I finally recreated the TikTok viral Baked Salmon Sushi Cups- AS VEGAN. When I chose to go vegan, I opened up the creative portal in myself. I decided there was nothing I could not make vegan. These baked sushi cups made me dance around the kitchen in triumph. I am a self proclaimed sushi lover girl, so when a dish like this comes together… you better believe I am sharing it with everyone! If you like this recipe then check out my Vegan Spicy Tuna Bowl!
Vegan Sushi Using Tomato
Let us end the anticipation. I know the first thing you are dying to know is “COURTNEY! What on gods great earth are you using to make vegan sushi?!” I have auditioned many for the lead role in this dish… watermelon, beets, etc. One candidate stood out as a true star and her name is Roma Tomato. After testing multiple different tomatoes, it is clear to me that roma tomatoes are the best for this recipe. You can use other tomatoes, they “worked” for me, however, they often fall apart and you lose a lot of the actual tomato due to difficultly cutting– it just becomes mangled.
Step 1: Bring salted water to a boil and boil roma tomatoes for 45-60 seconds or until skin cracks.
Step 2: Immediately transfer to an ice bath and allow tomatoes to cool fully. This will stop the cooking process and avoid them becoming mushy.
Step 3: Remove skin and cut tomato into 4 equal pieces. (Cut length wise so each piece is long like a piece of sashimi!)
Step 4: While cutting tomatoes, spoon away the seeds and cut out any firm core.
Step 5: From here you can choose to leave your pieces as long sashimi or cut into cubes.
Marinating Roma Tomato
I am no stranger to asian marinates. One of my first recipes on Faraway Kitchen was a Watermelon Poke Bowl that my family requested on repeat every time I stopped over. So much of cooking is the flavors and spices, not the meat- I will go to the grave on that one. I am continuously shocked by the lack of craving that I have eating a 100% vegan lifestyle. I credit the reasoning to NOT GIVING UP MY FAVORITE DISHES. I still eat all of my favorite things, only now they feel like love and compassion. Some of my staple ingredients for cooking asian marinates are…
- Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds
- Seaweed Flakes
- Liquid Smoke (if you have never used liquid smoke, I urge you to try! The little bottles last forever and it’s such a fun new ingredient to try)
- Japanese Sake
There’s so many other fresh ingredients as well- like ginger, garlic, and green onion. When you add these things to that strip of boiled tomato, you’re going to be swooning at the idea of eating this forever.
Construction Baked Sushi Cups
Once your marinated tomato is ready to roll, you can construct the sushi cups in any fashion.
Step 1: Use a cupcake baking sheet and line each cup with a square of nori paper (seaweed paper). You will cut each sheet into a quarter to do this.
Step 2: Add a layer of cooked sushi rice into the cup.
Step 3: Add a spoonful of roma tomato marinate to each cup. Drain thoroughly before adding, you do not want a soggy cup.
Step 4: Bake at 425°F for 15-120 minutes
Step 5: Top with favorite sushi toppings. I personally like fresh cubed avocado, cucumber, green onion, and spicy mayo.
If you are a visual person, then check out my Instagram or TikTok where I have a demo video on how to make this dish. Links are on the bottom of my page.
