Sushi was one of the things that I thought I would miss the most when I switched to a plant-based lifestyle in 2017 but I am all about recreating my favorites with vegan ingredients so of course, I have found ways to still enjoy it and for this, I am so grateful.
So far, I have only tried 2 vegan sushi restaurants, Beyond Sushi in NYC and Sushi Momo in Montreal. I lack experience in this department but as a Japanese person, I think I know when I come across a great roll.
Eating at Sushi Momo blew my mind. Everything we tried was amazing. One thing that stood out the most was the sauce that was poured over the rolls.
Since we weren’t going to be traveling back there for a while, I thought I’d try to recreate the one of the sauces they used over the roll by remembering the taste.
This sauce has a little hint of spiciness but not too much. It compliments the sushi rolls so nicely that it has upgraded my sushi eating experience quite a bit. As always, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.
Aioli Sauce
Ingredients (oil-free)
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or in hot water for 1 hour
3/4 cup water
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Direction:
Put all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend for 1 minute. Enjoy over sushi rolls or with other dishes like salads, noodles, as a dip etc…possibilities are endless. The unused portion will last in an air tight container for 4-5 days in the fridge.
*For the sushi rice
Ingredients:
1 cup sushi rice, cooked according to the package direction.
I normally do 1:2 ratio (1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water)
*Rice tastes better if you rinse the rice until water is no longer white, soak for 30 minutes, and drain the water before adding 2 cups of fresh water.
Cooking direction:
In a medium size pan, mix the rice and water and bring the water to a boil. Mix the rice once with a spatula, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with a lid partially closed so steam can escape. Once cooked, mix the rice once more with a spatula then put the lid on completely and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Once the rice is ready, mix in the following:
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Now you have a tasty sushi rice and can make some delicious sushi rolls.
*1 cup of sushi rice yields me 3 rolls.
