Vegan Sushi: Tomato "Tuna" Towers with Avocado
Did you think you’d have to give up sushi to go vegan? You were right! I promise you won’t miss it though. Not with this vegan sushi tuna tower recipe. This dish is every bit as satisfying as the original, using tomatoes in place of the tuna. Sushi rice, avocado, sesame seeds and crushed pistachios make this homemade vegan sushi tuna tower better than any rolls you’d find at your local sushi joint.
Ingredients
- 5 Roma tomatoes washed
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 1 tbsp garlic finely minced or crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger finely minced
- 1/4 sheet nori torn into fine pieces
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 avocado diced and mashed
- 1 cup sushi rice I used Lotus Foods' Jade Pearl Rice
- 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- microgreens as garnishment
- crushed pistachios as garnishment
- sesame seeds as garnishment
- ~1 tsp wasabi powder I like Eden Foods
Instructions
- Prepare the rice in accordance with package directions.
- Wash the roma tomates and cut a shallow cross hatch in the top of each. Briefly blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 1-3 minutes, until the skins start to peel. Remove from boiling water and place in an ice bath.
- While the tomatoes are cooling, combine the tamari, garlic, ginger, nori and sriracha in a mixing bowl.
- Peel the skin from the tomatoes, then slice each tomato into quarters lengthwise. With a sharp knife, remove the seeds from piece and slice into small pieces.
- Marinate the seedless tomato pieces in the tamari marinade.
- Mash the avocado.
- Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil and whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the solution to the cooked rice and allow the rice to cool.
- Strain the tamari marinade from the tomatoes. The garlic, ginger and nori will remain with the tomatoes.
- Using a food ring, prepare the “tuna” tower by packing the bottom third with the cooled, seasoned rice. Add a layer of avocado. Add a second layer of rice.
- Gently remove the food ring and top the tower with the “tuna.” Sprinkle with sesame seeds, crushed pistachios and microgreens. Serve with tamari and wasabi paste. See recipe notes.
Notes
- You only need to blanch the tomatoes until the skin begins to peel. Then, remove them and put them in an ice bath. This will stop the cooking process. You don’t want mushy tomatoes!
- That marinade? So good! But make sure that your garlic and ginger pieces are small. They’ll end up in the final dish.
- Speaking of the marinade… I drain it before I add the “tuna” to the tower. That way, you end up with a clean-looking dish.
- The mixture I add to the rice is not to be missed! It helps the rice to stick together and adds flavor.
- I like to serve this with pickled ginger and a wasabi/tamari sauce. Most likely, you can find wasabi powder in your local grocery store. Mix it with a little water until it becomes a paste.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!