Vegan Sushi Recipe | Easy, Healthy (2024)

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How to make Vegan Sushi with plant-based ingredients – This recipe is gluten-free, healthy, delicious, and easy to make in many different ways. The Japanese sushi sandwiches (Onigirazu) are also great as a grab and go snack.

Who knew that making vegetarian sushi at home is so easy without fish! If you love Sushi but are on a plant-based diet, this easy vegan sushi recipe is perfect for you! It’s really super easy and fun to make, so even beginners can learn to make sushi quickly!

The ultimate vegan sushi guide

This Japanese sushi recipe is vegan, gluten-free, made with only plant-based ingredients, and is incredibly delicious. It’s also very healthy, rich in nutrients, and the perfect side dish or appetizer for a delicious, healthy lunch or dinner – no one will miss the fish!

You can choose if you prefer folding sushi sandwiches (onigirazu) or making the classic sushi rolls (maki). And if you can’t decide, simply make both version like I usually do!

Healthy Vegan Sushi Rolls and Sushi Sandwiches – Perfect as a snack or side dish for lunch or dinner!

When the weather gets warmer, I prefer eating a lot more fresh dishes, like colorful salads with a filling side dish or Buddha Bowls. And since I felt like making sushi again, I thought it would be great to share the recipe with you!

As you know, I love variety on my plate. So, in addition to the classic sushi rolls (maki), I also made sushi sandwiches (onigirazu) using the same ingredients. They are even faster to prepare and also great to take away. Since we were going on a trip, these sandwiches were just perfect. I simply wrapped them in bread paper and stored them in a lunch box. My friends loved them and I think onigirazu are a fun and healthy alternative to regular sandwiches made with toast or bread.

Vegan Sushi Ingredients

Basically, vegan sushi consists of cooked sushi rice soured with rice vinegar layered around a fresh filling of your choice, wrapped in a thin sheet of nori seaweed. For the filling, of course, you can use any vegetables and fruits, as well as sauces, tahini or spreads, depending on what you like and have at home.

For this sushi recipe, I chose a filling that I tried in a vegan restaurant some time ago: fruity-sweet mango with creamy avocado, fresh spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Together with the toasted walnuts and vegan herb cream cheese, it tastes amazing with all these different textures!

Of course, if you’re allergic to walnuts (or don’t like them), you can use another type of nut or substitutes with a nut-free alternative. Toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds, for example, are a great alternative. However, I recommend not skipping the toasted nuts or seeds, as they not only provide that extra “crunch”, but also an indispensable delicious nutty flavor.

Vegan sushi recipe variations

As mentioned earlier, you can also fill your sushi rolls and sandwiches with other vegetables and different ingredients as you like. Here’s a list of some ways you can prepare your vegan sushi:

tofu or tempeh
ginger and garlic
carrots
cucumbers
bell peppers
eggplants
cabbage
sprouts
sweet potatoes
lettuce
mushrooms

Just get creative and try different ingredients to see what combinations you like best! You can also make a colorful vegan sushi bowl with watermelon tuna or carrot lox!

How to make vegan sushi without fish!

As always, I recommend checking outtherecipe video and these step-by-step instructions first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Cook the sushi rice

First, cook the sushi rice in a pot or rice cooker according to package directions. Then let it cool and fluff up. Next, bring rice vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil in a small saucepan and fold it into the rice.

Step 2: How to make sushi rolls (maki)

Place a nori sheet on a sushi bamboo mat. Spread the rice evenly on it, leaving an approx. 0.5-Inch (1-2 cm) border at the top and bottom. Then top with toppings of choice (vegan cream cheese, spinach, avocado, mango, tomatoes and walnuts) and roll up using the sushi mat. Then cut the roll into equal sized pieces using a sharp knife.

Step 3: How to make sushi sandwiches (Onigirazu)

Place a nori sheet on a sushi mat and place the rice in the center as shown in the step-by-step pictures. Now top with the fillings and finish with another layer of rice. Then carefully fold the corners towards the center and press down to seal. Turn the sushi sandwich over and cut!

Step 4: Serve!

Now you can garnish your Vegan Sushi with scallions and sesame seeds if you like, and serve with a dumplings dipping sauce made with tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and maple syrup. Enjoy your meal!

How to store sushi?

To keep the preparation faster, you can cook the rice the night before.

Since vegan sushi does not contain raw fish, you can also store it unrefrigerated for some time. The sushi sandwiches can simply be wrapped in cling film or bread paper and taken in a lunch box.

Wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator, leftover sushi will keep for up to 3 days and can also be frozen. To keep the rice from getting dry and hard, it’s always good to spread it with a creamy spread.

What creamy spread can I use for the filling?

Other recipes that are also suitable for a vegan creamy filling are for example:

Hummus
Peanut Sauce
Cashew Dip
Vegan Mayonnaise
Cashew Ricotta
Guacamole
Ajvar (Red Pepper Dip)

Just get creative and try out different ingredients to find out which combination you like best.

These vegan sushi rolls and sandwiches are:

Vegan, Vegetarian
Fish-free
Gluten-free
Loaded with vegetables
Quick and easy
Healthy
Plant-based
Taste better than from the restaurant
Perfect as a side dish, appetizer or main course for lunch or dinner!

More Vegan Asian, Chinese, Japanese or Thai Recipes to try:

Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Vegan Pad Thai with Veggie Noodles and Tofu
Chinese Eggplant with Chili Garlic Sauce
Vegan Dumplings with Veggie Filling
Gluten-free Vegan Gyoza
Scallion Pancakes (Chinese Flatbread)
Asian Chili Garlic Noodles with Veggies
Crispy Sesame Tofu with Tahini Peanut Sauce
General Tso’s Tofu with Sweet-Sour Sauce
Asian Chili Garlic Noodles
Crispy Spring Rolls
Pan-fried Steamed Bao Buns

If you try this vegan sushi recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you take a picture of your sushi platter and share it on Instagram, feel free to tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your creations! Have fun trying this recipe! 🙂

Vegan Sushi Rolls + Sushi Sandwiches - Easy Recipe

Author: Bianca Zapatka

Ingredients

Ingredients (for 5 sandwiches + 2 rolls)

1 ⅓ cup (250 g) sushi rice
1 ½ cup (350 ml) water
1-2 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar or agave syrup
6 nori leaves

Filling/Toppings (of choice)

3 tbsp (50 g) vegan herb cream cheese homemade recipes are linked in the text above
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 avocado pitted and finely sliced
½ mango peeled, pitted and finely sliced
12 dried tomatoes finely chopped
3-4 tbsp (25 g) walnuts or other nuts/ seeds, *see recipe notes

For serving

1 recipe dipping sauce
scallions finely sliced
sesame seeds

Instructions

Note: I recommend checking out the recipe video + tips + step-by-step pictures above!*

Cook Sushi Rice

Add the sushi rice and water to in pot and bring to a boil according to package instructions. Then reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for about 10-15 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and let the rice steam out for about 5 minutes without a lid. Then transfer into a large bowl, spread it out a bit and allow to cool.
Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and bring to the boil until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Then let cool and fold into rice gently.

Prepare Filling/Toppings

Finely slice the veggies and prepare the other ingredients for your vegan sushi filling. Coarsely chop the walnuts and, optionally, toast briefly in apan for more flavor.

Sushi Rolls (Maki):

Place a nori sheet on a sushi bamboo mat. Spread the rice evenly on it, leaving an approx. 0.5-inch (1-2 cm border) at the top (as shown in the step-by-step photos above).
Top with toppings of choice (cream cheese, spinach, avocado, mango, tomatoes and walnuts). Moisten the nori ends with a little water and roll up using the sushi mat, applying a little pressure.
Finally, cut the roll into equal pieces with a sharp knife.

Sushi Sandwiches (Onigirazu):

Place a nori sheet on a sushi mat. Place about 1-2 tbsp of rice in the center of the nori sheet and flatten slightly. Then top with the toppings and optionally finish with another layer of rice.
Carefully fold the corners toward the center and press them together slightly with wet fingers. Flip the sushi sandwich over, bring it in shape, and let it sit for a few minutes before cutting in half.

Serve!

Garnish your vegan sushi with scallions and sesame seeds as desired and serve with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

If you like, you can also make a colorful vegan sushi bowl with watermelon tuna or carrot lox!
More helpful tips and information about this recipe such as suggestions for other fillings and alternatives as well as storing notes mentioned in the blog post above!

Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!

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