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Quinoa Sushi Rolls plus 5 Other Cool Quinoa Recipes

A trendy twist on tradition, these Quinoa Sushi Rolls make for a great tasty snack or even a healthy packed lunch option. Fill with your favourite sushi fillings – three of my favourite filling suggestions below.

Quinoa Sushi Rolls best quinoa recipes

Why didn’t I think of this myself??

I mean this quinoa sushi would have been right up my alley. You know, inventive and quirky. Nevertheless, the credit is not mine to take.

It’s Donna Hay’s actually. As part of the winning EDB3 photography contest prize pack I received a collection of 10 new cookbooks thanks to the generous sponsorship by Harper Collins publishers. Amongst their many fabulous titles – can’t wait to cook from Rachel Allen’s Cake and read Nigel Slater’s latest Kitchen Diaries II tome by the way, I found Donna Hay’s new Fresh and Light and got flicking.

Quinoa Sushi Rolls best quinoa recipes

Now, Donna Hay needs little introduction. She is Australia’s queen of sophisticated yet simple style in both her recipes and food styling. Both her bi-monthly magazine and cookbooks are selling better than hot cakes.

A few years back, before I even began blogging, I had the pleasure of attending an intimate dinner event for the launch of her No Time to Cook cookbook. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to take a sneak peek at where all the action happens – Donna’s Surry Hills studio and taste kitchen. I was mesmerised by the amount of cute, vintage props and food styling paraphernalia and, of course, Donna’s simple approach to making food taste good. I was hooked and have been collecting her cookbooks ever since!

Quinoa Sushi Rolls best quinoa recipes

Some say that since she’s not a trained chef she should not be categorized as such, but hey, if she can teach an average home cook about preparing fresh, tasty food why should we judge? Her passion and experience are just as good, in my books, as any piece of paper. And the food looks good too!

Since I’ve been wanting to introduce the kids to sushi, discovering this quinoa sushi roll recipe was the perfect opportunity to try. They loved it! The quinoa which they already adore and crunchy fresh veggies made up for the “green seaweed skin”. Perhaps I omitted the word seaweed, but nevertheless they liked it and so did I.

Quinoa Sushi Rolls best quinoa recipes

The following recipe has been adapted from Donna Hay’s Fresh and Light cookbook. I have played with my own fillings and have omitted sugar and mirin from the quinoa base – if you don’t cook much Japanese food, mirin could be a wasteful purchase. I’ve also added some almonds and seeds to the mix!

For more Quinoa Inspirations check out my top 5 picks:

Quinoa and Pea Spice Croquettes by Sneh Roy

Quinoa Stuffing by Marla Meridith

Quinoa Payasam by Reshmi Mahesh

Smoked Trout Quinoa and Pumpkin Salad by John Bek

Raw Edible Quinoa Cookie Dough by me

 

Quinoa Sushi Rolls best quinoa recipes

Quinoa Sushi Rolls best quinoa recipes
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5 from 1 vote

Quinoa Sushi Rolls plus 5 Other Cool Quinoa Recipes

I've used tricolour quinoa in this recipe just because it adds a little colour to the mix, but you could use white or red. Makes 4 six-inch sushi rolls. Fillings listed will make 1 roll each.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 2 -4

Ingredients

For the Quinoa Sushi Rolls:

  • 1 cup tricolor quinoa grains
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp almond sunflower and pepita mix chopped roughly
  • 4 sheets toasted nori
  • Plus fillings of choice

Spicy Tuna filling:

  • 95 g (1 can) tuna in olive oil or brine, drained
  • 1 tbsp mayonaise
  • pinch ground chilli
  • 1 cucumber sliced lengthways into eights
  • 1/4 avocado sliced into strips
  • ground chilli to serve

Vegetable Salad filling

  • 1 cucumber sliced lengthways into eights
  • 1/2 carrot grated lengthways on a mandolin or using a potato peeler
  • 1/4 avocado sliced into strips
  • a few snow pea sprouts

Sriracha Egg Omelette filling:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp ice cold water
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha
  • a few snow pea sprouts

Instructions

To Cook Quinoa:

  • Place quinoa into a sieve and rinse well under cold water for a minute to remove excess saponins (which are hard to digest).
  • Transfer quinoa into a saucepan, add 2 cups of vegetable stock and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until tender.
  • Place cooked quinoa in a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
  • Add chopped almonds, sunflower seeds and pepitas and mix well.
  • When cool enough to handle make the rolls.

For the Spicy Tuna Filling:

  • Mix together tuna, mayonaise and chilli. Reserve cucumber and avocado for assembly.

For the Vegetable Salad filling:

  • Reserve all vegetables for assembly

For the Sriracha Egg Omelette filling:

  • Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat.
  • Whisk together the eggs and cold water. Pour egg mixture into the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
  • Drizzle Sriracha over the omellette and cover pan with a lid. Cook for another 2 minutes or until the eggs are set.
  • Remove from pan and cut into 1cm /0.5in strips.

To make the Quinoa Sushi Rolls:

  • Place a nori sheet on a bench (or a bamboo sushi mat, if using).
  • Spread quarter of the quinoa mix on half of the nori sheet, working from the edge closest to you and right to the sides.
  • Layer your favourite toppings across the middle of the quinoa and lighting the edge closest to you, begin to tighly wrap the rolls all the way to the end.

To serve the Quinoa Sushi Rolls:

  • Trim ends with a sharp (bread) knife, then cut in half. Dip tuna rolls in some of the extra ground chilli. Serve rolls whole with a side of a soy or tamari (gluten-free) sauce or cut the halves into 3-4 sushi rounds.
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholesomecook or tag #wholesomecook

 

75 comments

Sneh Roy (@cookrepublic) November 22, 2012 at 9:56 am

I made these too! Aren’t they gorgeous :-) Thanks for linking to my Quinoa Croquettes!

Cheers!

Reply
Martyna @ Wholesome Cook November 26, 2012 at 9:59 am

You are welcome Sneh!

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Kerry Anne November 22, 2012 at 9:57 am

Oh my goodness! This is genius – looks really really good and your photos look just as good as any of Donna’s :-)

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Minxie November 22, 2012 at 10:31 am

Great recipe to introduce kids to one thing if they like the other.Love that first shot, very Japanese!

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Sara November 22, 2012 at 10:45 am

LOVE this idea – such pretty sushi rolls, a great healthy twist!

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Tessa November 22, 2012 at 10:52 am

What a brilliant idea!

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john@heneedsfood November 22, 2012 at 11:06 am

Love this. Such a great alternative to rice. Thanks for linking back to my recipe as well!

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Martyna @ Wholesome Cook November 26, 2012 at 10:00 am

You are welcome John, it’s a great one!

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TasteFood November 22, 2012 at 11:14 am

These look fantastic – what a great variation of sushi.

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Miss Piggy November 22, 2012 at 7:50 pm

Looks good, and so much easier than faffing with sushi rice! Very inventive indeed Donna Hay.

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Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella November 22, 2012 at 7:56 pm

Donna and her team come up with the best ideas don’t they! It never ceases to amaze me :)

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Chicco November 22, 2012 at 10:07 pm

I love the texture of quinoa and this is a prefect healthy lunch box idea! Thank you!

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Maureen | Orgasmic Chef November 23, 2012 at 11:12 pm

These look so appetising on that plate. Who could resist?

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Sissi November 24, 2012 at 7:18 am

I like a lot this idea of filling sushi rolls with something else than rice (I did try once with some other grains but they didn’t stick enough and it was a tragedy…). Especially since it looks successful, beautiful and very appetising!
I have seen some books by Donna Hey here (translated to French) but now I think I should look closer next time. Thanks for the recommendation.

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Martyna @ Wholesome Cook November 26, 2012 at 10:01 am

You are welcome Sissi – Donna’s food is often very simple to prepare but delicious.

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The Life of Clare November 24, 2012 at 11:34 am

This is fantastic because I love sushi but I’ve come to realise it’s not as great for you as I first thought. I can’t wait to give this a go!

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vespa woolf November 24, 2012 at 10:48 pm

What a clever and creative way to use quinoa! Living in Peru means we have an abundance of quinoa and I’m always looking for a new recipes that uses it. Thanks so much! My friends will be impressed.

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Bam's Kitchen November 25, 2012 at 11:43 am

I liked this idea so much that I pinned up on pininterest. Quinoa is such and underused grain and it has so many potentials. Take Care, BAM

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kitchenvixen November 25, 2012 at 11:52 am

Love the tuna idea!

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Martyna @ Wholesome Cook November 26, 2012 at 10:02 am

The tuna roll is probably my favourite, followed closely by the salad one. Enjoy!

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rsmacaalay November 25, 2012 at 6:48 pm

You really redefine a lot of stuff and thats one of the reasons I love your blog. I always expect something new like this.

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Martyna @ Wholesome Cook November 26, 2012 at 10:03 am

Thanks Raymund, it’s one of my passions although this reinvention is not quite mine to take credit for, but I did add my own twist.

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Anne S November 25, 2012 at 8:10 pm

Loved these from the moment I saw them! We had some for lunch today – loved tuna by the way and having leftovers for lunch. Soooo tasty!

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Jasline November 25, 2012 at 9:04 pm

Your photographs are beautiful! I love the sushi rolls, a unique twist packed full with many flavours, yum!

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Martyna @ Wholesome Cook November 26, 2012 at 10:04 am

Thank you Jasline :-)

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Anna @ The Littlest Anchovya November 25, 2012 at 10:38 pm

Yum! A great alternative to rice. I am a little tired of regular old sushi rolls so I am keen to give this a try :)

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cquek November 25, 2012 at 10:54 pm

Totally irresistible and extremely sinful.

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Tina @ bitemeshowme November 26, 2012 at 12:58 pm

There has been a popular trend with quinoa lately, but I have yet to try it. Your sushi rolls look great. Love your food photography :)

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Reshmi Mahesh November 26, 2012 at 3:46 pm

Wow..Sushi rolls with quinoa looks very yummy…Love your clicks…and Thanks for mentioning my recipe and linking back to it..:)

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Shae November 28, 2012 at 9:10 am

Oh my, these look amazing. Can’t wait to make them! Whats the red powder that you have used on some of the rolls?

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Martyna @ Wholesome Cook November 28, 2012 at 9:23 am

Hi Shae, I’ve now updated the recipe. It’s the extra “ground chilli powder, to serve” in the spicy tuna roll ingredients’ list. You simply dip the roll in it. Packs a nice heat :-)

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Shae December 2, 2012 at 2:56 pm

Yum! I bet it does. It would be really good to do ‘inside out’ rolls and roll them lightly in the chili. Thanks for the recipe :)

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Rosa Mayland November 28, 2012 at 6:20 pm

What beautiful rolls! This recipe is very original. I love the idea.

Cheers,

Rosa

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Nami | Just One Cookbook November 29, 2012 at 6:01 pm

You never stop amazing me. I absolutely love these quinoa sushi rolls!!!! Brilliant recipe and photography, Martyna!

Reply
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Nataliaraya December 15, 2012 at 11:31 pm

We’ve just finished eating these and they are sooo good. I made all 3 rolls and they feel so much lighter. thank you for the alternative!

Reply
laurasmess December 28, 2012 at 12:09 am

What a fantastic idea!!! I am definitely trying this… thanks to both you and Donna Hay for introducing a delicious, wholesome twist to much loved sushi rolls. Yum!

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eatwithmeist January 4, 2013 at 6:17 am

What a great idea! I’ve thought of making sushi with bulgur for a long time as I don’t like rice. I love wholesome food, too. I’m glad that I’ve found your site. I will follow your blog for healthy yummy recipe ideas. Thank you!

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Vila Rosa June 23, 2013 at 10:33 pm

Oooh looks relay good recipe … Thank you .

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Pippa Buxton (@littleeconest) November 14, 2013 at 1:40 pm

I posted my how to make simple sushi post today including our recipe for super quick blender mayo and wanted to move on from there so have stumbled on your post. LOVE this idea and yes I’m thinking why didn’t I automatically step to that conclusion myself (we eat a Paleo’ish diet). Thanks for the inspiration!

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Sarah | Well and Full August 21, 2015 at 11:04 am

These look SO. GOOD. Beautifully photographed too! :D

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