Think vegetarian sushi is boring? Think again! Vegetables and other plant-based ingredients are an essential part of sushi and has been ever since the beginning (ex. kappamaki, shinkomaki, etc). The best part of it though is how easy it is to make at home, primarily because the ingredients are so easy to find.

In this post, I'll walk you through each step from what you need, all the way to how to serve it properly. That way you won't have to leave out the vegetarian friend of yours next time you're having a sushi party. He/she thanks you... and if you are that person, then, you're welcome. 😉

❤️Why You'll Love These Rolls

• Variety: Vegetarian sushi has a bad reputation of being boring or too plain. However these rolls are stuffed with a variety of ingredients that make them much more fun and exciting.
• Availability: Finding quality seafood that is fresh enough for sushi can be a tough task. This recipe eliminates that because we're using vegetables and other non-seafood proteins that are readily available at any grocery store.
• Versatility: The option to customize your roll is endless when it comes to making sushi at home, and these vegetarian rolls are no exception. So get your culinary creative juices flowing and start experimenting!

Jump to:

• ❤️Why You'll Love These Rolls
• 🍣Is it Sushi?
• 🥑Ingredients
• 👩‍🍳Preparation
• 🍣Rolling
• 🔪Cutting and Plating
• 🥕Customize Your Rolls
• 🪄Tips and Tricks
• 🗒Best served with
• ✍️Final Thoughts
• 🤔Common Questions

🍣Is it Sushi?

Really quick before we start, I know a lot of people think vegetarian sushi is not "real sushi", and if that's you, then here's a fact check. Sushi without raw fish is still sushi! Sushi refers to the vinegared rice, and as long as you’re using that, then it’s considered sushi, regardless of what ingredients you put on top or inside. So vegetarian sushi rolls are legitimate sushi. Now that we have that out of the way, let's get into our ingredients.

🥑Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

• Sushi rice: 3 cups (600g) (sushi rice tutorial here).
• Nori (dried seaweed): 2 half sheets, 1 full sheet
• Cucumber (English or Japanese): 4 inches (10cm)
• Avocado: 1
• Asparagus: 5-6
• Green onion: 1-2
• Takuwan (pickled daikon radish): 4 inches (10cm)
• Shiitake mushrooms (dried): 4-5
• Lettuce: ½ leaf
• Kanpyo (dried gourd): 1oz (28g)
• Inari (seasoned fried tofu skin): 2

Braising Liquid

• Sugar: 1 teaspoon (4g)
• Soy sauce: 1 teaspoon (5ml)
• Mirin: 1 teaspoon (5ml)

Toppings and Sauces:

• Spicy mayo: Drizzle to add a bit of kick (my recipe here).
• Toasted sesame seeds

Optional Condiments:

• Wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce for serving.

👩‍🍳Preparation

Sushi Rice

Very first thing you want to do is make the sushi rice, since that takes the longest. I usually start cooking the rice and then prep all the vegetables and other ingredients while the rice cooks.

Shiitake Mushrooms

• Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup of water for about 20-40 minutes.
  • Place a small bowl on top to keep them submerged.
  • The soaking time may vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of the shiitake. You can let them soak overnight to fully rehydrate.
• Once soft, remove the stems and save the soaking water (this will be your dashi stock).
• Strain the stock into a small pot and add sugar, soy sauce, and mirin.
• Add the mushrooms and bring it to a boil over medium high heat.
• Once it starts to boil, turn down the heat to low and braise for 20-25 minutes.
• Transfer to a plate and let it cool.
• Once cooled, slice them thinly and lightly squeeze out excess moisture.

Asparagus

• Cut the bottom end so that it's the same length as a sheet of nori.
• Boil a pan of water and sprinkle a little bit of salt.
• Once water comes to a boil, blanch the asparagus for 2-4 minutes (depending on size).
• Transfer into an ice bath to fully cool.
• Dry with a paper towel.

Cucumber

• Peel and cut the cucumber with a katsuramuki technique (thin rotational peeling), watch my tutorial here if you want to learn how. Or keep it simple and slice it into half-inch wide sticks, cutting out the inner seed section.

Green Onion

• Thinly slice the green ends crosswise to use as topping.

Lettuce

• Shred into thin strips.

Takuwan (Pickled Daikon Radish)

• Slice into about ½-inch thick sticks.

Inari (Seasoned Fried Tofu Skin)

• Slice into thirds lengthwise.

Avocado

• Cut the avocado in half and carefully remove the seed.
• Peel the skin and cut one half into roughly half inch thick slices. These are going inside the rolls.
• The other half will be used to layer on top of the roll.
  • Place the avocado (half) flat onto the cutting board and slice into ⅛ inch thin slices.
  • It's best to do this after the roll is made to help minimize discoloration of the avocado. Tutorial video here.

🍣Rolling

The first roll is going to be made in a futomaki ("big roll") style, which we'll be the full sheet of nori. The other two rolls are made as an uramaki (inside-out roll), which has the rice wrapped around on the outside, and we'll be using the two half sheets of nori.

Step 1: Preparing the Makisu

Since some of the rolls have the rice on the exterior, we need to wrap the makisu (bamboo rolling mat) in plastic wrap to keep the rice from sticking. You can watch this video here to learn how to do this properly.

Step 2: Preparing the Nori and Rice

⚠️Roll #1 is prepared slightly different (read "Roll #1" section below)

• Place a sheet of nori horizontally with the rough-side-up onto the makisu, leaving about an inch of space between the nori and the bottom of the makisu.
• Dip your hands into a bowl of cold water and spread it around evenly.
• Grab a ball of sushi rice (about the size of an apple) and evenly spread it across the nori, reaching all the way to the edges and corners. Try not to squish the rice and keep it as fluffy as possible.
• Sprinkle a layer of toasted sesame seeds over the rice (optional), then flip the nori so the rice side is down.

Step 3: Adding Fillings

Roll #1: Futomaki (Big Roll)

Our first roll is going to be a futomaki style, which is a larger roll with the seaweed wrapped around on the outside. It's the perfect style of roll when you want to include a lot of ingredients.

1. Place a full size sheet of nori onto the makisu with the rough side facing up. The nori is not quite a square so lay it portrait mode, meaning vertically with the longer ends on the sides.
2. Start adding sushi rice onto the nori but leave about and inch of space at the top and also a little bit at the bottom. This will help the nori seal better.
3. Now add all the fillings across the middle horizontally from one end to the other: cucumber, shiitake, avocado, takuwan, kanpyo, and asparagus.
4. Wrap the nori around the fillings by using your thumbs to guide the makisu while tucking the filling gently with your forefingers.
5. Continue rolling so that the nori overlaps onto itself.
6. Pull on the top (far) end of the makisu away from you while using your other hand to support the roll. This will help tighten the roll so the fillings won't fall out.
7. Apply even and gentle pressure from all sides to shape the roll.
8. Press in on the rice on each ends of the roll to make the edges cleaner.
9. Wrap in plastic if not cutting right away.

Roll #2: Inside-out Roll

This one's a standard uramaki or inside-out roll, which has the rice on the outside in order to minimize the texture and flavor of the seaweed.

1. After you get the rice and nori ready, add lettuce, avocado, and inari across the middle horizontally from one end to the other.
2. Wrap the nori around the fillings by using your thumbs to guide the makisu while tucking the filling gently with your forefingers.
3. Continue rolling so that the nori overlaps onto itself.
4. Pull on the top (far) end of the makisu away from you while using your other hand to support the roll. This will help tighten the roll so the fillings won't fall out.
5. Apply even and gentle pressure from all sides to shape the roll.
6. Press in on the rice on each ends of the roll to make the edges cleaner.
7. Wrap in plastic if not cutting right away.

Roll #3: Avocado Layered on Top

In this variation, we're going to make a standard inside-out roll but add layers of avocado on top, very similar to a caterpillar roll.

1. Add cucumber slices, takuwan, and asparagus.
2. Wrap the nori around the fillings by using your thumbs to guide the makisu while tucking the filling gently with your forefingers.
3. Continue rolling so that the nori overlaps onto itself.
4. Pull on the top (far) end of the makisu away from you while using your other hand to support the roll. This will help tighten the roll so the fillings won't fall out.
5. Apply even and gentle pressure from all sides to shape the roll.
6. Press in on the rice on each ends of the roll to make the edges cleaner.
7. Cut half of the avocado into thin slices (as mentioned above under Preparations).
8. Spread it out carefully until it's the same length as the roll.
9. Carefully slide your knife under the spread out avocado slices and place it on top of the roll. Be extra cautious when removing the knife.
10. Gently shape the roll again using the plastic-wrapped makisu.
11. Wrap in plastic if not cutting right away.

🔪Cutting and Plating

Good job! You've made your rolls and you're now finally ready to serve them. However, one of the trickiest steps of sushi making awaits; cutting. I've seen countless of beginner sushi chefs do a fairly good job on the rolling part but destroy it when it comes to cutting. Here are some quick tips to help you not ruin your hard work.

• Use a sharp knife. Learn how to properly sharpen Japanese knives with this tutorial here.
• Keep the plastic wrap on while cutting rolls with toppings (roll #3 for example). Leave the top section of the plastic still intact though so it can easily be removed in one piece.
  • You can skip the plastic wrap for rolls without toppings, but the wrap can help ensure cleaner cuts.
• Cut each roll into 8 pieces, starting by cutting right down the center in half, then each half into halves again, and so on.
• Wet and clean your knife between slices to prevent sticking.

After cutting, it’s time to plate. Arrange the rolls neatly (get creative with it), and drizzle on some spicy mayo, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds, or add some chopped green onions, optional of course. Garnish with wasabi and pickled ginger on the side. Serve with a small dish of soy sauce.

🥕Customize Your Rolls

Now that you know how to make the rolls, start creating your own version by adding or swapping out the ingredients. The best part of making sushi at home is that it's endlessly customizable and you can truly make it the way you want. Plus, there are tons of vegetarian options that are readily available at regular grocery stores. Here are some other popular vegetarian ingredients:

• Fresh jalapeño slices for an extra kick.
• Mango for a sweet and refreshing twist.
• Carrots, either raw or cooked, can add a nice pop of color.
• Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) is a sour and salty preserved plum that may be an acquired taste, but one of my favorites. Especially when you combine it with shiso.
• Shiso leaves are an aromatic herb that's part of the mint family. They have a fresh, citrusy, slightly minty flavor that pairs really well with the strong flavors of umeboshi. Umeshiso is a very common combo in a lot of Japanese dishes and snacks.
• Natto is fermented soybeans that has a very sticky and slimy texture to it. It may not be for everyone but it's an amazing Japanese superfood that has so many health benefits to it. Watch this video to learn more.
• Tempura: You can also tempura fry vegetables to add some crispy texture and volume to the rolls. Asparagus, carrots, zucchini, string beans, green onion, are all great options. Here's my video on how to make tempura.

🪄Tips and Tricks

• Give enough time to soak the shiitake mushrooms so that it fully rehydrates.
  • You can also use fresh shiitake if you prefer and use instant dashi powder to braise them.
• Make sure to wet your hands thoroughly (but not drenched) before touching the sushi rice.
• When flipping the nori and rice, leave about an inch of space from the bottom of the makisu to the bottom of the nori. This leaves just enough space which makes it easier to roll.
• Leave some space at the top and bottom of the nori (no rice) when making the futomaki (Roll #1).
• Tighten the roll after the initial wrapping of the fillings by pulling the upper end of the makisu away from you while holding the roll with the other hand.
• Clean and wet the knife right before cutting.

🗒Best served with

• Miso soup: Always a good pairing with pretty much any type of sushi. The warm and savory soup can act as a nice palate cleanser in between different types of sushi as well. Check out my recipe here.
• Seaweed Salad: Can't go wrong with this healthy and satisfying side dish.
• Edamame: One of my favorite appetizers that goes well with any sushi meal. Check out my spicy garlic edamame recipe here!

✍️Final Thoughts

And there you have it, a gorgeous plate of vegetarian sushi rolls, packed with variety and flavor. Who said vegetarian sushi was boring, right? Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or simply treating yourself, these rolls are sure to impress. Enjoy!

🤔Common Questions