When somebody tells me that I’m wasting my time for nothing, I’m gonna show them the picture of these vegan onigiris. These cuties are filled with smoked vegan salmon – basically marinated carrots.

I tried this kind of carrot salmon in a restaurant and was quite impressed by how similar the taste was. It seemed like the perfect filling for my vegan onigiri.

I was a bit scared to make them for the first time. But actually, it isn’t hard at all. It is fun and even relaxing. Don’t rush, and you’ll make it, too.

Plan ahead to make vegan smoked “salmon” filling.

Steam whole carrots for about 25 minutes until tender.

Let it cool, and then peel. Slice the carrots into very thin pieces using a vegetable peeler.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Slice the carrots and put them in an airtight container. Cover with the marinade and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days for best results.

Give it a little stir once or twice per day.

Now, we are going to make vegan onigiri.

Rinse the rice under water several times until the water is clear. Drain it and put it in a pot.

Cover the rice with fresh water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a minimum and cook covered for 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Then, fluff the rice with a fork, cover it again, and let it rest for another 5 minutes.

Add salt and vinegar, mix, and let it cool to room temperature. Cover the rice to retain moisture.

First, organize your workspace to assemble the onigiri. Keep a bowl of salty water on the side to wet your hands, preventing the rice from sticking. Cut the nori sheet into strips.

Take about 3 tsp of rice and form the ball. Flatten the ball and make a small hole in the middle. Place marinated carrot inside and cover with extra rice. Don’t put too much filling. Form a triangle and wrap it with a nori strip.

Continue with the remaining rice.

Vegan onigiri with smoked “salmon”

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Little cute vegan onigiri with smoked “salmon” filling.

Author: Anastasia
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 6 pieces 1x
Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

Scale

For smoked “salmon”:

2–3 medium carrots
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp neutral oil
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp umeboshi vinegar
1 tbsp water

For vegan onigiri:

1 cup sushi rice
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 nori sheet

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For vegan smoked “salmon”:

Steam whole carrots for about 25 minutes until tender.
Let it cool, and then peel. Slice carrots into very thin pieces. You can use a vegetable peeler for that.
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Place the carrots in an airtight container. Cover with the marinade and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days for best results.
Give it a little stir once or twice per day.

For onigiri:

Rinse the rice under water several times until the water is clear. Drain it and put it in a pot.
Cover the rice with fresh water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a minimum and cook covered for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Then, fluff the rice with a fork, cover it again, and let it rest for another 5 minutes.
Add salt and vinegar, mix, and let it cool to room temperature. Cover the rice to retain moisture.
First, organize your workspace to assemble the onigiri. Keep a bowl of salty water on the side to wet your hands, which will prevent the rice from sticking. Cut the nori sheet into strips.
Take about 3 tsp of rice and form the ball. Flatten the ball and make a small hole in the middle. Place marinated carrot inside and cover with extra rice. Don’t put too much filling. Form a triangle and wrap it with a nori strip.
Continue with the remaining rice.

Notes

Taste your carrots from time to time while they are marinating. Add more salt or soy sauce if needed.

Use sushi rice varieties. Other rice won’t stick and your onigiri will fall apart.

Vegan onigiri with smoked “salmon”