, fresh and healthy