Easy Avocado Sauerkraut Sushi Recipe: Sushi with Fermented Sauerkraut
This easy sushi recipe with avocado and sauerkraut makes a delicious go-to recipe when you're short on time. With just a few ingredients, you can make this sauerkraut sushi recipe in no time. You can easily tailor the ingredients to what you have in your refrigerator, and add any kind of probiotic-rich sauerkraut for some great gut-health benefits!
Sauerkraut is one of the most widely consumed fermented foods today. Sauerkraut is rich in probiotics that benefit your diet by boosting the immune system and improving digestive health.
Plus, its flavors really pack a punch! Sauerkraut has a bit of a sophisticated taste beyond just being sour. It is also a bit spicy, a bit sweet, and a bit salty.
Not only that, but the avocado in this recipe is also full of satiating healthy fats, the seaweed provides minerals and vitamins, and don't forget all the goodness that comes from eating raw vegetables. It's a great food to kick start a new health regimen, and it tastes delicious.
What type of sauerkraut do I recommend? Well, my recipe for homemade sauerkraut, of course.
But, if you are short on time then here are some high-quality brands of fermented raw sauerkraut you can buy on Amazon.
Just remember, sauerkraut in a can does not have probiotics. To learn more, read my post "Does store-bought sauerkraut have probiotics?"
What vegetables can you use in sushi?
Here are some easy to find vegetables that fit perfectly in any sushi recipe. Even this Avacado Sauerkraut Sushi recipe.
Microgreens or sprouts
Green onions
Zucchini
Shiitake mushroom
English cucumber
Yellow Bell pepper
Asparagus
Sweet potato
How to cut vegetables for sushi?
The most common vegetables found in vegan-friendly sushi are cucumber and avocado. But many other vegetables work great too.
For softer vegetables like cucumber, cut ½″ thick slices vertically down the vegetable. Next, julienne it in strips. The English cucumber is an excellent choice because it is tender and has fewer seeds. If you are using a plain cucumber, remove the excess seeds.
Harder vegetables such as carrots and zucchini will work best if you first blanch or gently steam them. This will make it easier to chew and keep the balance of the sushi.
However, blanching and steaming are not required. If you enjoy a little crunch factor in your sushi, then peel and slice just like the cucumber into ½″ thick slices and then julienne.
Asparagus, daikon radish, and yams are a few examples of hard vegetables that should be steamed first. They only need to be steamed for 1-3 minutes and then let cool completely. Cut julienne style.
Pickled daikon radishes do not need to be steamed. They are ready to go as is, just slice thin.
Shiitake mushroom sliced thinly. If they are dried mushrooms, then first soak for 30 minutes, squeeze water out, remove stems and slice thinly.
Bell peppers - leave raw and julienne into strips.
Green onion – slice each trimmed green onion in half lengthwise and slice each half crosswise into ½ inch pieces
Microgreens and sprouts, although they do not offer a lot of flavor on their own, they do add a nice touch to a sushi roll. No cutting needs, just wash and dry.
The 5 Tools You Need for Making Sushi at Home
Avocado Sauerkraut Sushi Recipe
Notes
Makes 2 rolls or 16 pieces of sushi
Umeboshi paste offers a delicious sour flavor, and wasabi is very spicy, so a little goes a long way.
You can buy a Sushi making kit here. (Amazon link)
Ingredients
- 2 Nori sheets
- 1 Cup cooked sushi rice or preferred rice
- 1 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 Avocado, mashed or use guacamole
- 1 Cup Sauerkraut, drained (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ Cucumber
- ½ Carrot
- ¼ cup Daikon Radish
- Fresh sprouts (optional)
- ½ teaspoon of both Ginger and Garlic mashed
- Sesame Seeds, toasted
- Umeboshi Plum Paste, optional
- Wasabi Paste, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the sushi rice the day before or several hours prior to making the sushi and allow it to cool to room temperature. Add rice vinegar to the cooled, cooked rice before using).
- Cut all vegetables into thin slices or julienne style and mix together with the mashed garlic and ginger
- Mash the avocado
- To prepare the sushi wraps, fill a small bowl with hot water.
- Lay a sheet of nori on a flexible surface, such as a bamboo sushi mat or a tea towel-lined with plastic wrap.
- Layout the nori sheet with the shiny side down and with the lines running horizontally.
- Spread a thin layer of rice evenly over the nori, leaving about an ½ inch of nori on the edges.
- Then spread the mashed avocado.
- Add the sauerkraut and then the vegetables.
- Brush on a small amount of the Umeboshi paste and wasabi paste.
- From the bottom, roll the nori tightly to create a firm roll.
- Dab a little water on the top to help the nori stick and form a roll.
- Slice crosswise into six pieces with a very sharp knife (dipped in water to reduce friction).
- And sprinkle with sesame seeds!
