I love sushi. I could eat a truckload of rolls at once. But, it’s expensive. Even the grocery store stuff has a price tag that makes me cringe. While I love treating myself to a sushi dinner once in a while, I realized that what I love about this food is how fresh it tastes. I love that I can recognize the ingredients and feel good about what I’m putting in my body.
So I decided to create my own spin on sushi at home. This recipe doesn’t require fancy tools or techniques and makes for a quick, healthy dinner when I’m busy but craving whole foods. Sushi bowls have become a well-loved dinner in my home, even my sushi-hating husband enjoys them!
Sushi Bowls
Cheaper than take-out and easier than rolling your own sushi, these bowls are nutritious and easy to make. Some of the ingredients are also easy to grow right in your garden.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry sushi rice (I use Calrose, a medium-grain variety)
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 small carrot
- 1 green onion
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup cooked shelled frozen edamame
- Rice vinegar
- 1 avocado
- Spicy mayo (for topping) (you can buy this or make your own by mixing mayo with sriracha)
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Faux-crab (Pollock) (omit if vegetarian)
- Soy sauce (optional)
Directions
Cook rice. I use a rice cooker to cook my rice, but cooking it on the stovetop works just as well. Follow packaging instructions. Once cooked, add a splash of rice vinegar to season the rice.
Use a vegetable peeler to ribbon the carrot. Cut up cucumber into small cubes. Thinly slice green onion. Cut up avocado into cubes.
Roughly chop the faux-crab.
Assemble. Divide rice into bowls and top with 1/4 cup of Panko. Add cucumber, carrots, edamame, avocado, and faux-crab. Drizzle spicy mayo on top. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Add a splash of soy sauce for added seasoning, if desired.
Enjoy!
These simple bowls are the perfect idea for a healthy, satisfying weeknight dinner. You can even make simple swaps depending on the veggies you have on hand or in your frugal garden. Just because you’re on a budget, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy sushi in one form or another! Most of the ingredients above are easy to find and if purchased in bulk can be used in a multitude of recipes.
Steph Coelho is a freelance writer gardening in zone 5b. She is a certified Square Foot Gardener and has taught various garden-related workshops. When she’s not digging in the dirt or writing, she’s cooking up fresh produce, running, or listening to her favorite podcasts.
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