Vegetarian sushi that is not just cucumber
Share
The short version: vegetable rolls fail when every filling has the same soft texture and no salt. Fix both. Put something crunchy and something salty or sharp in every roll, and roast at least one ingredient rather than using it raw.
Most vegetarian sushi is cucumber and avocado, which is fine, and after two pieces it is boring. The problem is not the absence of fish. It is that both fillings are soft, mild and wet, so the roll has one note and that note is damp.
The two rules
Every roll needs a crunch. Cucumber, carrot, pickled radish, toasted sesame, tempura flakes, thin raw asparagus. Something that gives way when you bite.
Every roll needs salt or acid. Fish brings both. Without it you have to add them: soy in the filling, miso, pickles, a little umeboshi, or good salt on the avocado.
Nine fillings worth using
- Roasted sweet potato. The single best vegetarian filling. Roast until the edges caramelise, cool, cut in batons. Sweet, dense, holds shape.
- Shiitake, braised. Simmer dried shiitake in soy, mirin and a little sugar. Deep savoury flavour, the closest thing to what fish contributes.
- Pickled radish. Yellow takuan. Crunchy, sharp, salty. Does three jobs at once.
- Tamago. Sweet folded omelette. Vegetarian, not vegan, and genuinely traditional.
- Asparagus, blanched 60 seconds. Still snappy, tastes green.
- Marinated tofu. Press it properly, then soy, ginger and sesame oil for an hour.
- Roasted red pepper. Skin off, cut into strips. Sweet and slightly smoky.
- Cream cheese and chive. Not traditional at all, and people eat it happily.
- Inari pouches. Sweet fried tofu, filled with rice. No rolling required.
Three combinations that work
Roasted sweet potato, avocado, toasted sesame. Sweet, creamy, nutty. The one I make most.
Braised shiitake, cucumber, pickled radish. Savoury, crunchy, sharp. Closest to a proper savoury roll.
Asparagus, tamago, a little soy. Green, sweet, salty, and it looks good in cross-section.
Vegetable fillings are also more forgiving to roll, because nothing slides. A good first evening if you have never made sushi.
Sushi Making Kit on Amazon $23.99 · 4.3★ from 293 ratings · profit pays for the care of FreemanQuestions
Is vegetarian sushi still sushi?
Yes. Sushi is defined by the seasoned rice, not by fish, so a cucumber roll is as much sushi as a tuna one.
What is the best vegetarian sushi filling?
Roasted sweet potato. It is sweet, dense enough to hold its shape when rolled, and it caramelises into something with real flavour rather than just texture.
How do I stop vegetarian sushi tasting bland?
Add salt or acid, which is what fish normally provides. Pickled radish, braised shiitake, soy in the filling or a little miso all work. Then make sure something in the roll is crunchy.
More: free sushi recipes and getting the rice right.