Avocado rolls are the perfect starter or side for any meal. The creamy avocado combined with the vinegar flavor of the sushi rice make this a delicious and healthy treat. In addition, it’s fairly simple to prepare and a great starter for those who are new to the sushi world.
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What are Avocado Rolls?
Avocado rolls are a sushi roll consisting of avocado and sushi rice wrapped in a seaweed wrapper called a nori sheet. They can be prepared as either a maki roll (rice and filling are on the inside of the nori sheet) or an uramaki roll (rice is on the outside of the nori sheet). Personally, I prefer to prepare this type of roll as a maki roll but they are delicious either way.
In addition, I like to garnish avocado rolls with black sesame seeds before serving with a ramekin of dynamite sauce, which I use as a dipping sauce. You could also serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger if you wanted to stick to a more traditional presentation.
How to Control the Thickness of Your Sushi Rolls
You can control how thick your sushi rolls are by how much of the nori sheet you use. This recipe uses half of the nori sheet which makes smaller rolls. I prefer to use half a nori sheet for avocado rolls as this makes them easier to eat with chopsticks. However, this does make them more difficult to roll.
If you like thicker rolls or if you are having trouble rolling the sushi, you can use the entire nori sheet. This will definitely make the rolls thicker and easier roll. You can also cut off the top 1/4 of the nori sheet to reduce the thickness of the roll depending on your preference.
How to Make Avocado Rolls
Like many sushi rolls, the most time consuming part of preparing avocado rolls is cooking the sushi rice. After that, everything goes pretty quickly. Below we will show you step-by-step instructions along with pictures on how to prepare avocado rolls.
Cook Sushi Rice
1. First, rinse 2/3 cups of short-grain sushi rice by placing it in a colander and running water through it until the water is clear.
2. After the rice is rinsed, add it to a sauce pan with 1 cup of water. I would check the instructions on the sushi rice package to see exactly how much water to add as it can vary depending on the brand.
3. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
4. Remove the rice, place into a bowl or dish, and let it cool. I would line the dish with parchment paper prior to adding the rice to avoid the rice sticking to the bowl.
5. Mix 2 tablespoons of sushi vinegar into your rice. Stir until it has absorbed into the rice. Once cooled and fully absorbed, your rice is ready to roll!
Assemble the Avocado Rolls
1. Prepare your bamboo sushi mat: Cover your bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. This will help keep the rice from sticking to it.
2. Tear or cut the nori sheet in half: Fold the nori sheet in half and gently tear along the seam. If it does not tear easily, use kitchen shears to cut the nori sheet in half.
3. Press rice onto nori sheets: Next, place the nori sheet onto the plastic wrap with the shiny side facing down. Then press around 1/2 cup of rice onto about 3/4 of the nori sheet in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 of the nori sheet without rice as this will help seal the roll. Tip: Combine a bowl of water and a splash of rice vinegar and use to wet your hands prior to handling the sushi rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
4. Slice the avocado: Slice the avocado in half the long way. Remove the seed and cut each half into around 6 slices. Each whole avocado should yield around 12 slices. I often cut the slices right out of the avocado half and add directly to the roll to ensure freshness.
You can also drizzle a little lemon juice over your cut avocado to prevent it from browning in your roll.
5. Add the avocado to the roll: Add around 3 avocado slices in a row across the nori sheet.
6. Roll the sushi: Wet the part of the nori sheet that does not contain rice. Starting at the side of the nori sheet with rice, use the bamboo sushi mat to fold your roll until it’s completely enclosed. Once the nori is making contact with the rice, pull back the sushi mat so it doesn’t get caught in the sushi. Still using the sushi mat as your guide, finish rolling until the roll is completely wrapped. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and gently press, tightening the roll together. Keep in mind that rolling sushi is an art that may take some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect your first time. It will get easier the more you do it.
7. Cut the roll: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces. I do this by first cutting the roll in half. Then cutting each half in half. Then cutting each fourth in half. Tip: Be sure to clean and wet the edge of your knife before cutting each roll.
8. Garnish with sesame seeds: I like to garnish the avocado rolls with black sesame seeds. This gives the roll some texture and looks good as well.
9. Serve and enjoy: I usually serve with either dynamite sauce or soy sauce and wasabi.
Avocado Rolls Recipe
Avocado Roll Sushi Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bamboo Sushi Mat
- 1 Pot for cooking sushi rice
- 1 Sharp knife and cutting board
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 2/3 cups Sushi Rice dried, will cook to 2 cups
- 2 Tbsp. Sushi Vinegar
Sushi Roll
- 2 Nori Sheets
- 1 Ripe Avocado
- Lemon Juice
- Black Sesame Seeds
Instructions
Cook Sushi Rice
- Rinse 2/3 cups of sushi rice by placing it in a colander and running water through it until the water is clear.
- After the rice is rinsed, add it to a sauce pan with 1 cup of water.
- Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
- Remove the rice and place into a bowl or dish and let cool. I would line the dish with parchment paper prior to adding the rice to avoid sticking.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of sushi vinegar into your rice. Stir until it has absorbed into the rice. Once cooled and fully absorbed, your rice is ready to roll!
Assemble the Avocado Rolls
- Prepare your bamboo sushi mat: Cover your bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. This will help keep the rice from sticking to it.
- Tear or cut the nori sheet in half: Fold the nori sheet in half and gently tear along the seam. If it does not tear easily, use kitchen shears to cut the nori sheet in half
- Press rice onto nori sheets: Next, place the nori sheet onto the plastic wrap with the shiny side facing down. Then press around 1/2 cup of rice onto about 3/4 of the nori sheet in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 of the nori sheet without rice as this will help seal the roll. Tip: Combine a bowl of water and a splash of rice vinegar and use to wet your hands prior to handling the sushi rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
- Slice the avocados: Slice the avocado in half the long way. Remove the seed and cut each half into around 6 slices. Each whole avocado should yield around 12 slices. I often cut the slices right out of the avocado half and add directly to the roll to ensure freshness.You can also drizzle a little lemon juice over your cut avocado to prevent it from browning in your roll.
- Add the avocado to the roll: Add around 3 avocado slices in a row across the nori sheet.
- Roll the sushi: Wet the part of the nori sheet that does not contain rice. Starting at the side of the nori sheet with rice, use the bamboo sushi mat to fold your roll until it's completely enclosed. Once the nori is making contact with the rice, pull back the sushi mat so it doesn't get caught in the sushi. Still using the sushi mat as your guide, finish rolling until the roll is completely wrapped. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and gently press, tightening the roll together.Keep in mind that rolling sushi is an art that may take some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect your first time. It will get easier the more you do it.
- Cut the roll: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces. I do this by first cutting the roll in half. Then cutting each half in half. Then cutting each fourth in half. Tip: Be sure to clean and wet the edge of your knife before cutting each roll.
- Serve and enjoy: I usually serve with soy sauce and wasabi. Sushi rolls are traditionally served with pickled ginger as well.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Are avocado rolls gluten-free?
Yes! All ingredients in avocado rolls are naturally gluten-free.
Are avocado rolls healthy?
Yes. Avocados are very healthy for you as they contain several healthy vitamins and minerals. In addition, they are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. However, I would limit the amount of sushi rice you use if you are trying to keep this roll healthy as sushi rice is higher in calories and has less nutritional benefits.
Are avocado rolls a traditional Japanese sushi?
No, avocado rolls were invented in the West and are most popular there. While avocado is a popular ingredient in Western sushi, Japanese sushi rarely contains avocado.
Final Thoughts on Avocado Rolls
Avocado rolls are a great option if you are looking for a fun side that is both healthy and delicious. It’s a great starter roll for those new to the sushi world as it’s simple to prepare and contains no raw fish. Happy cooking!
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