Sushi is loved by many, with some claiming it as their favorite food. But the traditional Japanese dish is not exactly keto-friendly, but that’s where keto sushi rolls come in. While it’s a low-carb sushi alternative, it’s just as flavorful and delicious as original sushi.
IS SUSHI KETO?
Not at all! Traditional sushi is cooked with white rice, a must-avoid ingredient on a keto diet. It’s also the main component of the dish. But thankfully, you can swap a few ingredients around to create keto sushi that you can enjoy without feeling guilty about giving up a favorite dish.
I’m sure you expected the carbs in sushi to be high, but did you know that a 100-gram spicy tuna roll has 16.67 grams of carbs? If you’re new to keto, let me tell you, it’s way above your daily limit. But turning to low-carb sushi rolls is super easy, even for the ones struggling to manage their food intake.
My keto sushi recipe contains no rice – instead, I make cauliflower rice sushi that even my husband has fallen in love with, and he’s a hardcore sushi fan! Cauliflower is not only rich in fiber and vitamins C and K, but it works as the healthiest and perfect substitute for white rice.
IS KETO SUSHI REALLY A THING?
Oh my God, yes! While you can easily substitute white rice with riced cauliflower, you can also go for riced broccoli or even shredded cabbage if you’re not a fan of cauliflower. All these veggies have carb content in the range of 4 to 6 grams. And when you mix the rice veggies with some cheese, you’ll get a texture that resembles sticky rice. Feel free to fill these no rice sushi rolls with any protein of your choice, such as salmon or tuna.
KETO SUSHI OPTIONS
The great thing about healthy sushi rolls is the variety of options. Whether you’re looking to make a full-blown veggie roll, or the healthiest sushi rolls possible, you can use my riceless sushi recipe as a base.
- Sashimi is a great sushi without rice option. It is made up of thinly sliced raw fish with high protein content, such as salmon, which has 20-25 grams of protein per 100-gram serving and comes virtually carb-free.
- Another option is the Naruto roll. I discovered Naruto sushi a couple of years ago and have been fascinated by it ever since. This cucumber-wrapped sushi is made with thin cucumber slices that you will use as a base. Proceed to add any protein of your choice – I recommend adding raw salmon and avocado. It’s divine!
- Kani Naruto rolls are similar to Naruto rolls, but instead of using salmon, you’ll use crab meat to make protein roll sushi. If you want to spice things up, add scallion and smelt roe.
- Rainbow Naruto Roll, another cucumber-wrapped sushi, is a treat! If you’re looking for a sushi rice alternative packed with protein, this one’s for you. A seafood haven, you can make these delicious rolls using salmon, tuna, yellowtail (a common type of sashimi), crab meat, and avocado. You can also use Kani kama (imitation crab), but I recommend getting the real deal.
Keto Sushi Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 oz preferably salmon but you can use any seafood
- ½ cucumber medium-sized
- ½ avocado medium-sized
- 1 ½ – 2 cups cauliflower
- 1-2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 5 nori sheets
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Water
Instructions
- Break the cauliflower into florets and place into a blender. Blend it until it looks like fine rice.
- Place a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and add the riced cauliflower. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
- Place the warm cauliflower into a bowl along with the vinegar and mix well. Place into the fridge to cool completely – around 30 minutes.
- Whilst the rice is cooling, prepare the filling.
- For salmon avocado; slice the salmon, avocado and cucumber. Set aside.
- Place a nori sheet onto a sushi mat, shiny side down, and top with a quarter of the cooled cauliflower rice mix.
- Spread the rice evenly onto the sheet, leaving a 1-2 in gap at one end.
- Add a quarter of your chosen filling ingredients and roll firmly, until you reach the edge of the rice, sprinkle some water on the end of the sheet and finish rolling. Use the sushi mat to firm up the roll.
- Cut the roll into 8 slices.
- Serve the salmon avocado roll with soy sauce or Worcestershire Sauce.