Homemade Vegan Sushi
Making vegan sushi loaded with veggies is fun and delicious! My family has been making vegan sushi for years (this post is from 2013) and it’s still a favorite.
Last week the girls and I visited our local Japanese market, Nikka. We had planned on making sushi for dinner, but really I had no clue what I was doing. All three of us loved perusing the shop, looking at the variety of rice crackers, Pocky and koala cookies, rice, bento box supplies… I could go on and on.
Eventually, after throwing some “necessary” items like kids chopsticks into our basket, we got back on track and got what we came for: sushi rice, nori, and rice vinegar. We had so much fun making sushi at home, and an easy sushi recipe is perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven, and crave fresh healthy ingredients.
How to Make Sushi
There are three important components of homemade sushi:
- Nori. Dried seaweed sheets can be found at many grocery stores in the Asian section, or in Asian markets.
- Sushi Rice. Sticky and seasoned, this recipe for sushi rice will create a roll that holds together nicely and tastes great. However, you can use other types of rice such as brown rice, or even quinoa.
- Filling. You can get creative, or check out some of our favorite ideas below.
Top a sheet of nori with about 1/8″ of cooked sushi rice. Be sure to leave a border along one long edge.
Top with your fillings, but place them toward one long end.
Use your bamboo sushi mat or just your hands to wrap the long end closest to the fillings up and over, rolling like a log. Wet the border-end with a little water to help adhere.
Use a very sharp knife to cut the roll crosswise into roughly 3/4″ slices. Enjoy right away or refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Don’t forget to serve with soy sauce.
Vegan Sushi Filling Ideas
More Vegan Asian Recipes You’ll Love
Vegan Sushi
Wondering how to make delicious sushi at home? There's no need for raw fish with this easy Vegan Sushi recipe filled with veggies. For extra protein, serve alongside our favorite crispy sesame tofu or tempeh, or with some edamame.
Ingredients
- 1 package Nori (seaweed sheets)
- 1 batch prepared Sushi Rice
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/4" strips lengthwise
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
- Soy sauce, for serving (I prefer Bragg Liquid Aminos)
- Wasabi, for serving. Optional. (prepared from powder)
- pickled ginger, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Prepare your sushi rice according to the linked instructions. This will take about 30-40 minutes, but you can start preparing your vegetables while the rice steams.
- Lay 1 piece of nori on the sushi mat. Wet your hands or a spoon with a little water and press a thin layer of rice over the nori, leaving a 1/2" border on one long side. I found using the back of a large spoon or measuring cup worked well to make an even layer.
- Lay your fillings along the top long side of the rice, as my daughter is doing in the photo above.
Using the sushi mat, lift the top long edge of the nori and rice over the fillings and continue to roll tightly. When you get to the end, wet the 1/2" edge without rice to help the nori stick to itself. - Use a sharp chef's knife to slice the log crosswise into rolls. Serve with soy sauce or liquid aminos and wasabi, if desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 215Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.
The proper way to prepare rice for cooking requires a good scrub…Just a rinse isn't enough. In a bowl filled with warm water, rub the rice between your hands, and pour out the water. Repeat this 3 times. And then rinse the rice in cold water (you could use the strainer for this part).
Just rinsing the rice in a strainer = dirty rice.
Homemade sushi is so fun! We love mixing it up with tons of fun ingredients….this totally is making me want it right now!
Hi Anonymous, thanks for the tip! I just followed the instructions on the package of sushi rice, which said to rinse until water runs clear. Thanks for educating us all 🙂
Yum! I've never tried makin my own sushi, but it's something that I've wanted to do!
I love making sushi at home, and we probably do it about once a month. There's a huge Asian market in Denver where we shop for sashimi-grade fish and other ingredients. Our favorite fish for sushi is sashimi salmon and tuna, with avocadoes, cucumber and jalapenos, and whatever other fruit or vegetable sounds good at the time. It's great that your kids enjoy this sort of thing, too! Very encouraging for me, since I don't have kids yet, I always wonder if someday my kids will like to eat what I eat, too, since I don't plan to be a short-order cook making 3 or 4 different things for dinner each night. 🙂
I could spend an hour in Nikka. Lot's remind me of my childhood; especially the fun candies. Homemade sushi is the best and super fun. I could eat a zillion homemade spicy tuna rolls and uni. Homemade picked ginger is great too!
Hey Marina! I have to tell you I never made sushi before and you made it look so easy – I am positive I can attempt to do it myself. Also,your daughters are so adorable! Thanks for the recipe! xxoo Anna
Oooh I must pickle some ginger now!
The first picture is too cute! I have made sushi but the rolls fell apart so I got discouraged, now you've given me encouragement to try again!
I've never made sushi but this looks too fun. Love your photos!
I love making sushi. My go to is a Korean style sushi which includes slices of scrambled egg, pickled daikon radish, and lots of veggies!
Although my hubby and I are huge sushi lovers, we have never made it at home. My daughter has finally tasted sushi for the first time a few nights ago. This is a fantastic way to try to make her like it more.
Love love love homemade sushi! I definitely need to make this with my boys. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great job Marina! Making my own sushi always seemed like such a daunting task, thank you for making it look oh so easy! 🙂
I absolutely love sushi, but have always dismissed making it at home as too advanced. You make it look so easy and FUN! We will be trying this soon, so my consistent craving keeps our wallets in check:)
We have been making sushi about once every 2 weeks here also, the kids love it and it's so fun! Your sushi looks amazing!
XO
Kristin
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