Sushi Salad

07/15/17

(Updated 11/09/21)

Sushi salad aka lazy sushi! A tasty nutritious main meal idea for the sushi lover.

Salmon and edamame sushi salad with soya sauce.

This salad is the best. It’s basically a cheats or easy version of sushi – you get all the classic sushi flavours (crispy nori sheets, crunchy veggies, salty soy sauce…), but it’s a bit speedier to put together.

Putting it all together

  • Sushi base: Like making traditional, sushi, you need a few base ingredients to prepare this salad including rice, nori (seaweed) sheets and a light drizzle of soy sauce.
  • Protein: the world is your oyster when it comes to your protein pick – feel free to use whatever you might find in typical sushi or beyond! Here I’ve used smoked salmon (I purchased a vacuum-packed portion at the supermarket); as well as edamame beans, which lend nicely to a salad. They pack a hefty plant-based protein punch of around 17g protein/cup, which is almost the same as a protein shake. But tinned tuna, egg and chicken work great too.
  • Salad: it wouldn’t be a salad without salad! Include a few handfuls of leafy greens or sliced cabbage, as well as a handful or two of colourful veggie match sticks. These are basically veggies sliced thinly into sticks, much the same as you’d enjoy in traditional sushi.

Nutrient Spotlight: Iodine

Our typical New Zealand diet is often low in iodine, which is an essential mineral that helps our thyroid gland to function normally. The thyroid gland is often referred to as at the “master” gland of the body – it controls some key hormones, which help regulate our metabolism and controls many bodily functions.

NZ soil is generally low in iodine – and if our soils are low, this means our locally grown produce will be too. While many companies will often add iodine back into processed foods and salt, known as fortifying, some of the richest sources are marine, e.g. seaweed, seafood and fish.

The seaweed used in this salad is called nori, an edible algae that wraps around sushi and helps hold everything together! It’s also an excellent source of iodine. Regularly enjoying nori is a great way to increase your dietary intake of iodine.

Sushi Salad

Rating:
Sushi salad with salmon, edamame and avocado.

Ingredients:  

  • ½ cup frozen edamame beans
  • 1 nori sheet
  • ¼-½ avocado
  • 1 cup leafy greens or cabbage
  • 1 handful veggie sticks e.g. cucumber, carrot, capsicum…
  • 50g smoked salmon
  • ½ cup cooked brown rice
  • Garnished: chopped spring onion, sesame seeds, soy sauce and a small drizzle of sesame oil

Method:

  • Prepare brown rice as per rice packet instructions.
  • Add frozen edamame beans into a bowl, and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Let sit while you prep the rest of your bowl.
  • Prepare veggies – wash and finely slice your veggie sticks. Slice cabbage/leafy greens. Slice avocado thinly into slices.
  • Drain edamame beans and keep aside.
  • Using kitchen scissors, cut nori sheet into thick strips.
  • Into a bowl arrange your rice, veggies, smoked salmon, edamame beans, rice and nori sheets.
  • Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion. Serve with a small drizzle/bowl of soy sauce on the side for your dressing.

Notes:

To make gluten-free: Use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce
To make lower-carb: Drop the rice and add an extra handful of veggies

 

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