• recipes
    • small plates
    • large plates
    • sweets
    • baking
    • salads and soups
    • breakfasts
    • pantry staples
    • drinks
  • about
  • contact
Lazy Cat Kitchen

A food blog with plant-based recipes from all over the world

Peanut tofu sushi

April 23, 2020 by Ania - 16

Asian-inspired, gluten-free, healthy, refined sugar-free, tofugo to recipe

go to recipe

peanut tofu sushi macro

Hello from the land of the living, finally! Although I did say that before and ended up having to return to bed for another week…After nearly 4 weeks since I first started experiencing symptoms I am finally on the mend, although my energy levels still leave a lot to be desired. I do not remember the last time an illness ravaged my body so much, whatever this spiky thing is it certainly is very persistent. Apart from a day or two, my symptoms were actually really mild but the fatigue and energy loss were real. I’m grateful to be finally feeling better but I am also careful not to throw myself into things too quickly as the balance is still very delicate.

Although my head is jammed with cake and sweet treat ideas – is that a known side effect of a lockdown? – I’ve decided to go for something savoury today as a woman cannot live by baked goods alone πŸ˜‰ . As soon as all my local shops had a panic-buying induced shortage of rice (and pasta), I visited my local Asian store and stocked up on sushi rice instead. I hope you have some in your cupboard too as, let’s face it, for most people, making sushi is one of these projects that you do once and are left with a bunch of ingredients you never look at for ages. This is the time to dig them out. Failing that, you can also make sushi with brown rice, red rice, any rice really. Just make sure to cook it in a way that does not render the grains dry and separate.

The filling is also customisable. I used tofu, but tempeh or eggplant strips would also work well. I coated the tofu in a sticky peanut butter glaze with a hit of five spice and teamed it up with cucumber, quick pickled radishes, thin strips of spring onions and a smattering of toasted peanuts for crunch. This is by no means a traditional filling, but circumstances are exceptional so we make do. The result is delicious, sweet, sour, crunchy and fresh. I hope you’ll enjoy this wilder take on plant-based sushi. Stay well.

PS: If you make my peanut tofu sushi, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram as @lazycatkitchen and use the #lazycatkitchen hashtag. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!

peanut tofu sushi ingredients

peanut tofu sushi tofu sticks

peanut tofu sushi making

peanut tofu sushi platter

peanut tofu sushi chopsticks

5.00 from 3 votes
Print
  • makes: 5-6 rolls
  • prep: 60 min
  • cooking: 20 min

Ingredients

SUSHI

  • 450 g / 2 cups sushi rice
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 5-6 nori sheets

FILLING

  • 10 radishes, pickled (see METHOD) or raw
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (plus 60 ml / ΒΌ cup if pickling radishes) or lime juice
  • Β½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup (plus 2 tbsp if pickling radishes)
  • 200 g / 7 oz firm tofu, pressed
  • 3 tbsp tamari (for GF version) or soy sauce, plus more to serve
  • 60 g / ΒΌ cup 100% natural* peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
  • a small garlic clove, finely grated
  • Β½-1 tsp Chinese five spice, adjust to taste
  • 1 long cucumber, cored and julienned
  • 1-2 spring onions / scallions, cut into thin strips lengthwise
  • 30 g / ΒΌ cup toasted peanuts, chopped roughly (optional)

Method

RICE

  1. Rinse sushi rice repeatedly until water runs clear.
  2. Place rinsed rice in a medium-large pot with a glass lid and cover with 480 ml / 2 cups of water. Cover with a lid and slowly bring to the boil. Once the water comes to the boil, decrease the heat down to very low and let the rice cook until it has absorbed all of the water. Once all the water has been absorbed, switch the heat off but do not lift the lid and let the covered pot sit on a warm hob for another 10 minutes to finish off cooking in its own steam.
  3. Transfer cooked rice onto a large Pyrex-style dish and season it with salt, folding the salt into the rice with a spatula (being careful not to squash the grains). Allow the rice to cool down completely.

QUICK-PICKLED RADISHES (optional)

  1. Slice radishes into thin slices and place in a clean jar / bowl.
  2. Place 60 ml / ΒΌ cup of rice wine vinegar with the same amount of water in a small pot. Add about Β½ tsp salt and 1-2 tbsp maple syrup if you want milder pickles. Bring to a gentle boil.
  3. Pour the pickling liquid over the radishes and set aside.

PEANUT TOFU

  1. Cut tofu into long (approx. 0.75 cm / 0.3″ thick) batons. Place in a shallow dish and coat in 1Β½ tbsp of tamari / soy sauce. Allow to marinate while you heat up the oven to 190Β° C / 375Β° F.
  2. Mix the peanut butter, 1Β½ tbsp tamari / soy sauce, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar / lime juice, sesame oil, grated garlic and Chinese five spice in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Spread tofu batons on a paper lined baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes.
  4. Coat the tofu in approximately half of the peanut glaze, spread on the baking tray and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Have a small bowl of water handy. Put the sushi mat (use a thickly folded kitchen towel instead if you don’t have a sushi mat) down and put a nori sheet on top of the mat, shiny side down. Grab some cooled rice and spread it evenly on the nori sheet leaving a 1 cm / 0.4″ margin at the very top, for sealing. As well as spreading the rice evenly, keep on pressing it into the mat so that the roll is compact.
  2. Place a row of radish halves, cucumber sticks, shredded spring onion, followed by baked tofu, extra drizzle of the sauce and a sprinkle of crushed toasted peanuts (if using) in a long line along the bottom edge of the nori sheet and leave a bit of space below so that you can fold the nori sheet over the filling.
  3. Using the mat, slowly start rolling the roll, squeezing it tightly with both hands as you roll. Go back every now and then to make sure everything is tightly bonded.
  4. Once you get to the end, dip your finger in water and brush the water on the margin to seal the roll. Finish rolling and set the roll aside. Repeat the last 4 steps with the remaining nori sheets.
  5. Once you’ve rolled all the sushi rolls, cut them into 1 cm / 0.4″ slices with a sharp knife. Serve with leftover (watered down a little for better viscosity) peanut sauce, leftover pickled radishes and tamari / soy sauce.

Notes

*You can use any type of peanut butter, but if you use a brand that contains added salt and / or sugar, make sure you adjust the amount of sweetness and saltiness to your taste.

If you want more info on some of the ingredients that we use in our recipes, check out our glossary.
SHARE
vegan rhubarb ginger buns close up
Previous:
Vegan rhubarb and ginger buns
Next post:
Healthy chocolate muffins
healthy chocolate muffins side

get a sweet e-book

on joining our mailing list

I’d like to receive new recipe emails and a link to your free e-book.
(By submitting this form you agree to our privacy policy.)
This recipe has been written by Ania. She is the cook, stylist and photographer behind Lazy Cat Kitchen. You can read about her journey into food blogging here. You can also check her out on Pinterest and Instagram.

You may also like

healthier vegan pad thai macro

Healthier vegan pad thai

pad thai summer rolls close up

Pad Thai summer rolls

vegan ramen close up

Vegan ramen

vietnamese tofu plate

Vietnamese tofu

    Comments

    Leave a comment

  1. Kelly Green says

    April 24, 2020 at 8:40 am

    This dish looks and sounds amazing and perfect for this beautiful weather we’ve been having. I’ll be rummaging through my cupboards later searching for the sushi rice(I’m sure I bought some a while back) and will give these a go.
    Thanks for the recipe. Hope you feel back to your normal self soon x

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 24, 2020 at 1:41 pm

      Thank you, Kelly! I hope so too as it’s been dragging on for way too long. Hope you’ll manage to locate your sushi rice and you’ll enjoy these. x Ania

      Reply
  2. Emily says

    April 24, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    Dearest Ania! You’ve been in my thoughts and prayers this past while. So glad to hear you’re finally feeling better. My mom was sick for nearly 6 weeks earlier this winter… not fun! Very worrisome . You look after yourself. Sending good vibes! <3

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 24, 2020 at 8:25 pm

      Thank you so much, Emily. That’s so kind of you. So sorry to hear about your mom, it is very stressful to be faced with a prolonged illness. I will, thank you. Stay safe yourself! Ania

      Reply
  3. Beatrice says

    April 24, 2020 at 8:23 pm

    Thanks for the recipe! We made them today and it was so yum!!!!

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 24, 2020 at 8:27 pm

      Great to hear, Beatrice ! Thanks for letting me know! Ania

      Reply
  4. Sue says

    April 25, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    So glad you are feeling better Ania. Take good care.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 25, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      Thank you, Sue! I will and you too! Ania

      Reply
  5. Vic says

    April 27, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    Dear Ania, my sisters and I are delighted to hear you are doing better. We hope you return to your strong and healthy self soon! You inspire us to keep on going!!! By the way, yesterday my hubby craved tofu and rice — and I saw your recipe. I did not have nori sheets nor radishes. I used julienne carrots instead and doubled the ingredients for the peanut sauce. In the end, we had sushi bowls. The extra peanut sauce served as a dressing. Delicious!!! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 27, 2020 at 6:33 pm

      Thanks so much, Vic! So lovely of you to say. We are slowly getting there! What a great idea, sounds like a delicious twist on my recipe – perfect lockdown comfort! Stay safe and carry on cooking (vegan, of course πŸ˜‰ ) x Ania

      Reply
  6. Helen Wright says

    April 29, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    Glad you are feeling better. I made your sushi. I didn’t have radishes so pickled some raw beetroot instead. The my rolls didn’t look as neat as yours but tasted good.

    Reply
    • Ania says

      April 29, 2020 at 11:16 pm

      Thanks Helen πŸ™‚ and I am so glad you enjoyed this take on sushi – thanks for letting me know! Stay safe! Ania

      Reply
  7. DeeTee says

    June 19, 2020 at 5:07 pm

    Hi Ania,

    How long do the pickled radishes stay good for?

    Reply
    • Ania says

      June 19, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      Hi DeeTee,

      They are fine for at least a week (if not 2) in the fridge. Hope that helps! Ania

      Reply
  8. Susie says

    September 1, 2020 at 4:47 am

    So glad I stumbled across your delicious sushi recipe!! It is now my go to when I’m craving sushi. Thank you πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Ania says

      September 5, 2020 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks so much, Susie! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed it so much! Ania

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Fields marked as * are mandatory
This form collects your name and email so that we can correspond with you and display your name and the content of your comment. Check out our privacy policy for more information.

I consent to having Lazy Cat Kitchen collect my name and email

Ania Marcinowska
Hi, I'm Ania. I love good food but I love animals more! Adopting a plant-based diet has been the best decision I've made and that's how this blog was born. It's a space where I want to show you that creating delicious plant-based food isn't actually hard at all.
read more

Follow us on Insta

View on Instagram

Like us on Facebook

Lazy Cat Kitchen
Lazy Cat Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca.

Follow Us On Pinterest

Copyright © 2018 · Privacy Policy · Theme by Lazy Cat Themes · Logo by Sarah from The Small Object