Straightforward Vegan Sushi on the Stove

Who knew that making vegetarian sushi at home is SO UNFUSSY!? This Straightforward Vegetable Roll Sushi recipe is dependable for beginners, is made with simple ingredients and tastes SO worth the pot. You’re going to find yourself craving this method 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 entirely 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 dish! 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 from-scratch sushi, then I’m particularly excited to show you how unfussy this unfussy and walk you through how to make it.

We made this for quite a while with only rice and veggies (I also tried it once with vegan cream cheese which was great!). However, I always felt like I truly wanted some protein and more substance to this method. So, I added some simple sautéed tofu into the mix and OMG it truly 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 truly simple but genuinely savory 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 cook this method especially short) but if you’ve go the time, I HIGHLY suggest taking the take to saute it. The crispiness of the tofu + the savory sauce simply 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 cook this extra speedy and straightforward.
  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 genuinely only short grain rice. Short grain rice is what is most traditionally used in sushi. I DID give this a try, only 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 savory store bought vegan cream cheeses on the market now and A regular here 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 regular sushi filling, please let me know!

How to make kitchen-made vegan sushi

Besides the ingredients above, the only thing that you need is a sushi mat. You can get one on Amazon for only $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 genuinely like to cook mine in the instant pot but genuinely 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.

1. 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 simply 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 simply long enough to thicken. A REGULAR HERE the added flavor that the sauce adds to the sushi!

1. While all of that is cooking, I use the free time to slice up my veggies.
2. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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 dish, PLEASE please snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @! I always love to see what you’re making and how you like it!