These sushi rolls were delicious, and surprisingly very filling. They’re a bit tricky to make the first time, but once you get used to it, they’re not hard to make, and well worth the effort. They were delicious.

Vegetable Sushi

Yield: 30- 40

Ingredients:

for the rice:

  • 2 cups sushi rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons mirin

for the sushi:

  • 5-6 sheets nori
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1-2 carrots, sliced thin, either steamed or raw
  • 3-4 mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 1 avocado in thin slices and sprinkled with lemon juice so as to not brown
  • 1 med zucchini, cut in long thin slices
  • 1 beet, steamed or raw, thinly sliced
  • 1 cucumber thinly sliced
  • 1 sweet potato, steamed and thinly sliced

dipping sauce to serve:

  • 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

To make the rice:
Rinse the rice 3-5 times.
Place rice in a strainer to drain.
Place the rice in a pot with the 2 cups of water.
Bring quickly to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Cover the pot and DON’T touch it until the end, NO PEEKING.
Cook for 15 minutes before removing the pot from the heat but keep the lid CLOSED.
Let rice rest for 10 min and then remove the cover.
While rice is cooking, combine vinegar, sugar, salt and mirin together in a bowl and mix well.
Place in a bowl to cool and add the vinegar mixture.
Mix rice gently, so as to be careful not to break it.

While the rice is cooling, prepare the vegetables.
Slice all of the vegetables in long thin slices.
Steam the sweet potato, peel and slice in long thin slices.
Aim to have all the ingredients prepared and placed on separate plates and bowls ready to go when the rice has cooled.

To assemble the sushi rolls:
In a medium sized bowl, (large enough to dip your hands in), mix 1 cup of water with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar. This will be used to keep your hands and equipment moistened, and thus keeping the rice from sticking to everything, while you are making the rolls.
When the rice is cooled enough to handle (room temperature), you can begin to make your rolls.
Place the bamboo rolling mat so that it rolls away from you.
Place one sheet of nori on your mat, shinny side down.
Using a spoon, take a large spoonful of rice and place in the middle of the nori.
Dip your hands in the water and vinegar solution.
Spread the rice by patting it over the the nori closest.
The rice should be about 1/4″ thick. Leave a small edge of the nori empty, without rice, it will be the section that seals the roll.
Place your chosen vegetables in a strip about 1/3 to 1/2 the way toward the center.
2 or 3 various vegetables is nice.
Now start rolling. Lift the edge of the mat closest to you, and roll it over the vegetables in a rolling fashion. Once the roll is started, pull back the mat and continue rolling. If the roll doesn’t seal completely, you can use a finger dampened in the water and rice solution to help it.
Dampen a very sharp knife in the water and vinegar solution and cut the rolls into the size desired.
Serve with the sauce and and enjoy.
Makes about thirty 3 cm (1 1/3″) long rolls or forty 2.5 cm (1″) rolls.