Cucumber Sushi Rolls with Spicy Cashew Dip
Two kinds of raw sushi — hollowed cucumber barrels filled with cauliflower rice and avocado, and thin cucumber strips rolled around spinach, zucchini, carrot and cashew cream — with a wasabi cashew dip and a blended mushroom dressing.
Ingredients
Cucumber Skin Sushi
- 1¼ cucumber, 12 inches long
- 1 cup cauliflower, florets
- 1¼ teaspoon sesame oil, cold-pressed extra virgin
- 1¼ teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ avocado, peeled
- 2½ scallions, finely chopped
- ¾ red bell pepper, small, finely chopped
Spicy Cashew Dip
- ¾ cup cashews, soaked 1 hour, drained, and rinsed
- 2½ teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2½ teaspoon wasabi paste
Cucumber Wrappers
- 1¼ cucumber, 12 inches long
- 2¼ cup baby spinach
- 1¼ zucchini, small, finely sliced
- 1¼ carrot, finely sliced
- ⅓ cup cashew butter
Mushroom Dressing
- 2½ mushrooms, dark-gilled, coarsely chopped
- 1¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup water
- 1¼ teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
Method
- Cut off the ends of the cucumber so that you have a center section that is one width. Cut into ten pieces, 1 1/2 inches long. Scoop out the seed section and about half the flesh from each piece to form hollow sushi rolls. Set aside.
- Put the cauliflower, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and salt into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles cooked rice.
- Mash the avocado in a small bowl, adding salt, if using.
- Arrange your cucumber shapes on a board or serving plate and fill each one with some cauliflower rice, pressing it toward the sides. Add some avocado and press it into the rice. Sprinkle with some scallions and red bell pepper.
- To make the dip, put the soaked nuts into a food processor and process for several minutes, until you have a creamy consistency. Beat in the ginger and wasabi paste, and transfer to a small serving dish.
- Start making the cucumber wrappers. Trim off the ends of the cucumber as before. Cut the cucumber in half, then cut each half into thin strips lengthwise and discard the first skin layer. You will need 30 strips for the ten rolls.
- To make each roll, arrange three cucumber strips on a board. Place a tenth of the spinach leaves at one end in a line from left to right. Arrange a tenth of the zucchini and carrot slices on top, again in a line from left to right, and a tenth of the cashew cream.
- Starting with the filled end, roll up the cucumber strip until you have a filled tube. Transfer the roll to a serving board or plate and continue to make the rest of the sushi.
- To make the dressing, blend the mushrooms, salt, and water in a clean processor until you have a smooth sauce. Add a little more water to make a soy sauce consistency and stir in the ginger. Serve in a small bowl alongside the sushi.
Notes
Two separate techniques on one plate — hollowed cucumber barrels and rolled cucumber strips. Neither needs a sushi mat.Adapted from The Eat Raw Kitchen (Love Food). Ingredients and method only — the description and any notes above were written for VegBatch.