Avocado Peanut Sushi Rolls

Makes 4 rolls

These avocado peanut sushi rolls are the ones you make when you don’t want to cook anything. No steaming, no simmering, no mashing — just roasted salted peanuts and ripe avocado rolled into perfect little bites. In Veganomicon they are called Elephant Rolls, which is a great name and you should feel free to use it at your next sushi party.

The combination sounds almost too simple but it really works. The crunch of the peanuts against the creaminess of the avocado is exactly what you want in a sushi roll. If you want to give them a little razzle dazzle, tuck in a few leaves of fresh basil or Thai basil. It adds a little extra pop or fresh flavor, but only if you feel like it.

These are also great vegan sushi rolls to make alongside the Spicy Tempeh Sushi Rolls and the Sweet Potato Shiitake Sushi Rolls for a full sushi party. The rice recipe is the same for all three.

There are a few steps to making nori rolls and the rolling itself has a small learning curve. Your first roll might not be perfect. It will still taste great. By roll number four you’ll feel like a pro.

_{Photo by Kate Lewis}

What You Need to Roll Vegan Sushi

A bamboo sushi rolling mat is the one non-negotiable. You can find one at Asian grocery stores, kitchen stores, or online for just a few dollars. Everything else you probably already have:

A large glass or ceramic bowl for the rice. Metal can react with the vinegar.

A wooden spoon or rice paddle for folding the rice.

A very sharp serrated knife for slicing. A dull knife will smash the rolls instead of cutting them cleanly.

A small shallow cup for the vinegar water you’ll keep at your workstation.

Plastic wrap if you want to make inside-out rolls.

That’s it. Now let’s make rice.

Perfect Sushi Rice And You

The rice is the foundation of everything, so let’s get this right. Use sushi rice, not regular white rice. It has the right starch content to hold together when rolled. The vinegar seasoning is what gives sushi rice its characteristic flavor. Use brown rice vinegar for the perfect flavor, and season the rice while it’s still hot so it absorbs properly.

The rice should be slightly warm when you work with it, never cold. Cold rice is stiff and hard to spread and will crack when you roll. Make the rice right before you roll. Sushi rice waits for no one.

This is How We Roll Vegan Sushi

Moisten your hands with the vinegar water before handling the rice so it doesn’t stick. Scoop a scant 1 cup of rice, pat it gently together, and spread it onto the bottom two thirds of the nori sheet in a layer less than a third of an inch thick, all the way to the edges. Less filling is easier to roll than more. You’ll figure out your sweet spot.

Roll from the rice end, keeping your grip firm. When you reach the bare nori at the top, pat it with a little vinegar water to seal. Press the roll gently to seal it all up, then slice with a very sharp serrated knife into 1-inch pieces. You’ve got this.

If you want to roast the nori first for extra flavor, hold each sheet with tongs over a gas flame for 2 to 3 seconds. Not essential but very good.

How to Make Inside-Out Sushi Rolls (And Brag About It)

Impress your friends with rice on the outside! Spread the rice as usual on the nori. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Now we are going to flip it. Slide your hand underneath the bamboo mat, rest your other hand on top of the plastic wrap, and in one quick motion flip everything upside down. Remove the mat from underneath and place it on your counter. Put the nori and rice plastic wrap side down on the mat. Add your fillings on the nori side, roll using the mat to press firmly, peeling away the plastic wrap as you go. Once rolled, coat the outside of the inside-out roll by rolling it in sesame seeds for the full effect.

Where to Find Sushi Ingredients

Brown rice vinegar, sushi rice, nori, and black sesame seeds are available at Japanese or Asian grocery stores or in the ethnic foods aisle of most larger grocery stores. You know where to find avocado and peanuts.

This recipe originally appeared in Veganomicon. They were called Elephant Rolls 🙂

Make It A Vegan Sushi Party!

Spicy Tempeh Sushi Rolls

creamy, spicy, the vegan answer to a spicy tuna roll. The PPK original.

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Sweet Potato Shiitake Sushi Rolls

mashed yam and soy-simmered shiitake with that perfumed mirin quality. The most interesting roll on the table.

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Avocado Peanut Sushi Rolls

Avocado peanut sushi rolls with roasted salted peanuts, creamy avocado, and optional fresh basil. Simple, satisfying, and no cooking required beyond the rice. From Veganomicon.

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Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Sushi

Cuisine Sushi

Servings 4 Sushi Rolls

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Sushi Rice:

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar plus 1 tablespoon for rolling
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Generous pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1/2 ripe avocado peeled, seeded, and sliced into long pieces
• 1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
• Fresh basil or Thai basil leaves optional

For assembly:

• 4 sheets nori

To serve:

• Soy sauce
• Wasabi
• Pickled ginger

Instructions

 

• Combine the rice with 1 1/4 cups cold water in a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then lower heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 to 22 minutes until the rice is completely tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
• Empty the hot rice into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, the sugar, and salt. Fold gently with a wooden spoon or rice paddle until the vinegar is absorbed. Taste. It should have a mild, seasoned vinegar flavor with a hint of sweetness. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Rice should still be slightly warm when you use it.
• In a small shallow cup, combine 1/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Keep near your workstation.
• Place a nori sheet on the bamboo mat. Moisten your hands with the vinegar water, scoop a scant 1 cup of rice, pat it gently together, and spread it onto the bottom two thirds of the nori sheet in a layer less than a third of an inch thick, all the way to the edges. Layer about 2 tablespoons of peanuts and a few slices of avocado across the center of the rice. Add a few basil leaves if using.
• Roll from the rice end, keeping a firm grip. When you reach the bare nori, pat with a little vinegar water to seal. Press gently to seal the whole roll. Slice into 1-inch pieces with a very sharp serrated knife.
• Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

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