Teriyaki Tempeh Sushi Rolls (vegan, gluten-free)
These teriyaki tempeh sushi rolls are delicious, easy to make, and super customizable. It’s a great meal to make for date night or meal prep for the week. All the flavors come together to make a yummy sushi roll that tastes like you ordered it from a restaurant. Save a few bucks and make your own sushi at home! It’s also fun to make!
Homemade sushi is actually easier than you may think! The ingredients are quite simple and you can use whatever you want too. I feel like getting the sushi rice right makes a big difference. Make sure you are using short grain sushi rice and for best results, use a rice cooker. Not stirring the rice vigorously in a circular pattern when the rice is hot and when you add in the seasoning is key. You want to use chopping/slicing motions with the rice paddle and carefully flip the rice to mix it. This will ensure that your rice doesn’t get mushy. You can also fan the rice while you flip it and mix it with the seasoning to get that shiny sushi rice look.
The teriyaki tempeh adds a yummy umami flavor to the sushi roll. It’s super easy to prep and you can use your favorite teriyaki sauce. If you are vegan and/or gluten-free, make sure your teriyaki sauce is too. A key step in removing that bitterness from tempeh is boiling it in water for 8 minutes before you add any sauces to it. Then marinating the tempeh for at least 30 minutes gives it a deeper flavor. You can prep it the night before and then cook it when you are ready to make your rolls.
The other filling ingredients I used in these rolls are avocado, sauerkraut for some tang and healthy prebiotics, carrots, furikake seasoning, and a folded JUST egg. You can use whatever you like or have on hand. That’s what I love about sushi. It’s easy to make your own and put whatever you want in it.
If you make these amazing teriyaki tempeh sushi rolls, tag me @nutsaboutgreens on Instagram so I can see your creations! Also, leave a comment below! You’ll be surprised how easy you can make sushi at home!
Teriyaki Tempeh Sushi Rolls (vegan, gluten-free)
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 2 rice cooker cups (300g)
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp pure organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
Teriyaki Tempeh
- 1 (8 oz) package of tempeh
- 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce (make sure to use a vegan/GF one if you need to)
Filling
- prepared teriyaki tempeh
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 carrots, julienned or thinly sliced
- 1 folded JUST egg, sliced
- sauerkraut
- furikake seasoning
- 4 sheets nori seaweed
Instructions
- To make the sushi rice, rinse the rice 3 times until the water is mostly clear. Cook rice according to package’s directions. I used 2 rice cooker cups, which is different than two regular US cups. I cooked my rice in my rice cooker and filled my water until the #2 line.
- While the rice is cooking, make the sushi vinegar. Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pot and simmer until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Or you can place it in the microwave for 1 minute and stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in the fridge or leave out on the counter to cool.
- After rice is done and while it is hot, pour cooled sushi vinegar over the top. Use a rice paddle and slice the rice a few times everywhere to mix in the vinegar. Gently flip the rice with the paddle after a few slices and repeat (slice and flip) until the vinegar is incorporated the rice has cooled a little. Cover with a damp towel or paper towel over the rice for 45 minutes to an hour before using the rice.
- To make the teriyaki tempeh, slice the block of tempeh in half. Boil a small pot of water. Once boiling, add the tempeh. Simmer for 8 minutes, flipping the two tempeh blocks halfway through. Drain the water.
- Slice tempeh into strips width wise. Place in a shallow bowl and pour teriyaki sauce over it. Stir until well combined. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet/pan, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the marinated tempeh with all the sauce. Cook until tempeh is browned on both sides. This took about 8-10 minutes.
- Prepare all the fillings for the sushi. Set up your sushi mat and a small bowl of water. Place a sheet of nori with the shiny/smooth side down on top of the sushi mat.
- Spread a thin layer of rice (about 3/4 cup) on the nori leaving about an inch at the top uncovered. You can either wet your hands and use your hands to pat down the rice or use the rice paddle.
- Place fillings onto the rice in the lower 1/3 of the nori sheet (towards the bottom). Once all the filling is in place, lift the bottom edge with the mat and carefully roll the sushi, pressing firmly on the bamboo mat as the roll to the top. Don’t press too hard though because you don’t want the filling to squeeze out. Use a very sharp serrated knife and dip it in some water. Slice the sushi into 8 even pieces, it helps to wipe your knife with a damp cloth after each slice to get clean cuts. Enjoy!
