Quinoa Sushi Rolls with Avocado and Cucumber

Name: Quinoa Sushi Rolls with Avocado and Cucumber
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup (170 g) white quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water for 1 minute and drained well; 1¾ cups (415 ml) water; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon (9 g) toasted sesame seeds; 4 sheets (10 g) nori sheets (full size, about 7½×8 inches / 19×20 cm); 2 medium (300 g) ripe but firm avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 small (200 g) English cucumber, seeds scooped out, cut into 3-inch (8 cm) long matchsticks about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 1 medium (80 g) medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin 3-inch (8 cm) matchsticks; ½ cup (120 ml) cool water, in a small bowl, for wetting fingers and knife; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce or tamari; 1 teaspoon (5 g) wasabi paste (optional); 2 tablespoons (30 g) pickled sushi ginger (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Vinegar-seasoned white quinoa stands in for sushi rice in these vegan maki rolls filled with creamy avocado, crisp cucumber and sweet carrot. The quinoa is cooked with a little extra water so the grains cling together, making the rolls easy to shape and slice.

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 35 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 4 rolls (32 pieces)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the quinoa
1 cup (170 g) white quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water for 1 minute and drained well
1¾ cups (415 ml) water
2 tablespoons (30 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt
1 tablespoon (9 g) toasted sesame seeds
For the rolls
4 sheets (10 g) nori sheets (full size, about 7½×8 inches / 19×20 cm)
2 medium (300 g) ripe but firm avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 small (200 g) English cucumber, seeds scooped out, cut into 3-inch (8 cm) long matchsticks about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
1 medium (80 g) medium carrot, peeled and cut into thin 3-inch (8 cm) matchsticks
½ cup (120 ml) cool water, in a small bowl, for wetting fingers and knife
To serve
3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon (5 g) wasabi paste (optional)
2 tablespoons (30 g) pickled sushi ginger (optional)

Equipment (7)

Medium saucepan with tight-fitting lid (2-quart / 2 L)
Fine-mesh sieve
Bamboo sushi rolling mat (about 10×10 inches / 25×25 cm)
Plastic wrap
Large rimmed tray or wide shallow dish for cooling the quinoa (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm)
Sharp thin-bladed knife
Small bowl for water (for wetting hands)

Steps

Before you start

Choose ripe but firm avocados: they should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not feel mushy, or they will squash when rolled.
Use white quinoa, not red or black; it turns softer and stickier, which helps the rolls hold together.
Plan on about 85 minutes in total, most of it hands-off while the quinoa cooks, rests and cools. No oven is needed.
Have a very sharp, thin-bladed knife ready for slicing. A dull knife will tear the nori and crush the rolls.

1
Rinse and cook quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water for 1 minute, shaking it, then drain well.
- Combine the quinoa and 1¾ cups (415 ml) water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
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Ready when: All the water is absorbed and the grains look plump, with tiny white spirals (the germ) visible.
Tip: The extra water compared with fluffy quinoa is deliberate: softer grains are stickier and hold the rolls together.
2
Rest the quinoa
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes so the remaining steam softens the grains evenly.
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Ready when: Grains are tender and slightly sticky when pressed with a spoon.
3
Season and cool quinoa
- In a small bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar dissolves.
- Tip the quinoa onto a large rimmed tray and drizzle the vinegar mixture over it.
- Fold gently with a spatula, then stir in the sesame seeds.
- Spread the quinoa in an even layer and let it cool for about 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Quinoa is just warm or room temperature to the touch and clumps when squeezed gently.
Tip: Fold rather than stir hard, which breaks the grains into a paste.
4
Prepare the fillings
- Cut the cucumber and carrot into 3-inch (8 cm) matchsticks about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, scooping out the cucumber seeds first so the rolls don't turn watery.
- Slice the avocados and toss the slices gently with the lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- Arrange the fillings in separate piles.
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Ready when: All vegetables are cut to similar lengths, shorter than the width of a nori sheet.
Tip: Pat the cucumber dry with a paper towel for the cleanest rolls.
5
Set up the station
- Wrap the bamboo mat in plastic wrap.
- Place a nori sheet shiny side down on the mat with the long edge facing you, lined up with the edge of the mat closest to you.
- Set the bowl of water within reach.
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Tip: Wrapping the mat means no quinoa gets stuck in the bamboo, and the mat stays easy to clean.
6
Spread the quinoa
- Wet your fingers in the water.
- Press about ¾ cup (130 g) of quinoa into an even layer over the nori, covering it to the edges but leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) strip bare along the far edge.
- Press firmly but gently so the layer is about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
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Ready when: The nori is evenly covered with no gaps, except the bare strip at the far edge.
Tip: Rewet your fingers whenever quinoa begins to stick to them.
7
Add the filling
- Lay a line of avocado slices, a line of cucumber sticks and a line of carrot sticks across the quinoa, about 1½ inches (4 cm) from the edge closest to you.
- Keep the filling to a compact band no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) high.
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Ready when: The fillings form a neat, even band running the full width of the nori.
Tip: Overfilling is the most common reason for rolls that split, so use less than you think you need.
8
Roll tightly
- Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with your thumbs and index fingers while holding the filling in place with your other fingers.
- Roll the edge of the nori over the filling, tucking it in tightly, then continue rolling forward, pressing the mat gently around the roll.
- Stop when the bare strip is left.
- Dab the strip with a wet finger, then complete the roll so it seals.
- Squeeze the mat firmly around the roll.
- Repeat with the remaining nori and quinoa, wetting your fingers as needed.
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Ready when: The roll is firm and cylindrical, and the seam stays closed when you let go.
Tip: Don't roll the mat itself into the sushi; lift it away as you go.
9
Rest the rolls
- Place the rolls seam side down on a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- The moisture softens the nori and bonds the seam.
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Ready when: The nori looks slightly glossy and feels pliable, not crisp.
10
Slice the rolls
- Dip the tip of a sharp knife in the water and shake off the excess.
- Trim the ends if desired, then cut each roll in half and cut each half into 4 equal pieces, for 8 per roll.
- Wipe and rewet the blade between cuts.
- Use a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing down.
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Ready when: Pieces have clean, neat edges and the filling stays in place.
Tip: A wet, clean blade is the difference between clean slices and ragged ones.
11
Plate and serve
- Arrange the pieces cut side up on a platter.
- Serve with the soy sauce in small dishes, plus wasabi and pickled ginger if using.
- Eat within 1 hour for the best texture.
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Tip: Dip the quinoa side lightly into the soy sauce; it absorbs liquid quickly and can fall apart if soaked.

Good to know

Tips

Press the quinoa onto the nori with wet fingers rather than dry ones; it grips less and spreads more evenly.
If the quinoa feels too loose to clump, stir in 1 tablespoon of cooked, mashed avocado or a teaspoon of ground chia to help it bind.
For easier rolling, cut the nori sheets in half for thin hosomaki-style rolls with a single filling.
Rinse and rewet the knife blade between every cut; starch builds up quickly and drags the nori.

Make ahead

The seasoned quinoa can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated; let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling, since cold quinoa is stiff and won't spread well. Cut the cucumber and carrot up to 1 day ahead and keep them in an airtight container lined with paper towels. Slice the avocado just before rolling.

Storage & reheating

Best eaten fresh. Rolls keep at room temperature for up to 1 hour. Refrigerate uncut, tightly wrapped rolls for up to 24 hours, then slice just before serving; the quinoa firms up and the nori becomes chewy, so let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating. Not recommended for freezing as the avocado and cucumber turn watery and mushy. Leftover cooked quinoa freezes well for up to 3 months.

Substitutions

granulated sugar → maple syrup (1 tablespoon / 15 ml). Adds a subtle flavor and works the same way; stir into the vinegar until blended.
soy sauce or tamari → tamari or coconut aminos. Tamari keeps the dish gluten-free; coconut aminos is milder and slightly sweeter.
medium carrot → thin strips of red bell pepper or sliced mango. Use the same quantity (about 80 g) for color and crunch or sweetness.
ripe but firm avocados → smoked tofu or steamed sweet potato strips. Cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) sticks and cool completely; a firmer filling is easier to roll if your avocados are very soft.