Nori Seaweed Wraps Recipe with Spicy Tahini Drizzle
This easy seaweed wraps recipe is packed with colorful vegetables, creamy avocado, and the most addictive spicy tahini drizzle. Vegan, gluten-free, and ready in 15 minutes!
If you’ve ever wanted to make sushi-style rolls at home without any fancy equipment, this seaweed wraps recipe is your answer. Crisp rainbow vegetables and creamy avocado are rolled up in sheets of nutrient-rich nori and finished with a genuinely addictive spicy tahini drizzle. The whole thing comes together in 15 minutes. No stove, no rice cooker, no rolling mat required.
As a registered dietitian, I love recommending seaweed wraps to clients who want a satisfying, plant-forward meal that actually delivers on nutrition. Nori (dried seaweed) is one of those ingredients that punches way above its weight. It’s low in calories, rich in iodine, iron, vitamins B1 and B2, vitamins A and C, and even provides a vegan source of omega-3 fatty acids, albeit in very small amounts. Pair it with avocado, colorful vegetables, and a tahini-based sauce, and you’ve got a nourishing meal that also tastes incredible.
I first made this nori wrap recipe years ago, and it has been a reader favorite ever since. Once you taste that tahini drizzle, you’ll understand why.
Why You’ll Love This Seaweed Wraps Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at what goes into this seaweed wraps recipe (full amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):
For the Seaweed Wraps
- Nori seaweed sheets — look for toasted nori in the sushi or Asian foods aisle at most grocery stores.
- Red cabbage — very thinly sliced; a food processor makes this easy and gets it super fine.
- Carrot — julienned for a satisfying crunch.
- Yellow summer squash — julienned; cucumber works great too.
- Cucumber — adds freshness and juiciness.
- Ripe avocado — the creamy element that ties everything together.
For the Spicy Tahini Drizzle
- Fresh lemon juice — brightens everything.
- Chickpea miso paste — adds savory depth and gut-friendly probiotics.
- Raw tahini — the base of the sauce; look for a smooth, runny variety.
- Medjool dates — natural sweetness to balance the heat.
- Garlic — just one clove, but it matters.
- Crushed red pepper flakes — adjust to your heat preference.
- Water — to thin the drizzle to your desired consistency.
Ingredient Tip: Chickpea miso is a great gluten-free alternative to traditional soy-based miso. You can find it at most natural grocery stores or online.
How to Make Nori Seaweed Wraps
Making this seaweed wraps recipe at home is much easier than it looks. Here’s the simple process:
Step 1: Make the Spicy Tahini Drizzle
Add all the drizzle ingredients except the water to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding water one teaspoon at a time until you reach a thin, drizzleable consistency. Taste and adjust — more lemon for brightness, more red pepper for heat. Pro tip: make a double or triple batch. You will want this on everything.
Step 2: Prep Your Vegetables
Thinly slice the red cabbage (use a food processor if you have one — it gets the cabbage silky-thin). Julienne the carrot, squash, and cucumber into strips of similar width and length. This makes rolling much easier and neater.
Step 3: Assemble the Wraps
Lay a nori sheet on a flat, dry surface. Arrange a portion of each vegetable along the bottom third of the sheet, then add sliced avocado and a generous spoonful of the spicy tahini drizzle. Roll the nori sheet up tightly from the bottom, like a burrito. Slice in half if desired or eat as is.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
These nori wraps are best enjoyed immediately after assembling, as the nori can soften over time. If you’re prepping ahead, store the components separately and roll just before eating.
Tips for the Perfect Seaweed Wraps
- Keep it dry: Wet ingredients will make the nori soggy. Pat your vegetables dry if they are very watery, and add the tahini drizzle just before rolling.
- Size matters: Cut your vegetable strips to be a similar length, just shorter than the width of the nori sheet. This prevents the filling from hanging over the edges and makes rolling easier.
- Roll tightly: A loose roll tends to fall apart. Apply gentle but firm pressure as you roll.
- Work quickly: Nori sheets can absorb moisture from the air. Assemble one wrap at a time and serve promptly.
- Leftover tahini drizzle: Use it as a salad dressing, a dip for raw vegetables, or drizzled over roasted broccoli or grain bowls.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add protein: Sliced baked tofu, edamame, or hemp seeds are all great additions that keep the wrap vegan.
- Swap the vegetables: Bell pepper strips, shredded purple kale, sprouts, or thinly sliced mango all work beautifully.
- Lower FODMAP option: Skip the garlic in the tahini drizzle (or use garlic-infused oil instead) and swap the avocado for a smaller portion to stay within FODMAP limits.
- Add brown rice or quinoa: If you want a heartier wrap, spread a thin layer of cooked, cooled rice or quinoa over the nori before adding vegetables.
Nori Seaweed Wraps Recipe FAQ
Nori wraps are sheets of dark green seaweed made from various red algae. In addition to using them to make sushi (like these delicious Beefshi Hand Rolls!), you can shred nori and add it to miso soup and many other Asian dishes for delicious umami flavor.
In addition to Asian grocery stores, most natural grocery stores, such as Whole Foods and Sprouts, carry nori wraps.
Low in calories, rich in vitamins A and C, iodine, and potassium, nori wraps are a healthy addition to your diet. Nori is also a vegan source of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid.
Yes. Nori wraps are keto-friendly; however, the fillings you add may not be. These Sunrise Nori Wraps contain 25 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Place your nori sheet on a flat, dry surface (shiny side down). Arrange fillings along the bottom third of the sheet, leaving about an inch of space at the bottom edge. Fold the bottom edge up and over the fillings, then roll tightly away from you. A tiny dab of water along the top edge helps seal the wrap. Slice in half with a sharp knife if desired.
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Note: This recipe comes from Amie Valpone’s cookbook, Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body, and it’s been a favorite on The Spicy RD ever since she generously gave me permission to share it. Amie is a true kindred spirit — she used food as medicine to heal herself from a decade of chronic illness, and her approach to eating is similar to mine. If you love this seaweed wrap recipe, I highly recommend checking out her book for more delicious plant-forward recipes!
Nori Seaweed Wraps Recipe with Spicy Tahini Drizzle
Ingredients
Sunrise Nori Wraps
- 4 nori seaweed sheets
- 1/4 small head red cabbage, very thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and juliened
- 1 small yellow summer squash, julienned
- 1 small cucumber, julienned
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
- 1 recipe Spicy Tahini Drizzle
Spicy Tahini Drizzle
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/4 tablespoons chickpea miso paste
- 1 tablespoon raw tahini
- 2 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Water, as needed to thin the drizzle
Instructions
- Place the nori sheets on a flat surface. Divide the cabbage, carrot, squash, cucumber, and avocado among the sheets. Top each pile of vegetables with a heaping tablespoon of the Spicy Tahini Drizzle, and the roll up the nori sheets into a tube shape.
- Make the tahini: Combine all of the ingredients except the water in a blender. Blend, adding water 1 teaspoon at a time as you go, until the mixture becomes a thin sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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