My kids LOVE sushi. At first we were proud of their adventurous taste buds but soon realized how expensive their sushi habit was going to be. We can’t go to a Japanese restaurant and trick them into eating teriyaki while we feast on maki anymore. They want the good stuff and they can eat A LOT of it. Luckily, they’re pretty easy to please with California or shrimp rolls. I’ve yet to try making my own sushi rolls at home, but these bowls are a simpler solution that satisfy us all!

Since we don’t feed them raw fish and we all love salmon, we make salmon sushi bowls. You could substitute shrimp or crab meat or make yours a veggie bowl. So many options! There are a few different things to prep but much (or all) of it can be done ahead of time and each step is pretty simple. The two things that make these sushi bowls extra special: roasted nori (for that essential umami flavor) and spicy mayo! My kids can handle a little kick and they can’t get enough of that stuff.

Sushi Rice Bowls

INGREDIENTS

Salmon:
~1 lb. salmon
drizzle of olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon, sliced (optional)

Sushi Rice:
1 1/2 cups sushi rice, cooked according to package directions
3 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Spicy Mayo:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. sambal oelek (or sriracha)*
1 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice

Sweet Soy Sauce:
3 tbsp. soy sauce (I use low-sodium)
1 1/2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. honey

green onion, sliced
carrot, grated or sliced
cucumber, peeled and sliced
avocado, pitted and sliced
nori roasted seaweed snack, crumbled
toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the salmon on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and top with lemon slices (if using). Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 
2. Prepare the sushi rice according to package directions. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Microwave for 20-30 seconds and stir until the sugar/salt dissolves. Once the rice has finished cooking, remove the rice from the heat and stir in the vinegar mixture until the rice is evenly coated. 
3. To make the spicy mayo, combine the mayo, sambal oelek, rice vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Adjust heat to taste.
4. To make the sweet soy sauce, in a small bowl whisk to combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey. (You can heat it a bit in the microwave if you’re having trouble getting the honey to combine.) 
5. While the salmon and rice finish cooking, prep the remaining ingredients so they are ready to go into your bowls. 
6. Place prepared rice in individual serving bowls, top with salmon, onion, carrot, cucumber, avocado, nori, and toasted sesame seeds, Drizzle with spicy mayo and sweet soy sauce and serve.

*The amount of chili paste/sriracha can be adjusted to taste. This is mildly spicy so that my kids can handle it!

Inspired by Budget Bytes