No Rolling Required—These Sushi Bowls Make Your Favorite Roll Easier Than Ever

Not ready to make your own California roll or shrimp tempura roll at home quite yet but craving all of the classic sushi flavors? A homemade sushi bowl is a great place to start. You can practice making restaurant-worthy sushi rice, source best-quality fish, and discover what ingredients, flavors, and textures make your perfect sushi bowl. Beyond a bed of just-warm sushi rice, here are the must-haves for our sushi bowl:

The fish:

At Delish, we love thin slices of best-quality salmon or tuna (or both!) on our sushi bowls. While fish can be labeled sushi- or sashimi-grade, these terms are just a way to identify very high-quality fish that can safely be eaten raw. Because the labels are not legally defined, it’s imperative to buy the fish from a reputable fish market and keep it refrigerated until just before serving. Unsure about eating raw fish? Smoked salmon, cooked and cooled shrimp, baked tofu, or shelled edamame are equally delicious sushi bowl toppers.

The nori:

An edible seaweed that is dried into flat sheets, briny nori is an integral part of sushi rolls. There are a few ways to add this seaweed to a sushi bowl. First, crumble or thinly slice a large sheet of nori or a few smaller seaweed snack sheets, then sprinkle over top of the bowl. Second, serve seaweed snacks on the side, adding a little rice, fish, and veggies to one sheet at a time to make small sushi bites. Dipping in soy sauce or spicy mayo is very much encouraged!

The veggies:

Inspired by some of our favorite sushi rolls, creamy avocado slices and juicy cucumbers add color, flavor, and texture to this bowl, while thinly sliced radishes add crunch. You can customize your bowl with a wide variety of veggies: Carrot ribbons, sautéed spinach, thinly sliced scallions, or steamed asparagus would all be delicious here.

The sauces:

To finish the sushi bowl, we like a drizzle of soy sauce, a nod to the usual sushi dip, and a generous drizzle of sriracha mayo, which gives us spicy tuna roll vibes. To finish the bowl, we add a tangle of pickled ginger for a sweet and tangy crunch and a shower of toasted sesame seeds to add a nutty flavor. A little wasabi paste or pickled daikon radish would be great too.

Tried making your own sushi bowl? Let us know what you added in the comments below!

Yields: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

Rice

• 1 1/2 c.

  sushi rice

• 1

  (5″) piece kombu (optional)

• 1/3 c.

  unseasoned rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp.

  granulated sugar

• 2 tsp.

  kosher salt

Spicy Mayo

• 1/4 c.

  mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie

• 1 tbsp.

  (or more) sriracha

Kosher salt

Assembly

• 12 oz.

  sushi-grade tuna and/or salmon

• 2

  Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

• 2

  ripe avocados, pitted, thinly sliced

• 2

  small watermelon or red radishes, thinly sliced

• 1

  sheet nori, crumbled or thinly sliced

• 2 tsp.

  soy sauce

Pickled ginger and toasted sesame seeds, for serving (optional)

Directions

Rice

1. In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a medium pot, combine rice, kombu (if using), and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice steam 10 minutes. Discard kombu. Fluff rice with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, microwave vinegar, sugar, and salt in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until sugar and salt have dissolved.
3. Transfer cooked rice to a baking sheet, then carefully pat in an even layer. Sprinkle with vinegar mixture. Using a sushi paddle of flat wooden spoon, mix vinegar mixture into rice, cutting and folding rice over itself, trying not to smash or break any grains of rice. Cover with a damp tea towel until ready to serve.

Spicy Mayo

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha; season with salt. Taste and add more sriracha, if desired.

Assembly

1. Pat tuna dry, then freeze until just firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, then thinly slice or finely chop.
2. Divide rice among bowls. Top with cucumbers, avocado, radishes, nori, and fish. Drizzle with soy sauce and spicy mayo. Top with pickled ginger and sesame seeds (if using).

Sushi Bowls

Related Video: California Sushi Bites