Veggie Sushi Bowl with Tofu and Spicy Mayo

This veggie sushi bowl with tofu and spicy mayo is a filling and delicious vegan dinner option! All of the components of a typical vegetarian sushi roll are tossed together and paired with a spicy mayo. Cooked white rice forms the base and is mixed with diced cucumber, carrot, roasted seaweed, and crispy tofu. Sliced avocado and a drizzle of spicy mayo finish the dish. Enjoy this sushi bowl recipe anytime you need a delicious vegan and gluten free meal option!

I love the magical time of year when late winter, spring, and early summer crops overlap because it means that two of my favorites, cucumbers and carrots, are both in season at the same time. Their contrasting flavors and textures complement each other so well! Last year I paid homage to their union with this salad so this year, I paired them together in this veggie sushi bowl with spicy mayo that I’ve been making on repeat.

What is a Sushi Bowl?

This recipe takes all of the components of a typical vegetarian sushi roll…and just puts them in a bowl! Rather than rolling up the ingredients, we’re adding them to a bowl. Cooked white rice is mixed with diced carrots, cucumber, pan-fried tofu, and crumbled roasted seaweed. Each bowl is topped with sliced avocado and a drizzle of homemade mayo. All of the components are really great for meal prep and can be made ahead of time. And, there’s only 10 ingredients in this whole recipe, including the sauce!

Why You Should Make This Veggie Sushi Bowl

• You get all of the flavors of a vegetarian sushi roll without having to order takeout or invest in equipment to make your own sushi.
• You can make a filling bowl and accompanying sauce with only 10 ingredients (not including the water and sea salt).
• It’s the perfect way to celebrate the pairing of carrots and cucumbers.
• It’s really darn delicious!

Grab These 10 Ingredients

Note: you’ll also need water and salt in addition to the ingredients below!

• White Jasmine Rice — this forms the bulk of the bowl. I prefer a white rice here for flavor and a quicker cooking time. Feel free to use brown rice if you prefer!
• Coconut Oil — you’ll use some in the rice and the rest to pan-fry the tofu. You can use avocado oil in its place if you don’t like the flavor of coconut oil.
• Extra-Firm Tofu — adds protein to the sushi bowl. Make sure to use an extra firm tofu for the best texture. I recommend pressing it before pan-frying for the best browning results.
• Cucumber, Carrot, and Avocado — this veggie trio is typically the basis for most vegetarian sushi rolls. The add flavor, color, and texture to the bowl.
• Roasted Seaweed Snacks — I love crumbling these up as a topper for the bowl as a nod to the seaweed used in sushi rolls. You can use either the small snack packages of roasted seaweed or the larger sheets.
• Vegan Mayo — forms the base of the sauce. If you don’t need the dish to be vegan, feel free to use regular mayo.
• Tamari — adds a salty, umami bite to the sauce. Tamari is typically gluten free but if this is not a concern for you, feel free to use your favorite soy sauce.
• Sriracha — gives the mayo a spicy flavor. I like the sauce made with 2 tablespoons of sriracha but feel free to add as much or as little as you like! This is my favorite one.

How to Make This Veggie Sushi Bowl

The base of this sushi bowl is the rice. Rather than making “sushi” rice, we’re simply cooking up some white jasmine rice. You’ll add the water, rice, and some coconut oil to a pot, bring it to a boil, give it a stir, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat, keeping the lid on it for an additional 5-10 minutes to allow the rice to steam.

While the rice is cooking, pan-fry the tofu. It’s best if the tofu has been pressed beforehand to release a lot of the water, but if you forgot, no worries! Our goal with the tofu is mostly to create a little color and take the raw edge off. Once the tofu is starting to turn golden brown you’ll remove it from the heat.

Before assembling, you’ll do a fine dice on your carrots and cucumbers (see the photo above). You’ll also whisk together the three sauce ingredients until smooth. And, you’ll crumble up your roasted seaweed. Once you’re ready to eat, mix the diced carrots and cucumbers into the rice along with the crumbled seaweed and the cooked tofu. Top the bowl with some sliced avocado and drizzle it with your sauce. Eat and enjoy!

FAQs

• Do I need to press the tofu? Pressing the tofu helps remove some of the moisture and make it easier to get some browning action in the pan when cooking it. However, if you’re short on time or not feeling up to it, you can omit this step! Your tofu will still cook in the pan, but it won’t brown as easily.
• Can I use pre-cooked rice? Of course! I’m all about taking shortcuts to make a recipe better suited to your own needs. I prefer a white rice here, but I’ll leave that up to you.
• Where can I get the roasted seaweed? Roasted seaweed snack packs and roasted seaweed sheets are commonly found on the “International Foods” aisle of grocery stores here in the States. At my grocery store, the snack packs are actually on a different aisle with other snacky foods.

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