Sushi Rice Salad

This time of year when we often take our meals with us -- to the pool, the park, or even to the back porch -- I'm a big fan of those all-in-one-bowl meals. Sushi is perfect for the summer weather, too, because it is light and refreshing when it is too hot to have a heavy meal.



This salad fits the bill. It is cool, crunchy and refreshing. I made it recently and was shocked to realize that I hadn't posted it here yet. It is definitely worth sharing and has become a family favorite.

The original recipe, from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites calls for brown rice, but we often make it with white rice. Sushi rice is available at our Whole Foods, but if you can't find it, another short grain -- even arborio -- would do. The wasabi can be adjusted to make it as hot as you like. I like the salad cold, though, and try to make it in advance so that it has plenty of time to cool off in the refrigerator before we want to serve it.

Second Helping: Brown Buttered Zucchini with Spaghetti
Thirds: Purple Cauliflower Soup

Sushi Rice Salad

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites
Serves 8
20 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time, plus time for chilling

The amount of wasabi in this recipe adds just a touch of flavor without too much heat. It's perfect for children, but if you like a stronger punch, add more. Either way, make some extra to serve on the side with the salad.

2 cups sushi (short grain) rice
3 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup rice vinegar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
4 small carrots, peeled and diced
2 red (or yellow or orange) bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
3 teaspoons wasabi powder, plus more for serving
1 sheet nori seaweed
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, toasted
2 ripe avocadoes, peeled and sliced lentghwise

Rinse the rice,  and add it and the water to a medium-sized stockpot,. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. 

While the rice is cooking, prepare the sauce. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and ginger to a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the rice is done, toss the sauce with the rice. Add the 3 teaspoons of water to the wasabipowder and mix. Stir the wasabi into the rice. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

Fill a medium half full of water and bring it to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for a minute, then add the bell peppers and cook for about another two minutes. The vegetables should have softened, but retain a bit of texture (they shouldn't be mushy). Drain and set the veggies aside to cool.

Toast the sesames by putting them in a saute pan over a medium flame until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour them out of the pan onto a plate to cool. Toast the sheets of nori in the same saute pan until they darken, about 1 or 2 minutes. When they are cool enough handle, crumble them into small pieces.

When the carrots and peppers have cooled, stir them into the rice. Add the cucumbers. Just before serving, stir in the sesames and nori. Peel and slice the avocadoes and serve them with the salad.

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Comments

[Nancye]

Thanks for this recipe. We made it last night and my husband and I loved it. We added a little crabmeat and soy sauce- sushi in a bowl. The boys weren't such big fans but that meant more for us. Yum.

[Andrea]

We LOVE sushi salad...one of our favorite camping meals, actually. Last time we had it was under the St. Louis Arch and previously by a stream in Yellowstone!

(I make it where you soak the rice for 30 min, then boil for 2, sit for 10, and it is perfect every time.)