Quinoa is one of the most versatile foods — it can be used to make grain bowls, veggie burgers, pasta, and now vegan sushi! Our goal for you when making this recipe — have fun! Making vegan nigiri is like creating a piece of art, a delicious edible piece of art!
1tbsporganic tamari (reduced-sodium, or coconut aminos)
½tbsporganic rice vinegar
½tbspmaple syrup (or date paste, link in Chef’s Notes)
¼cupraw sunflower seeds (ground into a meal)
1tbspflax meal
1nori sheet (cut into 3 ½” x ¾” pieces, for wrapping around the nigiri)
Toppings
1mango (fresh, cut into 2 ½” x ¾” strips)
1avocado (fresh, cut into 2 ½” x ¾” strips)
1jalepeño (optional, diced)
Sriracha (optional, to taste)
2dashessmoked paprika (optional, +1 dash as desired)
Directions
1
Add the quinoa, tamari, rice vinegar, and maple to a medium bowl. Mix well.
2
Stir in the ground sunflower seeds and flax meal until well combined. At this point you should be able to mold the quinoa mixture into an oval shape. If not, let it sit for a few minutes, giving the mixture some time to bind. (See Chef’s Notes for troubleshooting tips.)
3
With clean hands, form the quinoa into oval shaped logs, about 2 ¾” long and ¾” wide. Place each one on a cutting board or serving plate. You should have 12–15 quinoa sushi logs.
4
Wrap each one in the center (wrapping around the width) with a strip of nori sheet.
5
Place a strip of mango on top of each quinoa log, followed by a strip of avocado.
6
Top with a drop of Sriracha and a piece of diced jalapeño, if using.
7
Sprinkle with a bit of smoked paprika, if desired.
Chef's Notes
Substitutions In place of quinoa, use organic millet or short grain brown rice.
For the topping, feel free to swap out mango or avocado with mushroom, tomato, or carrot.
Instead of sunflower seeds, use cashews or oat flour.
Troubleshooting the quinoa If your quinoa is too dry to stick together you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help it to hold together.
If your quinoa is too moist, either let it sit for 5-10 minutes with the ground sunflower seeds and flax meal or add 1-2 teaspoons of flax meal until it’s able to bind.
Sugar-free Use date paste in place of maple syrup.
Prep Ahead Make the quinoa ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 30 days.
Storage Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
Quinoa Nigiri
1 ½cupsorganic quinoa (cooked)
1tbsporganic tamari (reduced-sodium, or coconut aminos)
½tbsporganic rice vinegar
½tbspmaple syrup (or date paste, link in Chef’s Notes)
¼cupraw sunflower seeds (ground into a meal)
1tbspflax meal
1nori sheet (cut into 3 ½” x ¾” pieces, for wrapping around the nigiri)
Toppings
1mango (fresh, cut into 2 ½” x ¾” strips)
1avocado (fresh, cut into 2 ½” x ¾” strips)
1jalepeño (optional, diced)
Sriracha (optional, to taste)
2dashessmoked paprika (optional, +1 dash as desired)
Directions
1
Add the quinoa, tamari, rice vinegar, and maple to a medium bowl. Mix well.
2
Stir in the ground sunflower seeds and flax meal until well combined. At this point you should be able to mold the quinoa mixture into an oval shape. If not, let it sit for a few minutes, giving the mixture some time to bind. (See Chef’s Notes for troubleshooting tips.)
3
With clean hands, form the quinoa into oval shaped logs, about 2 ¾” long and ¾” wide. Place each one on a cutting board or serving plate. You should have 12–15 quinoa sushi logs.
4
Wrap each one in the center (wrapping around the width) with a strip of nori sheet.
5
Place a strip of mango on top of each quinoa log, followed by a strip of avocado.
6
Top with a drop of Sriracha and a piece of diced jalapeño, if using.
7
Sprinkle with a bit of smoked paprika, if desired.
