sushi bowls

I’m so proud of this recipe. I actually came up with the idea on my own. Whoa. Not that sushi ingredients mixed up in a bowl is a groundbreaking idea, but that isn’t the point. The point is that I didn’t know there was already a recipe out there when I came up with it. I was creative! That never happens!

The inspiration behind my big idea was that Dave and I love sushi, but making it is a pain in the ass and going out to eat all the time isn’t feasible. So I figured, why bother making cute little sushi rolls – it’s the ingredients that we like, not their shape. I decided to mix up the ingredients in a bowl and call it a day.

And that makes this a pretty darn easy meal. Sushi rice takes only a little more effort than basic long-grain rice does, and that’s the only ingredient in this recipe that needs to be cooked.

I’ve made this a few times now, and once I used smoked salmon instead of raw tuna. I used smoked salmon twice when I made sushi rolls, and I thought it was good. It’s convenient, and I thought it might be a good option for people who aren’t comfortable eating raw fish. But when I used it in the sushi bowls, it was so salty that it kind of ruined the whole dish. I’m not sure if there’s a difference between brands or if all smoked salmon is so salty. I bought the cheapest brand, because that stuff always surprises me by how expensive it is.

But, every other time I’ve made this, it’s been just so good. And healthy! Look at all that green stuff. There’s no added fat in the recipe; the only fat involved is what’s naturally in avocado, sesame seeds, and the fish. That makes this a super tasty, easy, healthy, balanced meal on its own. It’s perfect.

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Sushi Bowls

I’ve used raw tuna, smoked salmon, and imitation crab in this, all with very good results.  If you’re using salty smoked salmon, reduce the salt in the rice mixture slightly.

4 servings

1⅓ cups rice, rinsed well
1⅓ cups water
¼ cup soy sauce
wasabi to taste, probably at least 2 teaspoons
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 (8 by 7-inch) sheets nori, cut into strips 1½ inches long and ⅛ inch wide
1 avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from skin and cut into chunks 1 inch long and ¼ inch wide
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks 1½ inches long and ⅛ inch wide
2 green onions, halved lengthwise and cut into strips 1 inch long
8 ounces sushi-grade fish
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

1. Rinse the rice. Place the rice and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce and wasabi in a small bowl. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a separate small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold and cut thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Fan until rice is near room temperature. (If you use an electric fan, this will only take about a minute.) Do not refrigerate.

3. Combine rice, wasabi mixture, and remaining ingredients. Serve.

Comments

  1. Okay….in COMPLETE honesty – this may be the best recipe EVER!!! I can eat pounds and pounds of sushi and never get sick of it. And all of it in one bowl?? Seriously genius! UGH! MUST MAKE THIS! 🙂

  2. I *love* this idea, Bridget! I have never made sushi at home because it seems like such a pain, but my husband and I love it– especially tuna nigiri. I will definitely try this, thanks!

  3. This sounds great! Love the idea.

  4. This is exactly the kind of one-bowl dinner I adore… Perfect!

  5. I love this idea. We also love sushi but I don’t even want to attempt to make it – too much work. And going out for it is a rare treat since it’s so pricey. But here you get all the flavors with half the work! And half the pricetag too probably.

  6. This is an awesome idea… we’ve also never made sushi because it seems like such a pain…. but this I could handle!

  7. Oh come on, I think you are more creative than you believe 😉 This looks like a good, light (but filling– what a paradox) meal. I think the dilution of the wasabi has nothing to do with it– you probably just need to add more if you really like it hot! 🙂

  8. sidfaiwu says:

    What a great idea! We’ll have to try it.

  9. What a great idea! And perfect for having sushi at home! We’ve never tried making sushi rolls at ourselves, b/c it seemed like such a hassle, but we will have to try this!

  10. Very nice, I especially like the nori strips. Too cute.

  11. This looks awesome!!!!

  12. this look SOOO good … I’m definately trying this next week when hubby is OOT …. seems SO easy!

  13. what a great idea! this would be perfect for me to make for my family because everyone could choose the ingredients they like assemble their own!

  14. I haven’t had much experience with sushi, but this looks like something I would like to try at home! I love this idea.

  15. Oh yum, yum, yum!!!! I could probably live on this! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  16. I agree that this sounds like a great idea for a fun family dinner. I can’t wait until my kids are older and I can try this. I’m not into raw fish though and would have to find some sort of substitute.

  17. Susanne says:

    A note for the photo with the vertical chopsticks:
    In Asian countries, such as Japan, chopsticks are never stuck into food, especially rice bowls. Food that is offered to the dead is offered with chopsticks stuck in.

  18. Elizabeth says:

    I’m so excited that I found your blog and this recipe! I’m going to make this recipe this week! Thanks!!

  19. I made this last night & we loved it!!! What a great way to get all of the flavors in without all of the extra work. Not to mention how much money you save by not going to the sushi restaraunt. 🙂 Thanks for a great idea.

  20. yum. I order a similar dish called Sashimi Rice

  21. Ahorsesoul says:

    My Japanese stepmother sometimes makes sushi with pickled herring. I’m thinking I’m going to try this recipe with some good old fashioned Swedish pickled herring too.

  22. Cathy says:

    Hi

    thanks so much for this recipe, but did you use wasabi powder, or wasabi paste.

    thanks so much

    Cathy

  23. bridget says:

    Cathy – That’s wasabi paste. I buy the powder and reconstitute it to form the paste before mixing it with soy sauce to top this dish with.

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