Sushi Salad
Have you ever had a dish that you made over and over, somewhat obsessively, for a while, and then just stopped making it all together?
I was recently thinking about this Sushi Salad I used to make all the time. The concept is that it has all the elements of sushi, but without all the work. It’s served as a salad instead.
Can I make sushi? Sure. Am I good at it? Not particularly. And the reality is, I live in Vancouver, where cheap and delicious sushi is on every corner, so why would I bother to make it myself?
This sushi salad though… it’s quick and easy to come together, and it scratches that sushi itch. The salad dressing incorporates classic sushi rice dressing ingredients: rice wine vinegar, salt, and sugar, along with a touch of oil and mayo.
You can add any protein you like to this salad. There are, of course, the classic sushi proteins, like tuna, that fake crab stuff, or shrimp. If you want to keep it vegan/vegetarian, you can use tofu or edamame.
While there will never be a time when a frozen bag of edamame is not in my freezer (I challenge you to find an easier source of both protein and fibre), lately I’ve been obsessed with these locally-produced dry roasted edamame by the Best Bean Co. And the siracha flavour is the perfect match for this sushi salad. They add a nice textural element to the salad as well.
Sushi Salad
Equipment
- rice cooker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sushi rice
Salad dressing
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt 2
- 2 tbps neutral oil olive or canola
- 2 tbsp mayo vegan mayo if you are making this vegan
Toppings/garnishes
- 1 medium carrot peeled & grated
- 1/2 large cucumber peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/2" dice
- 3 green onions (green parts only) thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 sheet nori
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Cooked tuna, fake crab, shrimp or tofu optional
- edamame
Instructions
- Start by cooking the rice in your rice cooker, following manufacturer's directions.
- Once the rice is cooked, turn it out onto a flat pan, and spread it in an even layer to cool.
- While the rice is cooling, prepare the vegetables and the salad dressing.
For the salad dressing
- Place the ingredients for the salad dressing into a mason jar and shake well to combine.
To make the salad
- Place the rice in a large bowl, and break up any big clumps with a spoon. To the rice, add the carrot, cucumber, and most of the green onions, reserving a tablespoon or two for garnish. Add any proteins at this point as well.
- Pour the salad dressing over all and mix well to combine.
- Serve the salad in bowls, and garnish each individual portion with a few slices of avocado, some finely shredded up nori, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, some green onions and edamame.