Easy Vegan Sushi Rolls (Ready in 30 Minutes)
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Cook35 min
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Total50 min
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Servings5
Browse all Vegan Dinner Ideas →238 plant-based recipes
How can you make restaurant-quality sushi rolls at home in under an hour? I’ve discovered that the secret is in preparation and timing. While your rice cooks for thirty minutes, you’re simultaneously prepping vegetables, so nothing sits idle. I steam the carrots for tenderness while the rice absorbs water, then season everything while it rests. By organizing your ingredients before you start, you’ll move smoothly from cooking to rolling. The entire process – from washing rice to slicing your finished rolls – takes roughly fifty minutes. Each step flows into the next, getting you restaurant-quality sushi quickly.
Vegan-Friendly Plant-Based Fillings
This vegan sushi roll recipe features a colorful array of plant-based vegetables and traditional sushi components that come together to create a satisfying and nutritious meal. The combination of fresh, crisp vegetables with seasoned sticky rice and crispy seaweed sheets provides excellent texture and flavor while remaining entirely free from animal products.
Ingredients:
Easy Vegan Sushi Rolls (Ready in 30 Minutes)
by veganpreps.com
Ingredients
- 2 cups (370 g) sushi short-grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) water
- 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 sheets nori (seaweed)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned into thin strips
- 1 medium cucumber, seeds removed and julienned into thin strips
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into thin strips
- 5 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
- Soy sauce and wasabi, to serve
Instructions
- 1Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine with 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 10 minutes.
- 2Whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Spread cooked rice into a wide bowl and fold in the vinegar mixture with a spatula. Fan to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- 3While rice cools, steam carrot strips for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Cut cucumber and avocado into thin strips about the same length as the nori sheets.
- 4Place a nori sheet on a bamboo sushi mat, shiny side down. Spread a thin, even layer of rice over the nori, leaving a 1-inch border at the far edge. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.
- 5Arrange carrot, cucumber, and avocado strips in a line across the near edge of the rice. Using the mat, roll tightly away from you, pressing firmly as you go. Seal the edge with a little water. Repeat with remaining sheets.
- 6Using a sharp wet knife, slice each roll into 8 pieces with a single smooth cut per slice. Serve immediately with soy sauce and wasabi.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Adjust seasoning to taste after reheating, as flavors can mellow during storage.
I always check that the soy sauce I use is vegan, since some brands have non-vegan additives or processing agents. I also make sure the seaweed sheets come from suppliers that use vegan production methods. For the vegetables, I pick firm avocados that give a little when I press them and grab crisp, unblemished cucumbers and carrots. Using high-quality sushi rice that’s specifically labeled for sushi-making helps me get the right texture and stickiness so the rolls hold together properly while I’m making and serving them. A quality bamboo sushi rolling mat* makes the process of forming and shaping each roll much easier and more efficient.
Prepare Rice and Vegetables
Begin by washing 2 cups of sushi short-grained sticky white rice thoroughly. Add water to a container and stir the rice in a circular motion for 10 seconds, then drain the water completely. Repeat this process two more times, making sure all water is drained before transferring the rice to a pot. Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot, place the lid on, and turn the heat to high. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the flame to low and cook the rice for 30 minutes. After cooking, turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit in the covered pot for an additional 10 minutes to finish steaming.
While the rice is cooking, I prep the vegetables. Peel 1 whole carrot and slice it into long, thin pieces. Wash 1 whole cucumber and cut it to approximately the width of the seaweed sheets, then slice it into thin pieces. For the 1 whole avocado, slice it in half and twist the two halves apart. Remove the pit with a knife and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon, then slice it into thin pieces.
Place 1 whole carrot in a steamer pot with some water and steam for 7 minutes after steam begins to rise. Check that the carrot is soft yet still intact by poking it with a knife. Once the rice finishes cooking, I make the sushi dressing by combining 6 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a small bowl. Dissolve the salt and sugar into the vinegar with a small spoon, then mix this dressing into the cooked rice using a rice paddle.
Try Spicy Sriracha Mayo
While your basic vegan sushi rolls are delicious on their own, you can make them even better by creating a spicy sriracha mayo that adds heat to every bite. I mix vegan mayo with sriracha sauce to make a creamy, spicy condiment that works really well with the fresh vegetables. Mix equal parts mayo and sriracha in a small bowl, then adjust how spicy it is based on what you like. You can drizzle this sauce right onto your rolls or serve it on the side for dipping. The combination creates restaurant-quality rolls – the kind that’ll impress anyone you serve.
Pickled Ginger Adds Tangy Flavor
Beyond the spicy kick of sriracha mayo, you’ll want to think about pickled ginger as another classic sushi accompaniment that brings a bright, tangy flavor to your rolls. I find that pickled ginger cuts through the richness of avocado and refreshes your palate between bites, making each piece taste fresh. You can buy pre-made pickled ginger at most grocery stores, or make your own by slicing fresh ginger thinly and marinating it in rice vinegar and sugar. The tangy flavor works great with your vegetable rolls, and it’s traditionally served alongside soy sauce and wasabi for the full sushi experience.
Final Thoughts
Making your own vegan sushi rolls at home is easier than you’d think, and once you’ve mastered the basic rolling technique, you’ll find yourself creating variations that suit your taste preferences perfectly. I’ve found that practice makes the rolling smoother and tighter each time. Don’t worry if your first attempts aren’t perfect – they’ll still taste delicious. The key is keeping your hands slightly damp and applying consistent pressure while rolling. You can experiment with different vegetables, swap the rice vinegar ratio, or try alternative grains. Once you’ve made a few batches, you’ll develop your own style and preferences that make these rolls uniquely yours.
