Crunchy Veggie Sushi Rolls
Cucumber and carrot bring a bright crunch to simple nori rolls with lightly seasoned rice.
Let’s make something lovely.
These rolls keep the filling simple so the rice, nori, and vegetables each have room to shine. Cucumber adds freshness, carrot adds a little sweetness, and a small amount of rice vinegar wakes everything up.
The useful skill here is restraint: a thin rice layer and a modest line of filling make rolling much easier. A bamboo mat helps, but a clean kitchen towel wrapped in reusable food wrap can also support the roll.
Crunchy Veggie Sushi Rolls
What you’ll need
Rice
Rolls
Let’s do this
- 1
Rinse and cook the rice
Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water is mostly clear, then drain. Put it in a small saucepan with the 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- 2
Rest and season
Remove the covered pan from the heat and leave for 10 minutes. Stir the vinegar, sugar, and salt together until dissolved. Spread the rice in a wide shallow bowl and gently fold in the vinegar mixture. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, just until comfortable to handle; do not leave it out for hours.
- 3
Arrange the filling
Set one nori sheet shiny side down on a bamboo mat. With lightly dampened fingers, spread one-quarter of the rice over the sheet, leaving a 1-inch strip bare along the far edge. Lay one-quarter each of the cucumber and carrot in a narrow line across the lower third.
- 4
Roll firmly
Lift the near edge of the mat and fold the nori over the filling. Press gently to make a compact cylinder, then continue rolling while pulling the mat free. Dampen the bare nori edge with a little water to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- 5
Slice and serve
Using a sharp knife wiped with a damp cloth between cuts, cut each roll into 6 pieces. Serve promptly with the soy sauce.
Soy, Wheat (soy sauce). Check every ingredient and substitute for your own needs.
Before the happy first bite.
Use short-grain rice; loose long-grain rice is much harder to roll.
Dry the vegetable sticks before filling so they do not make the nori soggy.
Keep your fingers damp rather than dripping wet when handling the rice.
Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate rolls in a covered container at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours of cooking the rice, or within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Eat within 24 hours for the best texture; do not leave the rice at room temperature to soften.
