California Roll Sushi Bowls (Print)
Vibrant deconstructed California roll with crab, avocado, cucumber, and seasoned rice in bowl form.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Sushi Rice
01 - 1 1/2 cups sushi rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
04 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Protein & Vegetables
06 - 7 oz imitation crab sticks, shredded (or lump crabmeat)
07 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
08 - 1 small cucumber, julienned
09 - 2 sheets nori, cut into thin strips
10 - 2 tablespoons pickled ginger, chopped
→ Toppings & Garnishes
11 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
12 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
13 - 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional, for spicy mayo)
14 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
15 - 1 green onion, thinly sliced
# How To Make:
01 - Place sushi rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water, gently swirling with your hand, until the water runs completely clear. Drain thoroughly.
02 - Transfer rinsed rice and 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then cover tightly with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes undisturbed.
03 - While the rice rests, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until fully dissolved. Transfer the warm rice to a large bowl, drizzle the vinegar mixture over top, and gently fold in with a rice paddle using slicing motions. Avoid mashing the grains. Allow the rice to cool slightly.
04 - Shred the imitation crab sticks into thin pieces. Dice the avocado, julienne the cucumber into thin matchsticks, slice the nori sheets into thin strips, thinly slice the green onion, and roughly chop the pickled ginger.
05 - In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha until smooth and well combined. Adjust the sriracha amount to taste.
06 - Divide the seasoned sushi rice evenly among four serving bowls. Arrange the shredded crab, diced avocado, julienned cucumber, nori strips, and pickled ginger in sections over each bowl of rice.
07 - Drizzle each bowl with spicy mayo and soy sauce. Sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately with additional soy sauce on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- All the satisfaction of sushi without the rolling anxiety or bamboo mats gathering dust in your cupboard.
- You probably have most of these ingredients already, and the ones you dont are worth keeping stocked.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the rice or you will end up with gummy paste instead of distinct tender grains.
- Letting the rice rest covered off the heat for those 10 minutes is the difference between crunchy centers and perfect texture throughout.
03 -
- Wet your hands slightly before handling the seasoned rice so it sticks to itself and not to your fingers.
- Toasting the sesame seeds in a dry skillet for two minutes until they start to smell fragrant doubles their flavor with almost zero effort.