As some of you may have read, I recently got back from a lovely trip to Colorado. The trip itself was great, but between you and me, I may have eaten few more Voodoo Doughnuts during the trip than I’m okay with admitting. Eating healthy while traveling is hard. I don’t know how David and Luise over at Green Kitchen Stories do it. Personally, when I got home from that week in Denver, my body felt pretty beat up after how badly I was eating. Which brings me to cleansing / detoxing….
The medical community has all but debunked the idea of “detoxing” as we think of it (read: juice cleanses). I was pretty bummed when I read article after article about how the kidneys and liver basically do the job for you (no $60/day juice package required). But I think it’s wrong to dismiss the idea of detoxing/cleansing altogether. Even though there may be no “quick fix” by drinking juice or smoothies all day, the psychological effects of such practices cannot be ignored.
The concept of a “fresh start” is something that is ingrained in nearly every culture in the world. While the methods of being cleansed or being born anew may differ from culture to culture, what cannot be denied is how the mental effects of being cleansed translate to our overall wellness. Read: you simply feel better when you eat better.
So while this sushi may not be “cleansing” in a strictly physiological sense, it is full of fiber, vitamins, and healthy nutrients to give your body a push in the right direction. :) (And it doesn’t hurt that it’s absolutely delicious!!)
Just a quick note about making sushi – the actual rolling part can be rather difficult, so I would highly recommend looking at this fantastic tutorial by Minimalist Baker before you commence your sushi endeavors!!

Cleansing Sushi Roll w/ Spicy Kale + Green Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Avocado
- 3 Nori Sheets
- 1 Cup Kale packed
- 2 Tbs Vegan Mayo
- 1/2 Tsp Sriracha optional
Instructions
- First, prepare the kale salad. Take 1 cup (packed) kale and chop finely. In a bowl, mix kale with 2 tbs vegan mayo and 1/2 tsp sriracha. Mix well, ensuring that kale is evenly coated.
- Prep the cucumber by slicing into thin strips. Likewise, prepare the avocado by slicing into thin chunks as well. You may have some veggies left over when you're done making your sushi!
- Start assembling the sushi by laying out your nori sheets. They should be set out wider than they are tall.
- About an inch from the edge closest to you, lay out the cucumbers, avocado, and kale salad in a strip about 1-2 inches wide. Note: if you have a sushi mat, this is the time to use it! If not, you can also roll the sushi by hand (which is what I did here).
- Using both hands, tuck the sushi filling in with your fingers and tightly wrap the nori around it. If it's not super tight, it might be harder to cut but that's not a problem!
- Once the sushi has been sufficiently rolled, take the sharpest knife in your kitchen and wet it with some water. Slice the sushi, wetting your knife between every 1-2 cuts.
- Serve sushi with tamari and extra sriracha (for my fellow spicy lovers out there). Enjoy!
Song of the Day:
Two of Us On the Run – Lucius
36 Comments
Laura
June 30, 2015 at 3:09 pmI love making my own sushi! This version looks delicious – anything with kale is always a go:) Thanks for the inspiration!
WellAndFull
June 30, 2015 at 3:23 pmThanks Laura, I’m glad you like it! :)
Emily | Gather & Dine
June 30, 2015 at 9:44 pmHaving so much fun looking around your beautiful blog! Such vibrant green sushi here- delish!
WellAndFull
June 30, 2015 at 10:14 pmThanks for stopping by, Emily :)
Meg @ Noming thru Life
June 30, 2015 at 10:18 pmThese look insanely delicious and yes healthy too :) You covered all the bases here my friend. Great idea and beautifully photographed as well!
WellAndFull
August 5, 2015 at 3:48 pmThank you Meg! :)
Pang @circahappy
July 1, 2015 at 10:25 amI don’t think detox, by having juice all day, is a good idea either; it’s healthy but just not a good idea. Having said that, your ‘clean sweep’ meal IS a wonderful idea :) Your sushi looks so delicious & nutritious. <3 <3 <3
WellAndFull
August 5, 2015 at 3:48 pmThank you Pang!! I tried a juice cleanse once and I found that it wasn’t right for my body. I much prefer having cleansing, whole foods to get me through any sort of detox! ;)
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist
July 1, 2015 at 3:57 pmHi Sarah,
First, these look amazing and I am making them tomorrow! My garden is full of kale, yum! Second, I just found your blog through minimalist baker and I love what I’ve seen so far. I particularly enjoyed your about page. Short, sweet and significant at all the right points. Well and full and grateful :-) . I hope to see more of Ivy!
WellAndFull
July 1, 2015 at 7:59 pmThank you so much for your thoughtful note, Kathryn! I’m super jealous of your garden full of kale, I wish I had a yard! And I will definitely try to include more photos of Ivy; after all, she is my unofficial recipe taste-tester!! ;)
Faaiza Castellanos
January 1, 2020 at 3:39 pmWhat a great recipe and idea to incorporate greens into the diet!
Sarah
January 1, 2020 at 3:52 pmThank you! :)
Grace
July 1, 2015 at 4:26 pmThis is the perfect reset meal, fresh, green and bright and still super flavorful and delicious! Gorgeous photography too!
WellAndFull
July 1, 2015 at 7:58 pmThank you so much, Grace, I’m so glad you stopped by! Earthy Feast is one of my favorite blogs :)
Martyna @ Wholesome Cook
July 2, 2015 at 4:21 amWe love making our own nori rolls. Sometimes we add quinoa but my favourites involve nothing else then veggies. Sauerkraut makes for a yummy and gut-healthy roll too!
WellAndFull
July 2, 2015 at 9:23 amOoh that sounds great! I bet some kimchi would taste good in there too :)
Aimee / Wallflower Girl
July 2, 2015 at 3:58 pmThese not only sound delicious but are also a treat for the eyes! That colour <3
WellAndFull
July 2, 2015 at 4:50 pmThanks Aimee!! :) I don’t know about you, but I always feel healthier when I’m eating something green ;)
Consuelo | Honey & Figs
July 6, 2015 at 7:17 amThese look incredible and your blog is so cool!!!
Have a lovely week! xx
WellAndFull
July 6, 2015 at 8:01 amThanks Consuelo :)
Grace @ FoodFitnessFreshAir.com
July 8, 2015 at 10:04 pmMy kind of meal. These look and sound perfecto!
WellAndFull
July 8, 2015 at 10:40 pmThanks, Grace! :)
Maggie
July 15, 2015 at 6:50 pmI will definetly try these in autumn when I am back in Ireland, they look amazing!
WellAndFull
July 15, 2015 at 9:38 pmLet me know how it goes! :)
Dina
September 28, 2015 at 2:53 pmSarah, detoxing or not, this looks so delicious it has to be good for you and cleansing. Judging from the number of comments, everyone else thinks so as well. I make a lot of salad rolls and this would be great in rice paper as well. Thanks for posting.
Sarah
September 28, 2015 at 6:21 pmOoh this would be great in rice paper! I’ll have to try it out! :D
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Tony
August 7, 2020 at 11:29 pmHey there Sarah thanks for the awesome and healthy recipe! Right now I’m doing research for my sushi blog, I was wondering do you have any other sushi recipes that’s great for people who are doing cleansing? Thanks so much :D
Sarah
August 11, 2020 at 10:17 amHi Tony, thanks so much for your question! I have another great sushi recipe on my blog here: https://wellandfull.com/2019/05/vegan-sweet-potato-sushi/
Also, these vegan purple cabbage tacos might be a great suggestion for anyone who’s doing a cleanse! https://wellandfull.com/2015/08/purple-cabbage-tacos-w-tangy-chipotle-aioli/
Cedars
February 13, 2022 at 10:08 pmI tend to think of detox as supporting the body, while the body does the job as designed. Very healthy food and fluids means not dumping increased toxic loads for the body to have to overexert. I am enjoying your sushi recipes so very much. Thank you.
Sarah
February 19, 2022 at 10:48 amThat’s a great way to phrase it! I agree with you 100% :) So glad you’re enjoying the sushi recipes!