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Easy Vegan Sushi Recipe – delicious sushi bursting with quick pickled carrots and fresh vegetables topped in a spicy mayo sauce.
If you love vegan California rolls, cucumber rolls, or other sushi rills that don’t have any fish – you’re going to love this delicious recipe for vegan sushi you can make at home!
We’re also including a spicy vegan mayo sauce that is perfect with sushi – or in wraps and in sandwiches.
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do.
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Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!
Table of contents
Easy Vegan Spicy Mayo
This spicy mayo is perfect for sushi – but great in wraps and on sandwiches, too!
Vegan mayo can keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Spicy Vegan Mayo Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons sriracha, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, optional
- 1 teaspoon lime juice, optional
Mix all ingredients well, and use to top sushi!
Quick Pickled Carrots
These quick pickled carrots give a tart, fresh flavor to the sushi – in a fraction of the time you’d normally pickle carrots.
Quick Pickled Carrots Ingredients
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
How To Quick Pickle Carrots
- Place the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small, heatproof bowl.
- Microwave until the sugar has dissolved– about 2 minutes.
- Place the carrots in a large jar or other airtight container.
- Pour over the liquid mixture and transfer the carrots to the fridge to cool for at least ten minutes.
Perfect Sushi Rice
Since vegan sushi is reliant on only a few ingredients, it is essential to have perfect flavor for each.
Sushi Rice Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sushi rice (see notes)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
How To Make Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear– about 2 minutes.
- If using a rice cooker, add the rice and water and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- If using the stovetop, add the rice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave until the sugar and salt have fully dissolved– about 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture over the rice and stir the rice constantly for 5-7 minutes, or until it is cool to the touch. Cover with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use.
What Do You Need To Make Sushi
This sushi is pretty easy to make, but there are a few specialty things you need to be able to make sushi.
To find our top picks for each, please click my affiliate links below:
- Nori (seaweed sheets)
- Sushi Kit
- Sushi rice
Other Vegan Recipes
If you love vegan food – or you’re looking for delicious meat free dishes – we’re spotlighting more of our favorite vegan dishes below:
For our complete vegan recipe index, click here.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure to use a Japanese short grain rice (also known as “sushi rice”). It’s available in the international section of most grocery stores– you must use this rice.
Regular long grain or jasmine rice cannot be substituted.
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Easy Vegan Sushi Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- For the Quick Pickled Carrots
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
- For the Spicy Mayo
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons sriracha, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, optional
- 1 teaspoon lime juice, optional
- For the Sushi Rice
- 1 ½ cups sushi rice, see notes
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Sushi Filling
- 5 sheets of Nori
- Quick Pickled Carrot, from above
- 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- For the Quick Pickled Carrots
- Place the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small, heatproof bowl. Microwave until the sugar has dissolved– about 2 minutes.
- Place the carrots in a large jar or other airtight container. Pour over the liquid mixture and transfer the carrots to the fridge to cool for at least ten minutes.
- For the Spicy Mayo
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
- For the Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear– about 2 minutes.
- If using a rice cooker, add the rice and water and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- If using the stovetop, add the rice and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes.
- Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave until the sugar and salt have fully dissolved– about 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture over the rice and stir the rice constantly for 5-7 minutes, or until it is cool to the touch. Cover with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use.
- To Make the Sushi
- Wrap a sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap (this will help keep it clean).
- Place a sheet of nori on the rolling mat. Press about ? cup of sushi rice onto the mat, making sure to go all the way to the edges on three sides, but leaving about 1” of exposed nori on the side farthest away from you.
- Add a few slices of carrot, cucumber, and avocado to the nori on the side closest to you.
- Starting from the side closest to you, roll the Nori up over the filling and continue rolling (as tightly as you can) until you reach the end of the rice.
- Brush the last 1” of nori with water and then roll it to seal. Use the sushi mat to seal the roll tightly.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the sushi into 6-8 slices, depending on how large you like them. Garnish with sesame seeds and spicy mayo.
- Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
