Name: Raw Vegetable Nori Rolls or Wraps with Sunflower Seed Butter Dipping Sauce (Raw, Vegan, Grain-Free, Paleo)
Prep time: 25 min
Yield: makes 6 to 8 wraps
Ingredients: 1/4 Cup/60g sunflower seed butter (or use a raw sunflower seed butter for an entirely raw sauce); 1 Tablespoon/15ml coconut aminos; 1 Tablespoon/15ml freshly squeezed lime juice; 1 teaspoon/5ml sesame oil (or use untoasted to keep the recipe entirely raw); 1 teaspoon/5ml maple syrup; 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes; Hot water to thin; 4 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon/5ml raw apple cider vinegar or raw coconut vinegar; 3 to 4 Nori sheets; 1 recipe for carrot “rice" (see above); 1 medium watermelon radish, julienned; ½ a large avocado, thinly sliced (optional); 1 cup baby spinach leaves; 1 cup sprouts of your choice such as sunflower or pea

Finely shredded carrots, thin strips of crunchy radishes, spinach leaves and sprouts are bundled up in an edible seaweed container and served alongside a creamy sunflower butter dip for a practical and portable lunch or snack.

I like to think of these nori vegetable wraps as a portable salad; great for getting extra fresh, raw vegetables and mineral rich seaweed into your diet while also easy to eat with your hands and a natural for picnics and parties.

Sushi’s popularity certainly has made nori a more common appearance on menu’s and supermarket shelves everywhere these days. The paper-thin sheets of seaweed best known for holding together sushi are also filled with essential minerals from the sea like much needed iodine. The taste is often described as umami which is best described as evoking a certain savoriness.

I use the sheets as an alternative wrap for all manners of fillings. They’re an excellent way to enjoy raw vegetables not to mention a great vehicle for using up whatever vegetables maybe lying around in your vegetable bin. You can’t really go wrong with the filling, just choose a variety of fresh vegetables and slice them up thin.

The beauty of nori wraps is their simplicity. You choose your filling, prepare your sauce and get rolling. I whizzed some carrots in the food processor to create a raw “rice” of sorts as the base for the rolls and then piled on layers of fresh crunchy vegetables and sprouts. The finished rolls can be cut into bite sized pieces like traditional sushi or cut in two for a handheld wrap.

The dipping sauce is creamy from the sunflower seed butter with a little zip thanks to some fresh lime juice and is a nice counter point to the crunch of the raw vegetables. And if you’re anything like me, you may find yourself making a double batch to dip all your vegetable in.

What’s your favorite portable lunch or snack?

Raw Vegetable Nori Rolls or Wraps with Sunflower Seed Butter Dipping Sauce (Raw, Vegan, Grain-Free, Paleo)

Yields makes 6 to 8 wraps

Raw vegetables are bundled up in a nori sheet and served alongside a creamy sunflower butter dip.

25 minPrep Time

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Ingredients

To make the sunflower seed dipping sauce:

1/4 Cup/60g sunflower seed butter (or use a raw sunflower seed butter for an entirely raw sauce)
1 Tablespoon/15ml coconut aminos
1 Tablespoon/15ml freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon/5ml sesame oil (or use untoasted to keep the recipe entirely raw)
1 teaspoon/5ml maple syrup
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Hot water to thin

To make the carrot “rice”:

4 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon/5ml raw apple cider vinegar or raw coconut vinegar

To make the vegetable nori rolls:

3 to 4 Nori sheets
1 recipe for carrot “rice" (see above)
1 medium watermelon radish, julienned
½ a large avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 cup sprouts of your choice such as sunflower or pea

Instructions

Make the sunflower seed butter sauce:

Whisk all the ingredients together adding enough hot water to thin to make a loose but not watery sauce for dipping.

Make the carrot “rice”:

Pulse the carrots in the bowl of a food processor until very finely chopped (about the size of rice).
Remove the chopped carrots and place in the middle of a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth or nut bag squeezing over a large bowl to remove the liquid. Save the juice and drink it, you just made carrot juice without a juicer! (Alternatively you can use the leftover carrot pulp from making carrot juice to make the carrot rice.)
Place the carrot “rice” in bowl and add vinegar, stir to combine.

Assemble the vegetable nori rolls:

Place a nori sheet shiny side down on a sushi mat or cutting board. Spoon a thin layer of the carrot “rice” along a third of the sheet closest to you, pressing down firmly to smooth.
Place the spinach in the middle of the carrot “rice” all the way down the sheet. Repeat with the avocado, radishes and sprouts.
Using the edge of the sushi mat closest to you, grasp the mat and the edge of the nori sheet rolling both over the vegetable filling. Press down on the opposite side pulling back gently towards you to create a log shape. Roll nori tightly, using the mat to help. Brush the edge of the nori sheet furthest away from you with a finger dipped in a little water to moisten and seal the edge.
Repeat this process until you have run out of filling or nori sheets.
Place the rolls seam side down and using a sharp knife, gently slice the nori rolls into desired pieces and arrange on a serving platter . Serve the rolls immediately with the dipping sauce alongside.