Chickpea tuna sushi rolls
Fiber-filled and protein-packed chickpea tuna sushi rolls made with plant-based whole foods but tastes just like the real thing!
I love to meal prep. And one dish that is always in our rotation is this chickpea tuna. Delicious, filling, easy to make and incredibly versatile.
This week, we did a chickpea tuna sushi thing. And we loaded it with vegetables and greens. We loved it so much that I decided to dedicate an entire post to it.
So, here we are. Keep scrolling for all the juicy details.
Health Perks
Chickpeas are loaded with fiber and a good source of protein - especially for plant-based eaters. This means you can expect to feel full, satiated and know that what you’re eating will help facilitate healthy digestion and elimination, which is a must for good general health.
You can load it with vegetables, in addition to the vegetables included in the chickpea blend. Adding more non-starchy vegetables to your meals not only provides a nutrient boost but will help keep you full for longer periods.
It was created with food combining principles in mind, to optimize digestion and energy and prevent bloating and discomfort.
Nori is incredible for you and contains such a unique blend of nutrients. It’s a great source of iodine and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as B12 (a vitamin most plant-based eaters are always chasing)
It’s free from oil, sugar, dairy, eggs and grains and made using only plant-based whole foods. Love when that happens. I created this for a client with a very restrictive diet at the moment as she resolves health issues, to reiterate that cooking and meal creation can be innovative and fun, even when things feel limited.
Other Thoughts, Tips and Suggestions
Easy to throw together. Chickpea tuna is very easy and quick to make and can be done with or without a food processor (mashing it with a fork can double as a great arm work out too). Creating sushi rolls is also quick, easy and uncomplicated. If you’re really in a pinch for time, opting for a hand roll is the way to go.
It’s flexible. Chickpeas, dijon mustard and lemon juice are a must, but after that you can feel free to play around with the add-on vegetables using what you have available to you in your fridge or based on your own preferences.
Add-on options are endless. Personally, I love celery and red onion for the added crunch, but the sky’s the limit in terms of what can be done with this - scallions, capers, pickles, bell peppers, for instance, all work well and taste delicious. If you like your tuna creamy, try adding a tbsp of plant-based mayonnaise to the mix!
It’s way less toxic than actual tuna. Canned tuna may be a good source of protein and high quality fats, but there are limits to how much you can eat because of high levels of mercury found in it. Making it from plants, like we do here, means you can enjoy it without any worry. Love that about plant-based whole foods, don’t you?
Check out the full recipe below. I hope it blows your mind and you love it as much as I do!
Chickpea tuna sushi rolls
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Yields: 2 hand rolls or 12 cut rolls
Ingredients:
(for the chickpea tuna)
(1) 822g can of chickpeas (drained, rinsed and patted dry)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 red onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 handful fresh parsley or dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
(for the rolls)
2 sheets of nori seaweed
1 small bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 Persian cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin strips
small handful of arugula or micro greens
Directions
First, prep your chickpea tuna. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, using the large blade attachment, and pulse a few times, for a few seconds at a time, until ingredients are mixed well. If you like a creamier consistency, you can pulse a few extra times until the mixture reaches your ideal consistency. Remove blade and scoop out chickpea tuna. Set aside.
Next, prepare your veggies. Slice bell pepper and cucumber into long thin strips the size of the nori sheets.
Now, prepare your rolls. Scoop a thin layer of the chickpea mixture onto nori sheet, covering the whole surface and leaving about 1 /2 an inch around the edge of the nori wrap. Lay veggies in a straight line, down the middle of the nori sheet (on top of the chickpea tuna). Roll into a wrap (should look like one long circular tube). Top with strips of veggies and sprouts and roll. Enjoy as a hand roll or chop into cut rolls.
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