One of my favorite foods is vegetable sushi. Most all sushi restaurants will have at least 1 vegan sushi rolls, so it can be a great place go for a healthy plant-based meal. I really wanted to learn how to make them from home, but was intimidated. Those sushi chefs train for years! So how on earth would I be able to do this and make it simple?
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How to make fool-proof vegetable sushi
After some searching on good ‘ole Amazon, I found my new best friend!
My husband likes to call it the “Sushi Pooper”. 🙂
It is AMAZING and you don’t have to have ANY sushi making skills to use it. Trust me, I’ve got no skills in that area.
This little device is fantastic and makes simple vegetable sushi without the hassle.
I got the whole kit that comes with the Sushi Bazooka, bamboo rolling mats, sushi knife, chopsticks, rice paddles, & bag to carry it in. It was only around $30 on Amazon!
They also have videos showing you exactly how to use it which was very helpful for a newbie like me.
What kind of rice to use for whole food plant based sushi?
While the pros recommend sticky rice for making sushi, that is a white rice which doesn’t have as much nutrients & fiber as brown rice. But you also have to have rice that is sticky enough so the rolls don’t fall apart.
Brown Jasmine Rice is sticky and works great to make these sushi rolls whole food plant based! I found brown jasmine rice at my Kroger in the Asian section, not in the rice/grains aisle for some weird reason.
Since it is so sticky, keep a bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers while putting the rice in the bazooka.
How to cut veggies for sushi
You’ll want to cut your veggies real small so they are like match sticks. That way they fit in the roll better. Otherwise it may get too thick and be difficult to cut through.
What vegetables to use for sushi rolls
I made my sushi using cucumber, carrots, & avocado, but you can use anything you want!
More veggies to use for sushi are spinach, hummus, red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, green onion, lettuce, pineapple, mango, apple, pear, and more. Get creative and make Mexican, Southwestern, Mediterranean, or Korean rolls. Give it some kick with sriracha or Thai peanut sauce! The combinations are endless!
Steps for making avocado cucumber sushi with the bazooka
Place cooked brown jasmine rice in bazooka
Use plunger rod to make indention for veggies in rice
Lay strips of veggies in indention
Place plunger rod on end before closing
Close and latch the bazooka
Twist & lock the end cap in place
Twist the plunger 5 times to compress the roll
Place 1 nori sheet on a bamboo mat
Remove the end cap & push the plunger to squeeze out the sushi roll onto the nori sheet
Roll the sushi up, then wet the edge of the nori wrap with water and seal closed
Place sushi on cutting board & slice into 1 inch pieces
Voila! Perfect veggie sushi every time!
How to make avocado cucumber sushi without the bazooka
I have no idea! I’m sure there are videos & tutorials online you can watch to learn how to make sushi without the bazooka, but I like to keep things simple and this little gadget is worth the $30 bucks on Amazon so I don’t have to spend time perfecting rolling techniques.
You can literally “poop” out sushi anytime you want with this little guy. I like to make a lot of rolls in advance and keep them in the fridge for snacking! If you use the avocado like I do, you’ll want to eat them up in a couple days since avocado gets brown & gross after a while. But if you leave out the avocado and just use carrots, cucumber & other veggies they can last for a week in the refrigerator!
More Plant Based Recipes You Might Like:
- Crispy Baked Veggie Spring Rolls
- Thai Red Curry with Tofu
- How to make Buddha Bowls
- Slow Cooker Red Lentil Curry
If you try this recipe, please comment below and let me know how it turned out for you!
Easy Cucumber Avocado Sushi Rolls
Equipment
- Sushi Bazooka
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry brown jasmine rice important to be jasmine so it's sticky
- 2-4 cups water plus extra for fingers
- 4 sushi nori wraps
- 3/4 medium avocado
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 carrot
For serving
- low sodium soy sauce for dipping
- pickled ginger
- wasabi paste
- sprinkle toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the brown jasmine rice. I like to use my Instant Pot. Cook at a 1:1 ratio on the rice setting, then do a quick release. If you don't have a Rice setting, cook for 4 minutes on high pressure, then let it slow release for 10 minutes. If cooking over the stove, use 1:2 ratio of brown rice to water. Bring to a boil, cover, then lower heat to simmer for 40-50 minutes.
- After the brown rice is finished cooking, let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool so you don't burn your fingers making the rolls.
- While the brown rice is chilling, chop your veggies. Chop them as thin as possible so they are like match sticks.
- Peel the carrot. Cut off ends and then cut the carrot in half. Slice the halves lengthwise. Then put the flat part on the cutting board to slice into then slices. Then cut the slices into thin matchsticks.
- Slice the 1/2 cucumber into matchsticks, same way as carrot.
- Slice thin lines in one half of avocado and then carefully scoop out with a spoon. Cut the avocado slices into thin strips.
- Place veggies on their own plate to work from when making sushi rolls.
To make sushi using the bazooka
- Set a bowl of water near by to wet your fingers with. Open Sushi Bazooka and remove plunger rod. Wet your fingers slightly to keep rice from sticking to them. Fill both sides of bazooka with cooked rice (about 1/2 cup-1 cup). (I put enough so it's level to the top; if you don't use enough rice it won't compact tight enough and can fall apart easier)
- Use plunger to make an indention on both sides of the rice.
- Fill the indention with your veggies as desired. I like to put carrot strips & avocado on the bottom indention (about 2 strips thick of each all the way down), then the cucumbers on the top side (about 2 strips thick all the way down).
- Place the plunger rod end in the thread of the bazooka, sticking out to the right.
- Holding the cucumber in place, close the bazooka & latch. Place the end cap on & twist to close.
- Twist the plunger rod 5 times to compact the roll.
- Lay 1 sushi nori wrap on a bamboo mat.
- Remove the end cap from the bazooka, then push the plunger to squeeze the roll out on to the nori wrap about 1 inch from the edge (not the middle), lining it up from right to left edges so it doesn't hang over.
- Now use the bamboo mat to roll the wrap up. Wet the edge of the nori wrap to stick it close.
- Transfer your roll on to a cutting board, and using a sharp sushi knife, slice into 1 inch rolls, wetting your knife in between each cut. Voila! You have sushi! Repeat 3 more times. (you may have veggies left over depending on how many you use)
- If desired, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds & serve with low sodium soy sauce, pickled ginger & wasabi paste.
Notes
Nutrition
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