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My first contact with sushi was a few years ago, even before I became vegan. I tasted it, I liked it, and although it hasn’t become my favorite dish, without a doubt I’ve become a fan. Already vegan, I missed eating sushi and of course, at that time there were no 100% plant based alternatives in asian restaurants, so I really had to make it myself. I watched a lot of videos, read a lot of recipes, until I figured out how I could make vegan sushi at home, et voilá! I did and I did well the first time!
“Ah, but sushi without fish is not the same!” Let’s say that what gives sushi flavor is nori, rice, sweet and sour sauce and the famous wasabi, which I particularly don’t like! So, as long as you have at least two of these 4, creating totally plant based sushi pieces is just a matter of particular taste and creativity.
Within the vegetable kingdom, you can create sushi pieces with raw vegetables, sautéed vegetables, fruit, tofu, etc… For me the premise is that need to be colorful, have different textures and that they are an explosion in the mouth!
Can I share something with you? I’ve made vegan sushi several times, and each time I won over the palates of the people who turned up their noses at first for being sushi without fish. This was one of the reasons that made me want to share with you how to make vegan sushi at home, because I know there are a lot of sushi lovers out there and because it’s an easy way to surprise and win over the most skeptical friends and family.
And of course, because sushi is life!
SIMPLE | RICH IN TEXTURES | FULL OF FLAVOR | EXOTIC | FRESH | TO SURPRISE | TO SHARE
Making sushi is one of the most therapeutic rituals out there. From cutting the ingredients, to making the rice, to creating the sushi pieces themselves. All processes require a lot of love and dedication.
It’s not a difficult thing to do, but it does have some necessary steps that might put some of you off because you think it might be difficult, but it’s not. It just takes a little time.
We start by making the rice, so that it has time to cool completely, while we take care of all the other ingredients.
Choosing rice is a fundamental step for the final result of your sushi. It needs to be a rice suitable for sushi, which you can easily find in any supermarket and from the most varied brands. As long as it says sushi rice, you can bring it. Sushi rice is white rice, with a very round and fat grain that, due to its characteristics, becomes sticky and perfect for agglutinating and giving it the shape we want.
Rice for sushi is cooked only with water and without any other seasoning. The seasoning is added later, when we take the rice out of the pan and transfer it to a ceramic baking dish to cool it down.
To season sushi rice you just need to mix rice vinegar, sugar and salt, bring to a boil to dissolve and then pour over the rice. Mix well with the help of a spoon and trying not to over mix the rice too much so it doesn’t turn into a porridge.
After that and while your rice cools down, it’s time to cut the vegetables. Preferably, they should be cut into thin strips, to facilitate the assembly process.
I decided to share with you 3 types of sushi, the most common Maki and two types of Nigiri, so it will still take two more processes if you want to make all the types I present.
You will need to roast a red pepper very well to simulate salmon or tuna, and also fry tofu and cook it in a delicious sweet and sour sauce!
To close this recipe perfectly and create an even tastier experience when serving, in addition to the common sweet and sour sauce for dipping sushi pieces, I STRONGLY suggest this Teriyaky Sauce from Bio Bandits! Yes, I’m kind of weird, and I LOVE sushi with teriyaki sauce! This one in particular has a delicious texture and a hint of spice that brings out all the flavors. Made with tamari, water, sugar, ginger puree, vinegar, cornstarch, garlic and chilli, all organically sourced. I highly recommend the experience, especially if you like strong flavors and contrast in the food!
Well, as the conversation is already long, let’s jump to the list of ingredients and the respective step by step so you can make this recipe today!
FOR THE RICE
3 cups of sushi rice
3 cups of water
6 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of salt
FOR THE MAKI
7 sheets of nori seaweed
1/2 carrot, cut into thin strips
1/2 cucumber, cut into thin strips
100g red cabbage, cut into thin strips
1/2 small avocado, cut into thin strips
FOR THE TOFU NIGIRI
1 sheet of nori seaweed, cut into 6 strips
150gr firm tofu, cut into 6 small rectangles
Sesame oil (or sunflower oil)
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp of maple syrup
1/2 cup of water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
16g grated fresh ginger
1 minced garlic clove
1 chopped shallot
Chopped fresh chives
1.5 tbsp of corn starch + 2 tbsp of water
FOR THE RED BELL PEPPER NIGIRI
1 red bell pepper
SERVE WITH
Bio Bandits Teriyaki Sauce
Sweet and sour sauce
Sesame seeds
REQUIRED MATERIAL
bamboo sushi mat
Knife that makes a clean cut
FOR THE RICE
3 cups of sushi rice
3 cups of water
6 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of salt
FOR THE MAKI
7 sheets of nori seaweed
1/2 carrot, cut into thin strips
1/2 cucumber, cut into thin strips
100g red cabbage, cut into thin strips
1/2 small avocado, cut into thin strips
FOR THE TOFU NIGIRI
1 sheet of nori seaweed, cut into 6 strips
150gr firm tofu, cut into 6 small rectangles
Sesame oil (or sunflower oil)
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp of maple syrup
1/2 cup of water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
16g grated fresh ginger
1 minced garlic clove
1 chopped shallot
Chopped fresh chives
1.5 tbsp of corn starch + 2 tbsp of water
FOR THE RED BELL PEPPER NIGIRI
1 red bell pepper
SERVE WITH
Bio Bandits Teriyaki Sauce
Sweet and sour sauce
Sesame seeds
REQUIRED MATERIAL
bamboo sushi mat
Knife that makes a clean cut
1- Start by washing the rice until the water comes out completely transparent.
2- Put the rice in a pan together with the water. Close the pan with the lid and let it boil. When it boils, reduce the heat to the minimum so that it continues to boil but without getting too hot. Do not remove the lid from the pan. Sushi rice requires steam to cook perfectly.
3- While you let the rice cook for 10 minutes, place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pan and heat to dissolve. Don’t let it boil. Once dissolved, remove from heat and reserve.
4- After the first 10 minutes of rice cooking, turn off the heat and let it cook with the pan still closed for another 10 minutes.
5- After the last 10 minutes, uncover the pan and place the rice on a glass or ceramic baking dish so that it starts the cooling process.
6- Pour the mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt on top, and mix with a spoon, so that all the rice is seasoned. In this process, avoid stirring too much so that the rice does not turn into a porridge. Once you have seasoned the rice, let it cool completely covered with a damp cloth.
7- While the rice is cooling, start by cutting the vegetables for the maki into thin strips, including the red cabbage.
8- Add a tablespoon of vinegar and two pinches of salt to the cabbage and massage for about 3 minutes to make it soft.
9- Put the red bell pepper to roast on the coals or on the stove burner, as you prefer to roast the pepper. Just make sure it’s roasted very well so that its texture is soft and malleable. After roasting, clean it well to remove all the burned skin. Cut it into small elliptical pieces, which don’t need to be too perfect.
10- Cut the tofu into 6 equal rectangles.
11- Put a tablespoon of sesame oil in a frying pan and when it is hot, place the tofu pieces and fry on one side and the other, until they are golden brown. Remove from frying pan and reserve.
12- In a bowl, place all the ingredients to make the Tofu Nigiri (except for the nori seaweed and the tofu). Mix well and pour into the frying pan. Gently place the tofu pieces into the frying pan and let them cook in the sauce. Gently stir and turn the tofu pieces until the sauce starts to thicken. This process is quick and needs to be done carefully so as not to break the tofu pieces. Remove the tofu pieces from the skillet by placing them on a plate so they do not overlap. Set aside.
13- Now that you have all the processes completed, take the bamboo mat and place it on a board, fill a small bowl with water and place it near the board, make sure you have a knife that makes clean cuts and moistens a cloth with water.
14- Start by making the maki, placing a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat, then moisten your hands with water, take a generous portion of rice with your hands, place it on the sheet of nori and fill in 2 thirds of the seaweed with rice, leaving only 1 third free to seal the sushi roll. Spread evenly to create an even layer of rice. Place some of the vegetables in strips about the middle of the rice-covered area. Don’t put too many vegetables, because then the rolling process becomes much more difficult.
15- Take the mat and start forming the sushi roll, pressing well so that all the ingredients are cohesive. As you roll it up, apply some pressure. When you reach the last third of the nori sheet, moisten it with water and finally close the sushi roll.
16- Moisten the knife with water and cut the sushi roll in half. Then cut each of the halves in 3, thus obtaining 6 pieces of maki.
17- Repeat this process until you finish the 7 sheets of nori. Alternate vegetables as you wish.
18- To make the red bell pepper Nigiri, moisten your hands and form small balls in your hand. Shape it until you get a more elongated shape. Then just overlap a previously cut piece of pepper, covering the entire top of the nigiri. Repeat the process until all the peppers are used up.
19- To make the Tofu Nigiri, moisten your hands and take a small portion of rice. Form a small ball in your hands and start to flatten that ball so that it has the shape of the piece of tofu you are going to put on top. Place the piece of tofu and close with a strip of nori seaweed. To seal this strip, moisten the end. Repeat the process until all the tofu pieces are used up.
20- Take it to the fridge until it’s time to serve.
21- Serve with sweet and sour sauce, teriyaki from Bio Bandits and wasabi, if you like.
1- Start by washing the rice until the water comes out completely transparent.
2- Put the rice in a pan together with the water. Close the pan with the lid and let it boil. When it boils, reduce the heat to the minimum so that it continues to boil but without getting too hot. Do not remove the lid from the pan. Sushi rice requires steam to cook perfectly.
3- While you let the rice cook for 10 minutes, place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pan and heat to dissolve. Don’t let it boil. Once dissolved, remove from heat and reserve.
4- After the first 10 minutes of rice cooking, turn off the heat and let it cook with the pan still closed for another 10 minutes.
5- After the last 10 minutes, uncover the pan and place the rice on a glass or ceramic baking dish so that it starts the cooling process.
6- Pour the mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt on top, and mix with a spoon, so that all the rice is seasoned. In this process, avoid stirring too much so that the rice does not turn into a porridge. Once you have seasoned the rice, let it cool completely covered with a damp cloth.
7- While the rice is cooling, start by cutting the vegetables for the maki into thin strips, including the red cabbage.
8- Add a tablespoon of vinegar and two pinches of salt to the cabbage and massage for about 3 minutes to make it soft.
9- Put the red bell pepper to roast on the coals or on the stove burner, as you prefer to roast the pepper. Just make sure it’s roasted very well so that its texture is soft and malleable. After roasting, clean it well to remove all the burned skin. Cut it into small elliptical pieces, which don’t need to be too perfect.
10- Cut the tofu into 6 equal rectangles.
11- Put a tablespoon of sesame oil in a frying pan and when it is hot, place the tofu pieces and fry on one side and the other, until they are golden brown. Remove from frying pan and reserve.
12- In a bowl, place all the ingredients to make the Tofu Nigiri (except for the nori seaweed and the tofu). Mix well and pour into the frying pan. Gently place the tofu pieces into the frying pan and let them cook in the sauce. Gently stir and turn the tofu pieces until the sauce starts to thicken. This process is quick and needs to be done carefully so as not to break the tofu pieces. Remove the tofu pieces from the skillet by placing them on a plate so they do not overlap. Set aside.
13- Now that you have all the processes completed, take the bamboo mat and place it on a board, fill a small bowl with water and place it near the board, make sure you have a knife that makes clean cuts and moistens a cloth with water.
14- Start by making the maki, placing a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat, then moisten your hands with water, take a generous portion of rice with your hands, place it on the sheet of nori and fill in 2 thirds of the seaweed with rice, leaving only 1 third free to seal the sushi roll. Spread evenly to create an even layer of rice. Place some of the vegetables in strips about the middle of the rice-covered area. Don’t put too many vegetables, because then the rolling process becomes much more difficult.
15- Take the mat and start forming the sushi roll, pressing well so that all the ingredients are cohesive. As you roll it up, apply some pressure. When you reach the last third of the nori sheet, moisten it with water and finally close the sushi roll.
16- Moisten the knife with water and cut the sushi roll in half. Then cut each of the halves in 3, thus obtaining 6 pieces of maki.
17- Repeat this process until you finish the 7 sheets of nori. Alternate vegetables as you wish.
18- To make the red bell pepper Nigiri, moisten your hands and form small balls in your hand. Shape it until you get a more elongated shape. Then just overlap a previously cut piece of pepper, covering the entire top of the nigiri. Repeat the process until all the peppers are used up.
19- To make the Tofu Nigiri, moisten your hands and take a small portion of rice. Form a small ball in your hands and start to flatten that ball so that it has the shape of the piece of tofu you are going to put on top. Place the piece of tofu and close with a strip of nori seaweed. To seal this strip, moisten the end. Repeat the process until all the tofu pieces are used up.
20- Take it to the fridge until it’s time to serve.
21- Serve with sweet and sour sauce, teriyaki from Bio Bandits and wasabi, if you like.
*This recipe was supported by NaturallyGreen.pt
*You can find Teriyaki Sauce by Bio Bandits in the Naturally Green online store with a 10% discount whenever you use the code TAVG.
*Remember that to work with sushi rice, you always need to have wet hands and knife. The damp cloth always at your disposal will help you to clean your hands whenever necessary.
*You can replace the vegetables I used with others of your preference, and you can even make them with fruits if you prefer.
*This recipe was supported by NaturallyGreen.pt
*You can find Teriyaki Sauce by Bio Bandits in the Naturally Green online store with a 10% discount whenever you use the code TAVG.
*Remember that to work with sushi rice, you always need to have wet hands and knife. The damp cloth always at your disposal will help you to clean your hands whenever necessary.
*You can replace the vegetables I used with others of your preference, and you can even make them with fruits if you prefer.
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Tag @things_about_a_vegan_girl on instagram and hashtag it #thingsaboutavegangirl so we can see all the masterpiece you made!!!
Tag @things_about_a_vegan_girl on instagram and hashtag it #thingsaboutavegangirl so we can see all the masterpiece you made!!!