Somewhere, in the deep recesses of my kitchen drawers, lies a sushi rolling mat. I have used it once, perhaps five years ago, during my first and last attempt at rolling sushi at home. I made some lumpy rolls that day. Sushi is an art form, and it’s not a picture I can paint.
Homemade sushi bowls are the answer to my sushi-at-home conundrum. There’s no rolling involved, which means they’re much easier to make. You can get quite creative with your ingredients, too, since we’re simply piling them on top rather than rolling them up. Best of all, these fresh but hearty bowls keep me fueled for hours.
These sushi bowls start off with rice, of course, mixed with toasted, crumbled nori (the green seaweed casing for sushi rolls) and some vinegar, soy sauce and sweetener. I opted for brown rice rather than white, which offers more fiber and some lightly nutty flavor. Then, I topped the rice with edamame for protein, creamy avocado slices, short cucumber matchsticks and carrot ribbons, made with my vegetable peeler.
The real kicker is the spicy mayo sauce drizzled on top, made simply with sriracha stirred into mayonnaise. It transforms the bowl from “tasty health bowl” to, “I want to eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I don’t see why not?” territory.
If you appreciate sushi at restaurants and would like to try a loose variation at home, give this one a a try. I love it and hope you do, too!
More Fresh Bowls to Make
If you enjoy these sushi bowls, try these recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowl
- Farmers’ Market Bowl with Green Goddess Sauce
- Mango Burrito Bowls with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce
- Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Bowls
- Spicy Sweet Potato and Green Rice Burrito Bowls
Please let me know how your sushi bowls turn out in the comments. I love hearing from you.
Veggie Sushi Bowls
- Author:
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegetarian
This recipe tastes like vegetarian sushi rolls, but in simplified bowl form! The spicy mayo sauce really takes it to another level. Feel free to play with the toppings to make this bowl taste like your favorite roll. There are a few steps involved, but each one is super simple. Recipe yields 4 sushi bowls, which keep well for leftovers (for best results, slice the avocado just before serving).
Scale
Ingredients
Rice and seasonings
- 2 cups short-grain brown rice, rinsed well
- 1 sheet dried nori (about 8″ square)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar or agave nectar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Spicy mayo sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha or chili-garlic sauce, to taste
Everything else
- 2 cups frozen edamame
- 2 large carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- 1 avocado, sliced into long strips
- 1 small cucumber
- Recommended garnishes: sesame seeds (preferably black) and pickled ginger
Instructions
- To cook the rice: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, pour in the rinsed rice and give it a stir. Boil the rice for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and drain the rice. Return the rice to the pot and cover the pot. Let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
- To prepare the rice seasoning: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the rice vinegar, tamari, sugar and salt. Warm the mixture, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and toss with rice once it’s done steaming.
- To toast the nori: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the sheet of nori until it’s become crisp enough to crumble easily, flipping halfway, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and tear it into quarters. Crumble each piece into very small pieces in your hands over the rice and drop it into the pot. Stir the nori into the rice and set the rice aside to cool.
- To cook the edamame: Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the frozen edamame and simmer just until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- To prepare the spicy mayo sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl until well blended. Add more sriracha if you’d like a spicier sauce.
- To prepare the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard them. Then slice the halves into 2-inch long pieces and slice them into matchsticks.
- Divide the rice between four bowls. Top with edamame, carrots, avocado and cucumber. Drizzle chili-mayo sauce on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with pickled ginger on the side.
Notes
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce (tamari is typically gluten free, but check the label to be sure).
▸ Nutrition Information
