Healthy Dinner Idea: Simple Sushi Bowls

Today I’m going to teach you how to make sushi bowls! A sushi bowl is an easy and healthy dinner idea, and even picky eaters can choose their own toppings — everyone can build a bowl they will love. Most of my family loves sushi (we have one who isn’t a fan), but with a large family sushi gets expensive. I have made sushi at home in the past, but it is very time consuming and time consuming isn’t a good thing with a hungry clan of kids! I finally decided a sushi bowl is the perfect answer.

Sushi bowls are quick to throw together — you essentially just cook up the sushi rice and prepare different ingredients for toppings then everyone can customize their own bowl. Our favorite protein is crab salad but tempura shrimp or salmon would be amazing.

Preparing sushi rice is a little different than regular rice, but it’s still very simple.

The biggest key to a fantastic sushi bowl is the sushi rice. Did you know there is different rice specifically for sushi? Sushi rice is available on Amazon and also probably available at your grocery store. I’ve been able to find it pretty easily, even at Walmart with the nori and rice vinegar in the Asian section. Preparing sushi rice is a little different than regular rice, but it’s still very simple.

Sushi Bowls Recipe

• 3 cups sushi rice
• 3 1/2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 2 tsp salt

TOPPING IDEAS:

• Sliced avocado
• Cubed cucumber
• Shredded carrot
• Edamame
• Crab salad (imitation crabmeat chopped and mixed with mayo)
• Salmon
• Tempura shrimp
• Nori (seaweed paper) strips
• Wasabi
• Soy sauce
• Sriracha
• Sesame seeds

How to Prepare Sushi Rice

To cook the rice, first rinse it thoroughly to remove the starch (about a minute). Next place the rinsed rice in a heavy bottom pot and just cover the rice with water. Then place the rice on a high burner. Stir a few times until it starts to boil (be sure to only use a wooden spoon since metal can break the fragile rice grains and will react with the vinegar). Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer 8-10 minutes or until rice is cooked through and water is all gone. Do NOT stir once you reduce heat to low. Some rice will get stuck to the bottom, but that’s okay.

While rice is simmering, combine the other ingredients (rice vinegar, sugar and salt) in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat just until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. When rice is finished, remove with a wooden spoon (leave behind the rice stuck to the bottom, do not scrape it out). Place the rice carefully in a plastic or glass bowl and pour the rice vinegar sauce over it while hot, stirring to combine. Let it sit until rice is cooled, but do not refrigerate to cool faster. When rice is cooled, let everyone top their own bowl with their favorite toppings and enjoy!

PRO TIP:  Go easy on the soy sauce, I almost ruined a bowl the other day when I got crazy with too much soy sauce.