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Making sushi at home might seem intimidating, but it's actually pretty easy! With just a bit of practice, you'll be rolling beautiful and delicious vegan avocado sushi rolls that taste like they came from any of the top sushi restaurants. The best part? It's ready in under 30 minutes!
I love making this homemade avocado sushi recipe! They're a great option for lunch or dinner and are a hit with anyone I share them with. Making sushi at home always felt like something just out of my reach, but after I tried it for the first time, I realized that it wasn't as hard as I made it out to be in my mind.
These simple sushi rolls combine Japanese cuisine and delicious flavors for a meal that tastes just like your favorite sushi restaurant. With this easy sushi recipe, you will feel like a sushi chef in no time!
This easy avocado sushi roll recipe is one variety of sushi, and is made of sushi rice spread on nori sheets, filled with creamy avocado, rolled, and cut into pieces. Keep reading for a full recipe card with detailed instructions, tips, and ideas for making these mouthwatering homemade avocado rolls on a bamboo sushi mat.
Filled with the creamy flavor of avocado, savory rice, and seaweed, they are healthy, delicious, and super customizable. This recipe is guaranteed to impress your family and friends anytime you make it! So grab a bamboo mat and try homemade vegan sushi rolls today!
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Simple: Made with just a few affordable ingredients you probably have on hand!
- Quick: Assembly takes a little less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Customizable: Filling options are endless, so you can get creative.
- Plant-Based: This vegan sushi roll recipe is filled with healthy, nourishing foods like rice, seaweed, and veggies.
- Kid-Briendly: Mild flavors and fun shapes appeal to young palates.
- Impressive: Looks like gourmet sushi but is so easy to make yourself! Your family and friends will love this avocado sushi roll recipe!
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🥘 Ingredients
To create this vegan avocado roll recipe, you will need just 6 simple ingredients. Keep scrolling to see all the details on how to make vegan sushi at home!
- Avocados: The creamy texture of sliced avocado pairs perfectly with the rice and vegetables in each homemade avocado roll.
- Nori Seaweed Sheets: These thin sheets of dried nori seaweed add great ocean-y umami flavor to vegan sushi avocado rolls. Look for sheets that are smooth and free of holes or tears.
- Sushi Rice: This short-grain rice is sticky and has just the right texture for making these avocado hand roll when prepared properly. Look for rice labeled as sushi rice.
- Rice Vinegar: Adds just a touch of brightness to the rice. Combine it with sugar and salt to season the rice with a sweet-tangy flavor. You can also use sushi vinegar.
- To Serve: Serve with soy sauce, pickled sushi ginger, and wasabi! Use reduced-sodium soy for dipping avocado sushi rolls without over-salting the flavor.
🔪 How To Make Avocado Sushi Rolls
Perfectly cooked rice is key for making great homemade avocado rolls. Follow these step-by-step instructions to make your own sushi at home!
Wash Rice, Cook Rice: Place the rice into a strainer and wash under cold running water until the water becomes clear. Transfer the rice to a pot with the 3½ cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir, cover and cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is soft. The rice can also be made in a rice cooker.
Add Flavorings: While the rice is still hot add the vinegar, sugar and salt and gently stir through the rice.
Allow To Cool: Spread the rice in an even layer on a baking tray to cool to room temperature.
Make Sushi: Lay a sushi mat on a flat surface with the bamboo sticks running horizontally. Next, place a nori sheet with the shiny side down (rough side up) on top of the bamboo mat. Spread ½ - ⅔ cup of cooked rice over the sheet of nori in an even layer, leaving about ½ an inch of space at the edge furthest away from you. You can use the back of a spoon to smooth out the rice or a rice paddle.
Add Filling Ingredients: Arrange a sliced avocado layer down the center of the rice.
Roll Sushi: Take the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you and begin to roll it over the slices of avocado. Using your hands, tuck and roll the sushi firmly to form a long roll. Have a small bowl of water nearby and use a little water to dap on the edge of the nori sheet as you seal the homemade avocado roll.
Slice Sushi: Using a very sharp knife, cut the avocado salad roll into eight bite-sized pieces pieces on a cutting board. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Serve & Enjoy: Serve and enjoy this vegan sushi with avocado immediately!
💭 Expert Tips
- Use The Correct Rice: Use short-grain sushi rice and cook it properly for an ideal sticky texture to hold the avocado sushi rolls together.
- Make Sure Your Rice Is Cool: Before spreading your rice on the nori sheets, make sure it has cooled completely, otherwise it won't spread as well and may tear the nori seaweed sheets.
- Don't Overfill: Don't overfill your sushi avocado roll. 2-3 fillings maximum! Allows the avocado maki roll to be tightly rolled.
- Rolling Technique: Roll sushi gently but firmly on the bamboo mat. Too much pressure will squeeze out fillings.
- Use Sharp Knife: Slice each sushi avocado roll in one decisive motion with a serrated wet knife for clean cuts.
- Don't Cut While Still Warm: Rolls should be completely cooled before slicing to prevent rice from getting mushed and stuck to the knife.
- Serve Immediately: Enjoy avocado rolls immediately for the best flavor and texture.
📖 Variations
- Use Different Rices: Swap out traditional sushi rice with brown rice, black rice, riced cauliflower, or quinoa in your avocado rolls. Brown rice provides nutty flavor and fiber. Vibrant black rice makes striking purple rolls. Riced cauliflower is a gluten-free option. And protein-packed quinoa gives an extra nutrition boost. Simply cook and season any of these rice alternatives before assembling your avocado rolls. Keep in mind, they may have more of a tendency to fall apart since they aren't as sticky as sushi rice!
- Different Fillings: Mix up the fillings inside your homemade avocado rolls. Regular or vegan cream cheese and avocado make for a rich plant based pairing. Add thick strips of cucumber to make an avocado cucumber roll. Or try carrots, mango, and bell pepper for added crunch. You can also add tempeh, edamame, spinach, other veggies, or even crushed peanuts to make a peanut avocado sushi roll! If you don't need this recipe to be vegan, you can use thin strips of raw fish, spicy tuna, or salmon cubes for that classic sushi flavor.
- Flavor Boosts: Amp up the flavors of your avocado sushi rolls. Mix spicy mayo or sriracha into the rice. Top finished rolls with sesame seeds, fried onions, or sliced green onion. Serve with wasabi, or drizzle spicy mayo over cut rolls. Your taste buds will thank you for the extra flavor!
- Fun Roll Shapes: Get creative with fun shapes and styles of your homemade avocado rolls. Try inside-out rolls, hand rolls, sushi sandwiches, sushi pizza, sushi bowls, and custom shapes made using cookie cutters. You can even make California rolls and other classic styles right at home.
- Spicy Avocado Roll: For a vegan version of a spicy tuna roll, add a thin layer of spicy vegan mayo to your sushi rice before adding the avocado. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes on top of the avocado. Top with cubes of fried tofu for that meaty spicy tuna texture. Roll and serve!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Sushi Dinner: For a classic sushi experience, serve your sushi with a small dish of soy sauce, some pickled ginger, a dash of wasabi, and some miso soup on the side. These flavors will take your sushi to new heights! Sprinkle over some sesame seeds to extra crunch!
- Party Platter: Serve these sushi with other finger-friendly foods like my vegetarian wontons, vegan egg rolls, or my tasty miso mushrooms. An Asian-inspired spread that is sure to impress!
- For a Crowd: If you have a large crowd and many mouths to feed, serve these sushi with my vegetable fried rice, egg roll in a bowl, sweet sesame noodles, or my delicious vegan chow mein. Try out my gluten free stir fry sauce if you want to make your own noodle-based dish!
🫙 Storage Directions
Assembled rolls will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours (even though they are best eaten fresh). The rice and fillings can be made a day or two in advance and stored separately. Here's how:
To Meal Prep: Let the cooked rice cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Store cooked rice in a sealed container, separately from the fillings, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For the fillings, seal and refrigerate raw fish (if using) and veggies for up to 1 day. Avocado is best stored whole on the countertop, and sliced only when you're ready to assemble your sushi to prevent it from going brown.
Assembled Rolls: Separate roll layers with a damp kitchen towel in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. I also like to store the veggie sushi rolls wrapped in cling film (cling wrap). This way, I can just unwrap one, slice it up and enjoy! A sheet of plastic wrap is also the perfect size for wrapping around a sushi roll.
❓Recipe FAQs
How do you prepare avocado for sushi?
Keep the avocado whole until you are ready to fill the first sushi roll. Then simply cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and use a sharp or serrated knife to slice the avocado flesh into thin slices. Use a spoon to remove the slices before placing them on top of the rice in your sushi roll.
Is avocado sushi healthy?
Yes! Avocado sushi can be a healthy addition to your diet. Avocado sushi has under 400 calories for 6 pieces, is packed with healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, has a good amount of dietary fiber, and when stuffed with some plant based protein along with the avocado, can also be a good source of protein making it a well rounded meal!
Can vegans eat sushi?
Yes! Vegans can eat sushi as long as the rolls are made with plant based ingredients, no fish, and no eggs. Rolls made from fresh or roasted veggies, different grains, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds all work as vegan sushi options.
What is the difference between an avocado roll vs. a California roll?
An avocado roll is simply that: nori sheets filled with rice and avocados. It is vegetarian and vegan. A California roll, on the other hand, is filled with crab, avocado and cucumbers, and is not vegetarian or vegan.
What is the best rice to use for sushi rolls?
Look for short-grain Japanese rice labeled as sushi rice. Long grain won't have the right sticky consistency, and other types of rice won't hold together as well when spread on the nori sheets.
How do I prevent sushi rolls from falling apart?
There are a few things you can do to prevent your sushi from falling apart:
* Cook the rice properly. Be sure to rinse excess starch, use the right rice-to-water ratio, and season hot rice before assembling rolls.
* Don't overfill. When you're spreading your rice, you want to make sure to leave a space at the top of the nori sheet without rice.
* Gently squeeze the roll. As you roll your sushi, you want to gently squeeze the roll to tighten it and compress the rice, which will help your sushi roll hold together.
What is the easiest type of sushi to make at home?
Simple maki rolls, like this avocado rolls recipe, are the easiest to start with. Practice getting the technique down before trying more complex sushi.
