Sushi is one of my all-time favourites combining fresh, clean flavours of savoury soya sauce (or tamari), fiery wasabi paste and crunchy cucumber, with creamy soft avocado. However, it can be quite time-consuming to make. So on busy days when you still want a sushi hit, how about rustling up a quick sushi inspired salad bowl?! Here you can enjoy the flavours one might expect from sushi, but no rolling is required!

This salad is full of different textures and flavours and is really delicious! Enjoy fresh succulent edamame beans, smooth silky avocado, crunchy sweet carrot, crisp earthy radishes, chewy tangy goldenberries and sweet cranberries, crunchy, fragrant pumpkin seeds, wild nutty rice, all complimented by a ginger, wasabi and coriander dressing.

This salad can easily be made in advance and kept chilled in the refrigerator, ideal for batch prepping, packed lunches or as a side salad. I have included some optional protein powder and chia seeds in my salad dressing, which makes the dressing creamier and thicker, helping the dressing cling to the salad ingredients better.

Serves: 2 (main) or 4 as a side salad

Preparation time: 25 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins (for the rice)

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 2 carrots (approx. 200g), sliced thinly into strips
• 10 radishes (approx. 100g), sliced finely
• 150g edamame beans, ready cooked
• 120g wild rice, cooked and cooled
• 150g beansprouts
• 200g chunk of cucumber, cut into chunks
• 50g dried goldenberries
• 30g dried cranberries
• 10g fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 large avocado, de-stoned and sliced thinly

Salad topping:

• 2 nori sheets, torn up into small random pieces
• Sprinkle of black sesame seeds
• Sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing:

• 3cm-4cm squirt of wasabi paste (more if you want it more fiery!)
• 2 small cloves of garlic, crushed
• 10g root ginger, finely chopped
• 10g fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp. water
• 2 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1tbsp protein powder (soya bean, pea or whey)
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 tbsp. of soya sauce or tamari (gluten-free option)
• 1 tsp. sweetener of choice (honey of non-vegan) or agave, maple syrup or date syrup or 1/2 tsp. stevia (to make this sugar-free)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

• In a small bowl, mix together the salad dressing ingredients (to allow the chia seeds to plump up to thicken the dressing whilst you make the salad ).

• In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients except the avocado slices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine. Add the salad dressing and toss to ensure the salad is evenly coated.

• Top with the sliced avocado and sprinkle with black sesame seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Serve.

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.

Variation: Sprinkle with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds.