Sushi lovers, raise your hands! These Mushroom Avocado Sushi Rolls by Estonian food photographer and stylist Anett Velsberg are one of the best vegan sushi recipes I’ve tried this year. I love using mushrooms in sushi, especially when they’re marinated in tamari (gluten free soy sauce) for a deep savory flavor. The avocado makes them extra satisfying thanks to the healthy fats. The original recipe uses sushi rice, but I’ve included some grain free alternatives too.
If you’ve never heard of Anett before, definitely check out her beautiful Instagram profile! She currently lives in in Cape Town, South Africa but loves to travel the world for her work. In addition to styling and taking photos, she’s also passionate about creating healthy wholesome recipes that not only taste amazing but look delicious as well. We eat with our eyes after all, don't we?
And guess what: it was Anett’s birthday yesterday! Go & give her some Instagram love and let’s celebrate with a big plate of her delicious vegan sushi :)
Mushroom Avocado Sushi Rolls | Vegan, Gluten Free + No-Rice Ideas (Grain Free)
DIRECTIONS:
- Wash the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a pot with the water and kombu (this is optional), turn on the heat until it starts to boil and stir it with a wooden spoon. Once it starts boiling, cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat down to the lowest.
- Cook covered for 10 minutes or longer, until all the water has been absorbed. Turn the heat off and place a towel over the top of the pot so that no steam escapes. Leave to steam for 15 minutes.
- While the rice is steaming, make the sushi seasoning. Slightly heat all the ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Be careful not to boil. Let cool.
- When the rice is ready, gently spoon it into a wide bowl (wood or plastic, not metal) with a wooden spoon/spatula and pour the sushi seasoning over it evenly. Fold the rice gently to incorporate the seasoning and cool the rice.
- For the mushrooms, combine the sesame oil, garlic, mirin, tamari and maple syrup in a bowl and add the chopped mushrooms. Let marinate for 5 minutes, then cook on a medium heat until soft and caramelized, 5 minutes or longer. Leave aside.
- To make the rolls, place a nori sheet on a bamboo rolling mat, shiny side on top. Cover the nori with rice, using wet hands, leaving 2 cm empty on the top. I keep a bowl of cold water near as I roll to make the process easier.
- Arrange the vegetables and mushrooms in a line near the bottom of the sheet and roll up tightly, wetting the empty nori at the top so that it sticks together. Repeat with rest of nori sheets and vegetables, then cut the rolls into pieces and sprinkle sesame seeds over. Serve with tamari for dipping.
JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:
- These sushi rolls are best served fresh. You can store leftovers in the fridge for at least 2 days; just know that the nori seaweed will get softer.
- Some grain-free ideas to replace the sushi rice:
- use cooked quinoa or amaranth with the same seasonings,
- pulse cauliflower into ‘rice’ with a food processor,
- use sprouts like alfalfa,
- or just fill your nori sheets with more veggies & avocado!
Now I would love to hear from you! Do you love sushi too? What are your favorite fillings? Have you ever tried vegan sushi? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.
1. Where do you live?
I live in Cape Town, South Africa at the moment. I grew up in Tallinn, Estonia and moved to Amsterdam when I finished high school. Now I’ve been in Cape Town for two and a half years but will most likely move away soon again.
2. What sparked your interest in health & plant-based cooking?
My interest in veganism started one summer when I was living in Amsterdam - I was eating only fruits and veg from the market, and had swapped to soy milk months before that because I preferred the taste to regular milk. I’ve never eaten a lot of meat so that was off the table too. After a couple weeks, I realized how much better I was feeling. It wasn’t until a friend of mine asked me if I’d gone vegan (she had made the switch at the same time) that I realized that I was there too. Then I started to look more into it and realized why plant-based eating/cooking was better for the planet, animals and your health. As I was interested in cooking already then it completely opened my eyes to all the beautiful plant-based ingredients there are out there and how much you can actually do with it!
3. What used to be your favorite meal as a child? Any special childhood food memories or anecdotes?
I had lots of favorite meals - basically all typically Estonian dishes that my mom or grandmother made. One of my favorites was mashed potatoes with a sausage gravy - we used to shape it like a volcano so that the sauce oozes out of the mountain. Other than that, I also loved ‘pelmeni’ (boiled dumplings – you can find the recipe on Anett’s blog) and a berry whipped semolina porridge that is served floating in milk.
4. What are the ingredients you can’t live without?
Lemons and limes are definitely something I cannot live without - they are the perfect finishing note for a dish to add that bit of acidity.
5. What’s your typical breakfast, lunch, snack & dinner?
My most typical breakfast is a green smoothie and avocado on toast. The avocado toast has variations though depending on what we currently have in the fridge - most recently with fried tempeh, but also mushrooms or balsamic sautéed cherry tomatoes.
For lunch, I usually have a huge salad with a miso-tahini sauce. I keep a big jar of this sauce in the fridge so that I can quickly whip up a salad when I need it!
I usually snack on fruits and nuts throughout the day. Hummus is also a must-have!
For dinner, I like to have something comforting but with a healthy note - pastas, pizzas, big bowls of grains with vegetables and tofu.
6. What’s your favorite dessert?
I don’t really have dessert on a regular day - my most typical dessert is a slab of dark chocolate that I have after dinner. I love to bake tarts and brownies too - lemon curd tarts are currently my fave!
7. If today was your last day on earth, what would you eat?
Probably a whole lot of pickles.
8. Who and what inspires you?
I am most inspired by the gorgeous produce that I get to work with. There is nothing more beautiful than a box of super ripe, in season figs that just need to be made into something amazing.
9. Do you have any tips or tricks for anyone who is just starting on their health food journey?
Keep healthy snacks always with you - apples, bananas, nuts, raw balls, peanut butter, crackers, hummus and so on. I find that it is most likely that you’re going to slip and eat something unhealthy when you are just too hungry to care which is when these snacks will come to the rescue!
 | Inspiration: Anett Velsberg){kind=link}
First time I actually followed a recipe for vegan sushi. I made vegetable substitutions based on my supply. I really like the sauce in the rice. Thank you!