This spicy Vegan Tuna Roll is a spot-on replica of the original even my non-vegan dad couldn’t detect the difference! I’ve perfected the flavour and texture by swapping raw tuna for marinated tomatoes. Trust me, this is hands down the best vegan tuna sushi you’ll ever taste!
Tomato to Tuna: Sushi Evolution
Enjoy this vegan spicy “tuna” roll, made with roma tomatoes marinated in fish-like seasonings, wrapped in sushi rice and nori and then topped with a dot of sriracha. These cute tomato tuna rolls are tasty and look attractive!
If you’re searching for more vegan sushi recipes, don’t fret—I’ve got you covered. Check out my Tofu Crunch Roll, Vegan California Roll, or Vegan Futomaki Roll. 😋
📚 The Story Behind This Vegan Sushi Roll Recipe
As a kid, my family would often order tekka maki (tuna sushi rolls) at Japanese restaurants and I loved them. When I became vegan, I knew I had to recreate it.
This plant-based version draws inspiration from the tekka maki roll, a type of hosomaki sushi whose name derives from the Japanese words’ hoso‘ meaning thin and ‘maki‘ meaning roll. Hosomaki features a slender shape about 1 inch in diameter with seaweed on the outside and is usually filled with one ingredient.
Recipe Ingredients
The photo below displays all the ingredients needed for this recipe and I’ve included helpful notes in this bulleted list to guide you through the process.
- Nori Sheets – Are used to add a seafood flavour to the tomato marinade and for rolling up the sushi. Dried and roasted nori seaweed sheets are available at Asian grocery stores or in the international aisle.
- Seasoned Sushi Rice – Please refer to this blog post’s detailed How To Make Sushi Rice (Stovetop or Rice Cooker).
- Tomatoes – Choose roma tomatoes because they have more meaty flesh, less watery seeds and their elongated shape is ideal for this recipe.
- Sesame Oil – Adds flavour and provides some fattiness commonly found in tuna. I prefer roasted or toasted sesame oil for its richer flavour, with my favourite brand being Kadoya.
- Liquid Smoke – This versatile bottle adds umami flavour and lasts indefinitely. Look for it in most grocery store’s condiment or seasoning aisle, often alongside barbecue sauces.
- Sriracha – Adds a spicy kick to each bite. I advise against substituting it with regular hot sauce because sriracha has a more complex flavour due to the additional ingredients like garlic and sugar thus having a thicker consistency.
How To Make It
Here are the instructions for preparing these vegan spicy tuna rolls.
Prepare Rice:
1. Begin by making a batch of seasoned sushi rice. Let it cool to room temperature before you start rolling the sushi.
Peel Tomatoes:
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a sharp knife, make a small “x” mark on the bottom of each roma tomato.
3. Place the tomatoes in boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the skin begins to peel off slightly. Be careful not to overcook.
4. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of cold water with ice cubes to stop the cooking process.
5. Once cooled, carefully peel off the tomato skin and cut into quarters, remove the seeds and inner flesh and cut further into thin strips about 1/2 inch wide.
Marinade:
6. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, mirin, nori (cut with scissors into small pieces), sesame oil, and liquid smoke. Add tomatoes and coat evenly. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
Assemble Sushi Rolls:
7. Wrap the bamboo mat in plastic wrap; this prevents the rice from sticking to the mat and makes clean-up easier. Cut the whole nori sheet in half using scissors to make two half sheets.
8. Place a half sheet of nori horizontally on your bamboo mat, shiny side down, rough side facing up. Wet your fingers in water and grab sushi rice (about 1/2 – 2/3 cup). Spread evenly on the nori, leaving 1/2 inch at the top uncovered.
9. Add a layer of your marinated tomatoes about 3 slices in the center of the rice.
To Roll Sushi:
10. Lift the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you and fold it over the tomato filling. Hold the filling with your fingers and apply light pressure to tighten the roll.
Wet the uncovered nori with water to act as glue, then lift the sushi mat and roll the sushi to seal it completely.
Press firmly with both hands to shape the roll.
11. Cut the roll in half with a damp, sharp knife. Then, slice each half into thirds for 6 pieces using a back-and-forth motion. Finish by garnishing with a dot of sriracha.
👩🏻🍳 Jazz’s Tips
- Use ripe tomatoes – If your roma tomatoes have an orange hue let them sit at room temperature for 2-3 days to ripen fully.
- Sesame oil – Choose roasted/toasted varieties for the best flavour. Using untoasted sesame oil may result in a marinade lacking depth.
- Water bowl – To prevent rice from sticking to your hands, wet your fingers by dipping them in a small bowl of water before handling sushi rice.
- Evenly distribute rice. Ensure you spread the rice in a thin layer across the entire nori sheet so your sushi roll has a uniform appearance.
How To Serve
Pair these tomato spicy tuna rolls with soy sauce and wasabi on the side. For a sushi dipping sauce, mix about 1 part wasabi with 3-4 parts soy sauce, adjusting to your preferred level of spiciness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tomato tuna features a salty seafood-like flavour and a somewhat slippery and meaty texture reminiscent of raw tuna. Overall, it delivers a satisfying resemblance to traditional tuna in taste and texture.
Certainly! If you prefer extra heat add a strip of sriracha inside the roll. Or, if you prefer a mild flavour you can omit the sriracha entirely for a non-spicy option.
Yes, you can! However to ensure freshness I suggest keeping them at room temperature for a maximum of two hours and covering them with plastic wrap to prevent the rice from drying out.
⭐️ MORE SUSHI
Explore some of my favourite vegan sushi recipes below!
- Tofu Crunch Roll w/Teriyaki Sauce
- Kappa Maki (Cucumber Sushi Roll)
- Vegan Futomaki Roll (Maki Sushi)
- Vegan California Roll
- Avocado Sushi Roll
DID YOU MAKE THIS VEGAN SPICY TUNA SUSHI ROLL?
I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Kindly leave a comment or star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. Also, feel free to tag me on Instagram, as I enjoy seeing photos of your recipes.
Vegan Spicy Tuna Roll
Equipment
- Bamboo Rolling Mat
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 1 batch cooked/seasoned sushi rice
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp nori sheet, finely cut
- 1/2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
- sriracha for garnish
- nori sheets
Instructions
- Prepare Rice: Begin by making a batch of seasoned sushi rice. Let it cool to room temperature before starting the vegan tuna rolls.
- Peel Tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a sharp knife, make a small "x" mark on the bottom of each roma tomato.
- Place the tomatoes in boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the skin begins to peel off slightly. Be careful not to overcook. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of cold water with ice cubes to stop the cooking process.
- Once cooled, carefully peel off the tomato skin and cut into quarters, remove the seeds and inner flesh and cut further into thin strips about 1/2 inch wide.
- Marinade Tomatoes: In a bowl, mix soy sauce, mirin, nori (cut with scissors into small pieces), sesame oil, and liquid smoke. Add tomatoes and coat evenly. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Assemble Rolls: Wrap the bamboo mat in plastic wrap; this prevents the rice from sticking to the mat and makes clean-up easier. Cut the whole nori sheet in half using scissors to make two half sheets.
- Place a half sheet of nori horizontally on your bamboo mat, shiny side down, rough side facing up. Wet your fingers in water and grab sushi rice (about 1/2 – 2/3 cup). Spread evenly on the nori, leaving 1/2 inch at the top uncovered. Add a single layer of your marinated tomatoes, about 3 slices, in the center of the rice.
- To Roll The Sushi: Lift the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you and fold it over the tomato filling. Hold the filling with your fingers and apply light pressure to tighten the roll.
- Wet the uncovered nori with water to act as glue, then lift the sushi mat and roll the sushi to seal it completely. Press firmly with both hands to shape the roll.
- Cut the roll in half with a damp, sharp knife. Then, slice each half into thirds for 6 pieces using a back-and-forth motion. Dip the blade in water before each cut and wipe it clean after each slice. Finish by garnishing with a dot of sriracha.
Notes
- For leftovers – Wrap tightly in plastic or store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Use ripe tomatoes – If your roma tomatoes have an orange hue let them sit at room temperature for 2-3 days to ripen fully. Ripe tomatoes taste better.
- Water bowl – To prevent rice from sticking to your hands, wet your fingers by dipping them in a small bowl of water before handling sushi rice.
- Evenly distribute rice. Ensure you spread the rice in a thin layer across the entire nori sheet so your sushi roll has a uniform appearance.
Some of the most delicious sushi I’ve ever had. The flavour from the marinade is insane! Texture spot on. Also tasty in an inside out roll. 11/10 easily