Vegan Sushi Bake

This delicious vegan sushi bake is made with your favorite vegan sushi fixings, such as chewy seasoned rice, avocado, cucumber and nori seaweed. Plus, this recipe features a chewy and creamy mushroom filling made with a spicy mayo sauce. Great recipe for when you have a sushi craving, but don't feel like preparing the rolls! 100% vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free.

Here is a super fun recipe you should try soon: Vegan sushi bake!

It is like vegan mushroom sushi rolls, but served in a casserole dish. It feels and tastes like a vegan deconstructed California roll. And it is amazing.

It features the classic things you like most about sushi: tangy sushi rice, creamy spicy mayo sauce, umami seaweed and savory and chewy filling. Plus, this vegan sushi bake is garnished with fresh ingredients, such as crunchy cucumber, green onion and avocado, to brighten up the whole meal and make it very sushi-like.

I made this recipe a few times to test it out and I just cannot stop thinking about it. It is that good.

The chewy mushroom mixture is absolutely addictive and makes this dish so perfect. You can also easily tweak the ingredients if you are not into mushrooms, ill share more yummy ideas down below!

I also like to add a few simple seasonings to the cooked rice before transferring it to the baking dish for a more authentic sushi flavor. But if that's easier for you, you can also just use plain rice to make it. Then, top the cooked rice with some furikake rice seasoning, then the creamy mushroom mixture and broil until slightly caramelized. 

The surprising part is that this recipe is super easy to make and actually fairly quick too. The longest part really is to cook the rice. Otherwise, the mushrooms need at most 10 minutes of cooking in a pan and once assembled, the casserole only needs a few minutes in the oven. 

Then, generously garnish with fresh veggies and dig in! That's it!

Now you might be wondering how do I even eat a sushi bake? This meal is so fun to eat! We love to scoop some of the sushi bake over a square of nori, then eat it almost like mini tacos. It can be a little messy, but so worth it.

I hope you give it a try! ❤️

Why you should try this recipe

• If you love Japanese food, then this recipe is for you!
• Fun and creative way to eat sushi
• Can be an easier alternative to rolling sushi
• Simple recipe that combines all your favorite sushi ingredients
• Great way to use up leftover rice
• Quick to make: add this recipe to your rotation of weeknight meals!
• Very versatile
• Great dish to serve to a crowd, to bring at potlucks or to serve as a fun appetizer!
• 100% vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and meat-free

Key ingredients you will need

• Rice: you can opt for traditional sushi white rice, but I always use short-grain brown rice. It is chewier and has a lot more nutrients. Both work here, but as a side note, the sushi bake might hold better if using the classic sushi rice as it is usually more sticky, in case this is something you care for. In a pinch, simply use whatever kind of rice you have, such as jasmine or basmati.
• Furikake rice seasoning: it might be a new ingredient for you, but no worries, it is easy to find or swap for something else. Furikake simply is a Japanese spice blend of crushed nori seaweed with sesame seeds, salt and some sugar. It taste a little sweet + salty + nutty with a great umami flavor from the seaweed. You can look in the Asian aisle of your grocery store to see if they keep it or check in your local Asian grocery stores as well. Or, simply buy it online. I used this furikake rice seasoning. You can also easily make your own mix of furikake seasoning! Seaweed flakes, salt + sesame seeds sprinkled over the rice work too in a pinch.
• Nori sheet: optional, but they are fun to use to serve this recipe. Also, you can crush them over the rice if you don't have furikake.
• Mushrooms: I used the pearl kind of oyster mushrooms for their ultra chewy and fun meaty texture, which reminds me of imitation crab meat. But, feel free to use shiitake mushrooms instead (more swap down below).
• Vegan mayo: you can use any store-bought mayonnaise that you like, or if you are looking for a healthier and oil-free recipe, then go for a homemade cashew mayo.
• Sriracha sauce: use as much as you want for the desired heat level.
• Soy sauce: helps flavor the creamy sauce to coat the mushrooms. You can also have some extra on the side when serving just like sushi.
• Rice vinegar: to flavor the mushroom cream sauce. This is the preferred type of vinegar to give the dish an authentic sushi flavor.
• Maple syrup: also to balance the flavor of the mushroom sauce. You can also use any other sweetener.
• Sushi bake toppings: you can top with a mix of fresh ingredients when serving, such as cucumber, avocado and green onions.

How to make a vegan sushi bake

There are a few steps to making this recipe, although they are easy and fairly quick too.

Make the sushi rice

The longest step is to cook and prepare the sushi rice, although this is mostly hands off work. You have a few options:

• Use short grain brown rice: this is always what I do when making sushi. You can check out my vegan sweet potato sushi roll post to see how I prepare and season brown sushi rice. For this sushi bake, I cooked 1 + ½ cup of dry brown rice, which ended up being just the right amount. I cook brown rice using my Instant Pot, but you can also simply follow the packaging instructions and cook brown rice on the stove or using a rice cooker. Once the rice is cooked, then season it following that sweet potatoe sushi roll instructions (see link above).
• Use traditional Japanese sushi rice: for a more classic texture, then you can also use white sushi rice. Here is a guide on how to make classic sushi rice. Aim to cook about 1 + ½ cups of the dry rice.

Once the rice is cooked and seasoned, then set aside at room temperature.

Make the mushroom filling

Clean, pat dry and roughly chop the mushrooms. If using regular oyster mushrooms in a cluster (pearl oyster mushrooms) or shiitake mushrooms, then make sure to remove the tough parts of the stems.

Warm up a large non-stick pan with a little sesame oil and then, add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Stir and cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until tender and slightly golden brown.

Meanwhile, whisk together in a medium bowl the vegan mayo, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, green onions and sriracha (to taste).

The combination of vegan mayo with a few seasonings makes for a vegan version of a spicy Japanese-style Kewpie mayo. This mixture is used to dress the mushroom filling ingredients.

Once the mushrooms are done cooking, then remove the pan from the heat. Then, pour the sauce over and stir to coat the mushrooms. 

Assemble and broil

Pre-heat the oven to broil.

In a small-medium baking dish (I used a 7 x 10 inches dish), add the sushi rice and use the back of a spoon or a rice paddle to gently press on it and even out the surface. 

Sprinkle some of the furikake rice seasoning over the layer of rice and then, pour and disperse the creamy mushroom mixture over the rice.

Broil on HI for about 5-7 minutes watching carefully. The baked sushi is ready when slightly browned on top.

Garnish and serve

Once done baking, then garnish with fresh cucumber, avocado and green onion. Feel free to sprinkle more of the rice seasoning.

Serve right away with a side of the nori sheet. Enjoy!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Helpful tips

• Try to press on the rice tightly in the baking dish so it becomes fairly compact. This will help the mixture hold better when scooping it on your plate.
• Also, be sure to pour the mayo sauce over in the pan once removed from the heat and not so hot anymore. You don't actually want to cook it, just combine with the mushrooms.
• Adjust how much of the sriracha you are including: for a spicy recipe, add at least 1 tablespoon, but for a flavorful but not that spicy, then only add ½ tablespoon.

Serving suggestions

You can serve this recipe in a few different ways:

• You can simply enjoy this recipe by transferring some of the bake on a plate and eating it with a fork or chopsticks. 
• We prefer to scoop over squares of nori sheet and grab them like mini tacos, which is a little bit messy, but more fun! The trick is to not add too much of the filling over the nori or it falls easily as you are trying to eat it. Just cut the large sheet of nori into smaller squares and place them on the table beside the baked dish for everyone to serve themselves.
• Or, serve in a bowl over green lettuce and enjoy just like vegan sushi bowls!

Other condiments or side dishes to serve with this recipe are:

• Soy sauce
• Pickled ginger
• Miso soup
• Spicy mayo
• A drizzle of teriyaki sauce
• Fresh cilantro
• Sesame seeds
• Hoisin sauce
• Sriracha
• Steamed edamame

Variations to the recipe

I have already mentioned above different kind of sushi you can use fort this recipe. Traditional sushi rice (the white kind) will give it a more classic sticky texture that would also help the dish holds better when serving and eating. That being said, I always use short grain brown rice for added texture and nutrients. Swap for any grain that you like.

One more thing you can play around is what you use to make the creamy filling. I LOVE oyster mushrooms since they are great to provide a nice chewy texture to the dish, although you can be creative and swap for:

• Pre-smoked tofu or smoky tofu
• Pre-marinated teriyaki tofu
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Cooked beets
• Hearts of palm
• Pulled king oyster mushrooms
• Cooked sweet potatoes

Other than the creamy filling, feel free to add more layers to your baked dish. You will broil the baked sushi only for 5 minutes, which means that you can really add any ingredients you like without interfering with the baking process too much. Try adding:

• Sliced red pepper
• Shredded carrots 
• Shaved purple cabbage
• Pickled daikon

Storage tips

Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The texture changes over time and the dish will hold less as the sauce blends more with the rice filling. But the flavors will remain just as good!

To serve the leftovers, you can slightly warm it up in the microwave or a mini toaster oven until just slightly warm. Or you can also it them cold!

FAQ's

Related recipes

• Panko avocado sushi rolls
• Portobello mushroom poke bowls
• Shiitake mushrooms sushi rolls
• Edamame poke bowls
• Sweet potato sushi rolls
• Tomato-tuna quinoa poke bowls

I hope you like this vegan bake sushi recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.