Rainbow Nori Rolls with Wild Salmon or Tuna, Pumpkin Seed Pâté, Avocado-Hemp Cream Sauce, and Ginger-Turmeric Dipping Sauce
Crisp, colorful raw vegetables, silky wild salmon or tuna, creamy avocado, and tangy kimchi, rolled up in nori with a savory pumpkin seed pâté, then dipped in a zippy ginger-turmeric sauce and drizzled with a luscious avocado-hemp cream sauce. Fresh, vibrant, grain-free, and soy-free (and completely raw, if you use sashimi-grade fish).
Yield: Serves 2 (4 rolls) · Active: 35 min · Total: 35 min (plus 6–8 hours soaking the pumpkin seeds) · Year-round: in summer, fill them with cucumber, peppers, and zucchini; in fall and winter, lean on beets, carrots, cabbage, and kimchi · Best eaten: midday
Ingredients
Pumpkin seed pâté
1¼ cups raw pumpkin seeds, soaked 6–8 hours, then rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp coconut aminos
1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp each dried thyme and dried oregano
2–4 tbsp filtered water
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Prefer a lighter "rice"? Swap the pâté for 2 cups raw cauliflower rice tossed with 1 tbsp coconut vinegar and a pinch of salt, and squeezed dry in a towel.
Fish
6–8 oz sashimi-grade wild salmon or tuna, cut into long strips about ½ inch thick
Or, for cooked fish: smoked wild salmon, seared tuna (see my Seared Tuna with Gomasio), or poached wild shrimp, halved lengthwise
Avocado-hemp cream sauce
½ cup hulled hemp seeds
1 ripe avocado
⅓ cup fresh parsley
⅓ cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp coconut vinegar
1 tbsp coconut aminos
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Water, to thin (about ¼–½ cup)
Ginger-turmeric dipping sauce
¼ cup coconut aminos
2 tbsp coconut vinegar
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
½ tsp fresh turmeric, finely grated (or a pinch of ground turmeric)
Optional: a little wasabi, to taste
Rainbow filling
2 small beets, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks (or coarsely grated)
1 cucumber, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 zucchini, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 cup spinach leaves
1 cup microgreens or sprouts
A few sprigs of fresh cilantro and 2 scallions, cut lengthwise
Optional add-ins: ripe mango strips and a few spoonfuls of kimchi
To roll: 4 sheets untoasted (raw) nori, and a small bowl of water or a lemon wedge
Method
Make the pâté. Pulse everything in a food processor until it forms a thick, spreadable paste, adding water a tablespoon at a time as needed. Taste and adjust the lemon and salt.
Make the avocado-hemp cream sauce. Blend everything in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy, adding water until pourable.
Make the dipping sauce. Stir everything together.
Prep the filling. Cut all your vegetables into long, thin matchsticks so they roll neatly. If you're using kimchi, squeeze out its excess juice so it doesn't make the nori soggy.
Spread. Place a nori sheet shiny side down on a sushi mat or cutting board, with a long side facing you. Spread about ⅓ cup of pâté in a thin, even layer over the bottom two-thirds of the sheet, leaving a 1-inch strip bare at the top.
Fill. Lay a small handful of spinach across the pâté near the bottom edge, then line up the fish, the beets, cucumber, pepper, zucchini, carrot, and avocado on top, finishing with microgreens, cilantro, scallions, and any add-ins. Don't overfill; a slim row rolls most easily.
Roll. Starting from the edge nearest you, roll the nori up and over the filling, tucking it in tightly and using the mat to help you press and shape it as you go.
Seal. Dampen the bare strip at the top with water or a squeeze of lemon, then finish rolling, seam side down, so it seals itself closed.
Slice and serve. Let the rolls rest 2 minutes, then slice them into rounds or halves with a very sharp knife, wiping it with a damp towel between cuts. Serve right away with the dipping sauce, and drizzle with the avocado-hemp cream sauce.
Make ahead: The pâté and dipping sauce keep up to 4 days refrigerated, and you can prep the vegetables a day ahead. The avocado-hemp cream sauce keeps up to 2 days, with plastic wrap pressed onto its surface so it stays green. Roll the nori just before eating; it softens quickly once it's filled.
Know your fishmonger: "Sushi-grade" isn't a regulated term, so buy from a fishmonger you trust and tell them you'll be eating the fish raw. Wild salmon in particular should be frozen first to kill any parasites (most sashimi-grade fish already is), and raw fish isn't recommended during pregnancy, so choose the cooked options instead.
About wasabi: Most "wasabi" powders and pastes are actually horseradish and mustard, dyed green. For the real thing, look for pure wasabi powder, or use a little freshly grated horseradish instead.
Nourishment Notes
Wild salmon and tuna — complete protein, omega-3s (EPA and DHA), vitamin D, selenium, and B12, plus astaxanthin in the salmon.
Hemp seeds and avocado — complete plant protein, magnesium, iron, zinc, and omega-3 and omega-6 fats, including GLA, plus monounsaturated fats and potassium from the avocado.
Pumpkin seeds — zinc, magnesium, and iron. Soaking them makes them creamier for the pâté, and many people find soaked seeds easier to digest.
Nori — iodine for healthy thyroid function, plus minerals from the sea.
Beets — dietary nitrates, folate, and betalains, the pigments behind their deep color.
Yellow pepper — vitamin C, which helps your body absorb the iron in the seeds and greens.
Avocado — monounsaturated fats and potassium, which help you absorb the vegetables' carotenoids.
Microgreens and spinach — vitamin K, folate, and concentrated plant compounds.
Kimchi — live cultures from natural fermentation, when it's unpasteurized.
Ginger and turmeric — gingerols and curcumin, traditionally used to support digestion.
For your cycle: Pumpkin seeds' zinc and the vegetables' folate make these rolls a lovely follicular-phase lunch, the fish's omega-3s help calm inflammation in every phase, and nori's iodine supports thyroid health in every phase.
Sourcing
Fish — sashimi-grade wild Alaskan salmon, or pole- or troll-caught albacore or yellowfin tuna, from a trusted fishmonger; or wild smoked salmon with no added sugar or nitrites
Nori — organic, untoasted (raw) nori, ideally tested for heavy metals
Hemp seeds — organic and hulled (also sold as hemp hearts); Nutiva and Manitoba Harvest both make them
Pumpkin seeds — organic and raw, kept in the fridge so their oils stay fresh
Coconut aminos — organic and soy-free, like Coconut Secret
Coconut vinegar — organic and raw, with the mother; Coconut Secret makes one
Raw apple cider vinegar — organic, with the mother (Bragg)
Beets, cucumber, peppers, zucchini, carrots, spinach, avocado, mango, garlic, lemons, and herbs — organic, from a farmers' market
Microgreens and sprouts — organic, from a local grower, or sprouted at home
Kimchi — raw and unpasteurized (kept refrigerated), with no added sugar, or homemade
Ginger and turmeric — organic fresh roots
Wasabi (optional) — pure wasabi powder, or fresh horseradish
Dried herbs — organic and non-irradiated thyme and oregano
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall