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It’s sushi time! This easy-to-make sushi is not only great for cutting back on starches but a perfect alternative to using your oven in this summer heat!

I love sushi, but try to watch how much rice I eat, especially white rice. So when I first saw the idea of these zucchini rolls, I was really excited! A friend had posted on Facebook, a link to a non-vegan recipe (from Delish.com), using the zucchini without the rice, as I have done here. Not only is it nice to not have to worry about the added starch, but rolling sushi isn’t always the easiest thing to do either. Using the zucchini slices makes it simple enough for anyone to try.

The pescatarian recipe which I came across had used crab for the meat, but I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try a recipe using mock tuna out of tomatoes. I know I’d seen these recipes off and on but had yet to try one out. The recipe I ended up using was from Carrots and Flowers. Their recipe is also for tuna rolls, but of the more traditional sense, using rice and nori.

I love the way the tuna turned out, and it was just as I hoped! Not to mention spicy, which is always a plus in my book!

This recipe, as I said, is simple enough for anyone, and the only actual required cooking is boiling the tomatoes for a few minutes. It can be time-consuming to have everything chopped and ready. Also, the tuna marinates, but so long as you have your mise en place, the actual sushi rolling will go smooth.

The tomatoes you cut a slit in and then boil until the skin starts to peel back. Next, they go in an ice bath and once cooled are peeled, deseeded, cut, and placed in the marinade. I like to do this first, so they can marinate while I slice and chop my other veggies.

To assemble, I spread each zucchini slice with Daiya Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Style Spread, then lay down micro greens, my “ahi,” avocado, cucumber, and a dab of Sriracha. Finally, roll the zucchini slice around the veggies, and voila, zucchini sushi!

You can, of course, use your creativity and include whichever veggies you prefer. You can even try making a homemade cream cheese (which I’ve been wanting to do, but keep putting it off), or try a different spread. I’d love to hear how you decide to make yours, so snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @veggiesattiffanis, or leave a comment below!

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Zucchini Sushi Rolls with Spicy Tomato Ahi

Author Tiffani

Ingredients

For the Tuna...

• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1 1/2 Tbsp gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (soy sauce will not be grain-free)
• 1/2 heaping tbsp kelp powder or kelp granules work too
• 1/2 Tbsp Sriracha
• 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger

Everything else...

• 2 zucchini if they're very small you may want to grab more
• 1/2 large avocado or one small
• 1 cucumber
• micro greens  I like using pea shoots best
• 8 oz Daiya Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Style Spread or plain, or vegan cream cheese of choice
• Sriracha optional
• gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (soy sauce will not be grain-free)
• wasabi paste for serving (optional)
• pickled ginger for serving (optional)

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, cut a slit in the skin of each tomato and then place them in the boiling water. Once you can see the skin peeling away from the tomatoes, remove from water and place in an ice bath.
• In a small bowl or Tupperware, whisk together remaining tomato ingredients. Once tomatoes are cool, peel away skins, slice in half and de-seed. Next cut tomatoes into about 20 small pieces, or however big you'd like them for each piece of sushi. Place the tomato pieces in the marinade, stir and then let sit in the fridge while prepping your veggies.
• Prepare your veggies... Cut off ends of each zucchini and slice lengthwise with a mandolin. you want the zucchini slices thin enough so they have the flexibility to roll, however not paper thin or they won't hold together well. For the avocado, cut into slices and then each slice into thirds, to create small chunks. The cucumber you will want to peel, cut off ends, cut in half and de-seed, then cut into pieces a little thicker than "matchstick" size and about the same width of the zucchini. If using pea shoots for your micro greens, you will want to cut off some of their stems as well.
• Okay, time to roll! To each slice of zucchini, spread with vegan cream cheese. On one end of the zucchini slice, lay 1 piece "tuna", 1 chunk avocado, 2 or 3 cucumber sticks, and a pinch of micro greens. For extra spicy put a dot of Sriracha on top of your veggie pile, but be careful not to do a lot or they gather too much moisture on the inside. Alternatively, you can dot the top after rolling. Now enclose the veggies by rolling your zucchini slice from one end to the other, starting with the side you've loaded up with ingredients. Continue with each piece of zucchini until you run out of either it, or the tomato. Makes about 15-20 pieces. Serve with a dish of tamari or soy sauce, a dot of wasabi, and a small pile of pickled ginger (optional). Enjoy!