These vegan tofu sushi rolls with quick-pickled onions and spicy mayo feel like a special-occasion treat, but are surprisingly simple to make. (No special equipment needed!)
Making vegan sushi at home is shockingly simple. All you need is some freshly cooked rice, colorful veggies, crispy tofu, and nori (dried seaweed). And no, you don’t need a rice cooker or even a sushi mat!
Homemade tofu sushi rolls are one of my favorite weeknight dinners. I pour myself a glass of wine, play some fun tunes, and have myself a little kitchen party while I make the rolls. Even though the whole process takes all of 15 minutes, it’s still a nice way to wind down from the day.
What’s In These Tofu Sushi Rolls
Instead of raw fish, these vegan rolls have crispy fried tofu, crunchy raw cucumbers and carrots, quick-pickled red onions, and seasoned rice, all wrapped up in nori. Although I wouldn’t claim these rolls are “authentic”, I’d say they’re more like Korean gimbap than Japanese sushi rolls.
Ingredient Notes + Variations
The Rice: Sushi is usually made with medium- or short-grain white rice (often labeled “sushi rice”). Although I typically advocate for the health benefits of brown rice, here I recommend white because it’s stickier and softer. Brown rice can be more difficult to work with while rolling sushi.
The Tofu: I use extra firm tofu here, which I press, season with salt and pepper, and sear in a skillet until golden brown and crispy; details below.
The Veggies: I love how the freshness of raw carrots and cucumbers balances out the “meaty” tofu. But you can definitely get creative with these sushi rolls and use: roasted sweet potatoes, mango, avocado, scallions, thinly sliced and sauteed shiitake mushrooms, cilantro, and even thinly sliced purple cabbage.
The Quick-Pickled Onions: Pickled veg adds a brightness to vegan sushi rolls that sort of mimics the brininess of raw fish. You can also try quick-pickled carrots or daikon here. Or substitute with kimchi.
The Nori: Sushi-size seaweed wraps are available in many supermarkets these days. You can also find them at Asian markets and online.
The Spicy Mayo: I like to dip these nori rolls in spicy mayo as well as in soy sauce. It adds the richness that you’d otherwise get from raw fish in traditional sushi.
How to Make Sushi Rice
There are a lot of ways to prepare rice for sushi/gimbap. Here’s the technique that works for me…
- Simmer. First, combine rinsed rice with water and salt in a pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer until all the water is absorbed (15-20 minutes). DO NOT STIR while it’s cooking, as you’ll risk ending up with sticky, mushy rice.
- Steam. Next, turn the heat off and let the pot stand covered for 10-15 minutes more, still not stirring. This moment allows the steam in the pot to get absorbed by the rice, resulting in fluffy, not mushy rice.
- Season. Finally, sprinkle on seasoned rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil, and toss to coat the rice. Seasoning rice makes a subtle but important difference in sushi.
How to Make Crispy Tofu For Sushi
There are two main elements to making the crispiest tofu possible: pressing the tofu before cooking + not touching it while it sears.
To press tofu (without a designated tofu press), place the block on a plate, then top it with another plate or cutting board, and weigh it down with something heavy (like a couple of cans). Let this contraption stand for 15-30 minutes, periodically draining off the water that pools at the bottom of the plate. Getting rid of this excess moisture is key to getting that golden brown crust.
Next, slice the tofu into slabs and season with salt and pepper. Cook the slabs over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy, which takes at least 10 minutes per side. Resist the urge to move or flip the tofu before it’s ready.
How to Make Tofu Sushi In Advance
Store leftover vegan sushi rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the rolls whole (not sliced) until you’re ready to eat them; otherwise, the rice will dry out. I like to bring tofu sushi to room temperature before eating (or just pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds).
More Takeout-Inspired Recipes…
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
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Vegan Crispy Tofu Sushi Rolls
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–7 rolls 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese/Korean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan sushi rolls with crispy tofu and fresh veg feel like a special-occasion dinner, but are actually quite easy to make. No special equipment needed!
Ingredients
- 2 cups medium- or short-grain white rice, rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- One 14-ounce package extra firm tofu
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, divided
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil, like avocado, organic canola, or refined coconut
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- Hot sauce, to taste
- 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick batons
- 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch-thick batons
- 6–7 sushi-size nori sheets
- Soy sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Cook rice. In a medium pot, combine the rice with 3 cups water and set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Then add 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes (do not stir during cooking). Turn the heat off and let the rice stand covered for 10 more minutes to steam.
- Press tofu. Drain the tofu and place on a plate, then top with another plate or cutting board, and weigh it down with something heavy (like a couple of cans), to squeeze out as much water as possible (or use a tofu press if you have one). Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes, periodically draining off the water that pools in the plate.
- Pickle onions. In a bowl or jar, combine 1/2 cup vinegar with 1/3 cup water. Add the onions, making sure they’re fully submerged, and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Season rice. While the rice is still hot, add 2 teaspoons sesame oil and the remaining 3 tablespoons rice vinegar. Using a wooden spatula, gently toss the rice. Let stand uncovered until cool enough to handle.
- Cook tofu. Cut the tofu lengthwise into 8 slabs. Lay the slabs side by side on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tofu seasoned side down in the skillet in a single layer; season the top-facing side. Cook until crispy and golden brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes, then flip and brown the other side. Transfer tofu to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Make spicy mayo. Combine the mayo with hot sauce to taste, starting with 1-2 teaspoons and working your way up, depending on how spicy you want it.
- When the tofu is cool enough to handle, slice each slab in half, making 16 batons total.
- Roll sushi. Lay 1 piece of nori on a work surface, shiny side down. Place about 3/4 cup rice in the center. Using wet hands, gently spread the rice all the way to the edges, leaving a 1-inch border at the top. Place 2 tofu batons on the bottom third of the rice, followed by a few pieces of carrot, cucumber, and pickled onions. Take the bottom edge and tightly roll over the fillings, continuing to roll up. Brush the top border with a wet finger and roll over the border to seal the roll. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
- Serve. Using a very sharp knife, cut each roll crosswise into 8 pieces. Serve with the spicy mayo and soy sauce.
Notes
- Quick-pickled onions will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Store leftover rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the rolls whole (not sliced) until you’re ready to eat them; otherwise, the rice will dry out.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll, without spicy mayo
- Calories: 390
- Fat: 10.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.7 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
Danban says
There is no way 1 roll of these is 400 calories.
Alexandra says
Hi there! If you use these ingredients to make 6 rolls, it does come out to 390 calories/roll. Here’s the tool I use for nutrition info: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Tami says
My kids are OBSESSED with this recipe! We made it twice already. I used the leftover onions on a rice bowl..