Vegan Sushi

Vegan sushi is as delicious as it is beautiful, and it is surprisingly fun to make. We recommend you make a day of it with friends or family, and create some edible art.

If you just can’t imagine sushi without fish, we got you. We’ll share our tips and suggestions, but you can take it or leave it. This is one recipe you can truly make your own, as your choice of filling includes any kind of raw, pickled, marinated, or even cooked fruit, vegetables, and sauces. To name just a few of our picks, we used spicy shichimi pickled cucumber spears, raw mango, pomegranate arils, spicy fruit jelly, and what is that tuna? Read on.

Ingredients (suggested)

Nori (dried seaweed sushi wrappers, available online and at Asian supermarkets)

Soy and/ or vegetable wrappers (available online and at Asian supermarkets)

Cucumbers

Bell peppers

Avocado

Pomegranate

Radish

Sprouts

Carrots

Pickled ginger

Anoki mushrooms

Shiso (an intense Asian herb, with a profile similar to both mint and basil combined)

Wasabi

Green onion

Lime Shoyu

Zucchini

Shichimi seasoning (also available online, or at Asian groceries)

Apricot jalapeno jelly

And that sexy tuna you can’t believe is vegan? Watermelon Tuna

How to make Sushi Rice

Ingredients

2 cups sushi rice (short grain rice)
2-2¼ cups water
¼ Mirin (Japanese rice seasoning)
1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Rinse and drain the rice.
2. Cook the Rice
   Stovetop:
   Stir the rice, salt, and 2¼ cups water in a pot and cover. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 16-18 minutes (or until all of the liquid is absorbed). Remove saucepan from the heat (with the lid still on) and let the rice steam for an additional 10 minutes. 
   
   Instant Pot:
   Stir the rice, salt, and 2 cups water in the bowl of an Instant Pot. Lock the lid into place, and set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
   
   Rice Cooker
   Stir the rice, salt, and 2 cups water in the bowl of a rice cooker. Cover and cook according to device instructions.
   
3. Once the rice is cooked, place in a large bowl, and stir in the Mirin.
4. Place a damp towel over the bowl, making sure the towel is touching the top of the rice. This helps prevent the rice from drying out.
5. Place bowl into refrigerator until fully cooled.
6. Once the rice has fully cooled, it will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

How to Roll Sushi

Lay nori or sushi wrap on a sushi mat. Bamboo sushi mats are available online, and at Asian groceries. Have a small bowl of water nearby. You can use this to keep your fingers clean and slightly wet as you work with sticky rice. Rice is easier to work with when it is still just slightly warm. Cover the sushi wrap with a thin layer of rice, about five sixths of the way down the wrap. Leave an end free for sealing the roll.

Lay your filling ingredients in a straight line parallel to the empty end. Here’s where you can be as creative as you like, but be careful not to overfill. A line of sauce, or a sprinkle of seasoning here can complement your ingredients.

Fold the end over your fillings. The first roll should cover them. Continue rolling tightly, making sure to keep even tension along the length of the wrap. When you come to the end of the roll, wet the uncovered part of the wrap using your finger and a little bit of water from your bowl. This will help create a seal.

Now, gently roll the sushi mat around your sushi roll, and press firmly. Try to apply even pressure along the length of the roll. Gently roll the sushi back and forth on the counter a few times.

Open the mat.

Use an exceptionally sharp knife. Nothing will ruin your edible art faster than trying to cut with a dull blade. You will likely have bits of rice and other ingredients sticking out the ends of the sushi roll. Cut these ends off. Now, cut approximately 3/4 inch slices along the length of the roll.

There are endless ways to make vegan sushi. If you want to be a purist, stick with nori to get that traditional fish flavor. If you want to add some color, variety, or just don’t like fish, try the many other options available. If you enjoy cooking, this is a genuinely fun project– especially as a group. Get friends or family involved and make a afternoon out of it. You’ll even get to eat your art. Two full sushi rolls is about 1 serving.