Craving sushi without the fish? Try this fresh, delectable Vegan Sushi! These rolls have got it all, proving that this Japanese dish (or rather, art form!) is perfectly adaptable no matter what the filling. Savory, flavor-popping marinated tofu joins crunchy veggies and tender sushi rice to make a craveable roll filling. Top it off with Japanese BBQ Sauce and it tastes like a dream! Our whole family loves these, including our 6 year old who proclaims them his “favorite.” Here’s how to make homemade vegan sushi!
What to know about vegan sushi
Many sushi restaurants and grocery stores have vegan sushi options, like cucumber rolls, avocado rolls, kabocha squash rolls, and more. You can also make homemade vegan sushi using fillings like tofu and other vegetables. It’s a fun challenge and the results are fantastic: it’s fresh and bursting with savory flavor. Before you make sushi at home, we recommend checking out this Sushi Rolls post from our friends over at Just One Cookbook, a website that specializes in authentic Japanese recipes!
Ingredients for tofu sushi
Many vegan sushi rolls contain vegetables only: cucumber, avocado, beets, and so forth. However, we wanted this vegan sushi recipe to have protein so it’s more satiating. Enter: tofu sushi! Using marinated tofu as the filling makes it super filling and full of umami. Here’s what you’ll need for this tofu sushi recipe:
Sushi rice: It’s important to use this short grain style of rice for sushi. Don’t substitute any other type of rice. Nori paper: Seaweed paper is easy to find at your local grocery near the Japanese ingredients. Again, no substitutes here! Tofu: Use extra firm tofu for the best results with this tofu sushi. Soy sauce: Use regular soy sauce for best flavor, or substitute with tamari or coconut aminos (for gluten-free) Toasted sesame oil: Make sure the bottle says “toasted,” which adds a strong sesame flavor; do not use sesame oil, which has a neutral flavor Sriracha: It’s optional, but we like adding a little heat to the tofu marinade Fresh ginger: Fresh ginger adds a spicy, zingy flavor to the tofu Carrots Red onion Cucumber: An English cucumber is best here, since it has edible seeds and peel. This long, thin variety is preferable over the standard cucumber, which has a more bitter peel and larger seeds. Seasonings: Rice vinegar, sugar and salt For serving: Japanese BBQ Sauce or other sauce, soy sauce, wasabi
Tips for making vegan sushi
Making homemade vegan sushi is simple in concept, but there are several steps to manage. It takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours to complete this recipe. Don’t attempt this as an easy weeknight meal! It’s more suited as a fun weekend project or date night idea. Here are a few steps for how to make tofu sushi:
Find a partner. This recipe is easiest with a friend or partner to help! We highly recommend making it with someone. Get a sushi rolling mat (or find an alternative). To get those perfect tight rolls, you need a sushi rolling mat. You can also use any flat roll-able object, like a flexible placemat or even a towel. Or, here’s a sushi rolling mat that’s very inexpensive: Sushi making kit $8 Cook, season and cool the sushi rice. A good sushi recipe is all about the rice! Once it’s cooked, you’ll dump it onto a baking sheet and toss with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Toss it with a spatula to help cool it down, then spread it in a single layer on the sheet. Within about 5 minutes it will be room temperature and ready to use. Be confident when rolling. Rolling sushi can be intimidating at first. But a sushi recipe is like pancakes: the first one isn’t so pretty, but still tastes good! You’ll get the hang of it as you go. Use your sushi rolling mat to get the roll started, then roll just with your fingers. Make sure to give it a bit of pressure, which will make for a tight sushi roll. (See this sushi rolling video!)
Serve with Japanese BBQ sauce or another sauce
This vegan sushi recipe is tasty as is, but the flavor is pretty mild. So we recommend drizzling it with Japanese BBQ Sauce before serving. This brings an intense umami flavor to the rolls, making them taste even more satiating. We used Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce, which is vegan (and very delicious!). Alternative sauces here? Try Spicy Mayo using vegan mayonnaise, or another sauce of your choosing.
Sides to serve with vegan sushi
How to make vegan sushi into a meal? Serve with edamame or spicy edamame! Or, try a miso soup: to keep it easy, we like grabbing the dry packets at the store.
More vegan recipes
Love eating vegan? Here are a few more vegan recipes you’ll love:
Try these 50 Easy Vegan Recipes or 30 Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes Go for Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip or more Vegan Appetizers Make Vegan Ice Cream (Dairy Free!) Try Vegan French Toast or more Vegan Breakfast Ideas
This tofu sushi recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. 5 from 2 reviews
2 cups uncooked sushi rice ¼ cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the marinated tofu
12 to 16 ounces block of extra firm or firm tofu ¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos) 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar 1 teaspoon Sriracha (optional) ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
For the sushi
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into strips 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons water ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 5 sheets sushi nori Japanese BBQ Sauce, to drizzle (or Spicy Mayo or another sauce, required!*) Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, for serving
