Who knew that making vegetarian sushi at home is SO EASY!? This Easy Vegetable Roll Sushi recipe is perfect for beginners, is made with simple ingredients and tastes SO so good. You’re going to find yourself craving this recipe ALL of the time.
UPDATE*** Many people have comment on social media that this is not sushi and is more directly similar to the Korean dish Gimbap. I totally understand that and appreciate the comments. My goal here was to recreate the sushi dish that I always get from a Japanese restaurant but simply swapping the fish with tofu to make it vegetarian. That same restaurant also serves something called tofu sushi so I was basing it off of that.
I can’t tell you HOW excited I have been about this recipe! I’ve loved sushi for a long time but I’m relatively new to making it myself at home. Honestly, it’s SO MUCH easier than I originally thought (especially this vegetarian version that doesn’t require you to deal with raw fish!).
If, like me, you’re new to homemade sushi, then I’m very excited to show you how easy this easy and walk you through how to make it.
We made this for quite a while with just rice and veggies (I also tried it once with vegan cream cheese which was great!). However, I always felt like I really wanted some protein and more substance to this recipe. So, I added some simple sautéed tofu into the mix and OMG it really takes this sushi up a notch.
First of all, I think you all know that I have so many tofu recipes. But also, I added a super simple but really flavorful sauce to the tofu that adds so much to the tofu rolls.
You could technically slices the tofu and add it to the sushi without cooking it (if you’re looking to make this recipe super quick) but if you’ve go the time, I HIGHLY suggest taking the take to saute it. The crispiness of the tofu + the savory sauce just greatly enhance this sushi recipe!
What’s in this simple vegetarian sushi
Firm/ extra firm tofu- that’s pressed (see my guide on pressing tofu HERE) and then cut into thin strips before being sauteed to add a nice crispy crust to it. You could add in uncooked tofu as well if you want to make this extra quick and easy.
Tempeh or other plant-based proteins are also good options here!
Tofu sauce – this is a simple mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, cornstarch, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic.
Cucumber
Carrot
Rice– I rice that I got from Whole Foods specifically labeled as “sushi rice” which is really just short grain rice. Short grain rice is what is most traditionally used in sushi. I DID give this a try, just for the sake of it, with long grain rice and it did NOT work out well at all. I’ve even seen people do this with quinoa and cauliflower rice although I have never tried either of those 🙂 I’ve never tried this with brown rice but feel free to try that out!
Nori sheets– you can find these seaweed sheets at most grocery stores and they’re relatively inexpensive! If all else fails, you can most certainly find them on amazon.
Avocado
Optional cream cheese– I didn’t use this in the sushi that you see in my photos/ video but I have tried it in place of the tofu and LOVE it. There are lots of delicious store bought vegan cream cheeses on the market now and I love it in sushi.
Other ideas– bell pepper, sweet potato, tempeh, radish, sprouts, sesame seeds, pickled onions and cucumber, red onion, jalapeno and so much more! If you have a favorite sushi filling, please let me know!
How to make homemade vegan sushi
Besides the ingredients above, the only thing that you need is a sushi mat. You can get one on Amazon for just $4 (affiliate link) and I highly recommend it if you plan to make sushi at home regularly. I’ve also seen them at Target and World Market.
Honestly, you can still roll the sushi WITHOUT the bamboo mat but I’ve found that it’s much harder to get a tight sushi roll.
To make the vegan sushi, start out by cooking your rice according to the packaging instructions. I really like to cook mine in the instant pot but really any method works. Once it’s cooked, place it in a bowl and put it in the fridge to cool down while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Next up we’re going to press our tofu (see HERE for my guide on pressing tofu), slice it into thin strips, and then saute it in just a little bit of oil. Once it has a crispy crust all around, we’ll add a simple sauce to the skillet and cook it just long enough to thicken. I LOVE the added flavor that the sauce adds to the sushi!
While all of that is cooking, I use the free time to slice up my veggies.
Once everything is ready, it’s time to assemble the sushi. See my video for exact specifics but let’s walk through it briefly. Ley your nori sheet on the sushi mat and cover it with a thin layer of rice leaving about an inch on ONE end clean. I usually use about 2/3 cup of cooked rice per nori sheet.
Next, neatly stack all of the toppings onto the rice. I put everything on the opposite end from the inch of clean nori that I didn’t put rice on. Next up, using the mat, fold the nori sheet over top of the fillings, pressing firmly down on the mat as you roll. The mat helps you get a nice and tight roll. Continue to roll until it’s rolled all of the way.
Now all that’s left to do is slice the roll into ~1 inch strips and ENJOY with some pickled ginger and wasabi!
AND that’s it for today! As usual, if you end up making this recipe, PLEASE please snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I always love to see what you’re making and how you like it!
Easy Vegan Sushi
Ingredients
Instructions
Video
Notes
*firm tofu will also work well
*this can be done without a sushi mat as well!
Nutrition
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