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Vegan Sushi Bowls with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot

Name: Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot Sushi Bowls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 medium carrots, scrubbed; 6 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 cup white, short-grained sushi rice; 1 1/3 cups water, plus water for rinsing the rice; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 bunch asparagus spears (about 1 pound), ends snapped off, stalks cut diagonally into 3" lengths; 1 tablespoon miso paste ((I used sweet white miso)); 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root; big pinch salt; 4 small radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced; half a small cucumber, peeled if the skin is tough or bitter, trimmed and thinly sliced; 1 large avocado, ripe but firm, halved, pitted, removed from the peel and sliced; toasted sesame seeds; toasted, seasoned nori strips; pickled ginger; lemon wedges; wasabi; tamari, shoyu, or soy sauce

By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Mar 16, 2014 (updated Feb 18, 2020) / 49 Comments Jump to Recipe

Vegan Sushi Bowls with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot with chopsticks

Warning: My simple preamble to a simple recipe ended up resembling one of those obnoxious Yelp reviews where the entitled and offended diner relates their entire sub-par experience of a given restaurant in excruciating detail. (I mean, that's what blogs are for, right?) But do feel free to skip down to the recipe if you prefer.

A recent dining experience at a highly regarded San Francisco restaurant left me considering vegetarianism. A friend from out of town kindly offered to take us, and despite the prix-fixe menu, Jay's status as a recovering vegetarian, and my extreme squeamishness, we agreed.

In anticipation, I checked the restaurant's website, and was greeted by close-ups of various sea creatures and their dead, staring eyes. I relayed this information to Jay, and we began to have reservations (pun intended) about our dinner plan. However, the restaurant requires a 72-hour advance cancellation and we were loath to blow several hundred dollars on an un-eaten meal. So Jay pulled on his nicest pair of jeans, and we headed down to SOMA.

I tend to enjoy being pampered, and was looking forward to an evening of unbridled culinary decadence. But I could tell that Jay, whose idea of an extravagant meal is a vegetarian plate at the local taqueria and a tall boy in a bag from the corner liquor store, was nervous. (Ok, I exaggerate. His idea of a decadent meal is going to the nice, organic Mexican restaurant where they have microbrews on tap.)

We arrived at the restaurant a few minutes early and were pleasantly surprised by the laid-back atmosphere of bare brick walls, rustic wooden tables, and an open kitchen. Classic rock played through the speakers, and all the personnel were, well, personable. We ordered cocktails from the bar, which were served in glasses chilled with liquid nitrogen, and were shown to our table.

The maitre d' appeared and explained that one could upgrade to the "Discover" menu if one wished. This menu was even fancier, with even better wines, and a bigger price tag. We decided to go for it.

The maitre d' then asked whether there was anything we didn't like to eat, were allergic to, or "had a thing about." I looked at Jay, who gets grossed out by rare steak, gags at the sight of pâté, and refuses to eat raw fish in sushi restaurants. He said nothing.

After a prolonged silence I said, "I don't want to eat any eyes."

The maitre d' frowned. "Any ice?"

"Eyes," I repeated. A blank stare.

"Eyeballs," Jay explained.

"Oh, ok," said the maitre d'. "Anything else?" He glanced around the table.

"Wild mushrooms," I admitted. "They scare me."

"Are truffles ok?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, "truffles are very ok."

"Alright," he said. "Anything else?"

"Jay," I pleaded silently, "don't leave me."

He must have noticed my death stare because he finally shrugged and said, "I guess I'd rather not eat uni."

"Well," the maitre d' said, "there is sea urchin on the menu. And I will encourage you to try it. But if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it." This seemed reasonable. We sat back, anticipating the gustatory delights to come, and sipped our liquid nitrogen-chilled cocktails.

The first dish arrived: a scoop of black caviar atop something white and slimy, atop something red and slimy. It was served in a small, glass orb alongside a tiny, iridescent spoon.

"Caviar on torn fish stomach over a gelée made from the fish's own bones," the server announced.

Jay's face remained a study of indifference, but I could imagine him dying a little inside. Jay won't even eat sushi if it's topped with tobiko roe, and he was certainly squirming at the thought of putting a whole spoonful of fish innards in his mouth. He picked up the spoon and took a bite with nary a shudder. The man is a good actor. I did the same. It was cold, salty and fishy – not really my thing, but I tried to maintain an open mind. Maybe torn fish stomach would become my new favorite food, kind of like how I used to detest brussels sprouts. Unlike Jay, I do like tobiko roe on sushi, it's just that eating a spoonful of fish eggs is not my idea of a good time, the fact of which I had only just become aware. I imagined how caviar might be tolerable – even tasty – slathered on a piece of crusty bread, or sprinkled on a blini. But there was no bread to break up the fishiness. Just a pour of undoubtedly very fine champagne that was most likely lost on my undeveloped palate.

We managed to clean our orbs, and they and the pretty spoons were cleared away. I hoped that once we'd gotten past the fish stomach, we'd get to eat something cozy, perhaps some handmade pasta with fresh truffles grated over the top, or some fancy cheeses. Maybe a vegetable or two. After all, vegetables are the new cupcakes. I read that on the internet, so it must be true.

But no.

The next dish arrived. The server, who was a cook, said proudly, "This is grilled abalone, freshly slaughtered."

"Freshly slaughtered?"

"Yes. About 20 minutes ago, when you sat down." He gestured to a tank full of unfortunate creatures destined to be roasted in their own juices. He chuckled. "It really didn't want to go. I had to wrestle if off the side of the tank. It was hanging on for dear life."

The next two cold, fishy dishes weren't so bad. They were sashimi-like, served with slender chopsticks, and we washed them down with what I assumed was very good sake. But then a trio of tiny critters showed up.

"Baby squid in a foam made from their own juices." I pushed away some of the foam, and prodded some little black orbs on the squid.

"Hey," I said, realization dawning. "These are eyeballs! They served me eyeballs!" The men ate their squid. I choked one down, trying not to think about the eyeballs. It was slimy.

The next dish came: a bowl of unidentifiable mushrooms hidden under a mushroom foam, which was exactly what I had requested not to eat. And the dish after that? Uni. As promised a dish was placed in front of Jay. It was topped with something shiny – a piece of gold leaf.

"This is sea urchin topped with caviar," the server said, "and gold. Because we can."

I tried not to puke up my fish stomach.

Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, a bowl of pristine asparagus was placed in front of me. I practically wept with relief. And next up, a bowl of tiny peas in broth.

"First-of-the-season peas from our own garden in a broth made from their pods. We call it 'pea love,'" the server said. And it was lovely.

overhead shot of Vegan Sushi Bowl with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot

The rest of the meal was a dance of changing utensils, fine wines, succulent vegetables, a bit of truffle here, a touch of fois gras there. It was delicious; unfortunately, I was too full of fish stomach to enjoy it adequately, a fact that made me want to cry. Each wine was better than the next, but I was so drunk by this point, that I kept pushing my half-empty glasses over to Jay. The evening ended with the bartender pouring us shots of what tasted like a Chinese form of grappa, which I also passed over to Jay, who would later remember neither drinking the Chinese fire water, nor our cab ride home.

close up of Vegan Sushi Bowl with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot

The next day, over a non-traumatic breakfast of plain toast and tea, a hungover Jay and I speculated that perhaps the Discover menu was not intended for squeamish eaters like us, but rather for the diner who has eaten everything and wants to try something new and unusual. It really wasn't the restaurant's fault. All the food was expertly prepared, clean and simple and beautiful. If it hadn't been for the first six fishy/mushroomy dishes, we both would have loved it. And someday in the distant future, when all memories of fish stomach and squid eyes have faded from my mind, I would very much like to know what their plain jane prix-fixe menu is like.

What I will never understand is why they served us the things that we specifically un-requested. It felt like some weird kind of peer pressure, an expensive game of truth or dare. (Truth: I never want to eat fish stomach again.) I will also never understand why, out of fourteen courses, there was no cheese. The world is indeed a mysterious place.

Vegan Sushi Bowls with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot on a table

That whole, fishy experience made me realize that the part of sushi that I really enjoy is not the raw fish, but rather the vinegared rice, some pickled vegetables, and a bit of nori, all dunked into a mixture of wasabi and soy sauce (which isn't traditional, but I do it anyway). The word sushi actually comes from a combination of the word su (meaning vinegar) and shi (from meshi, meaning rice) – no fish technically necessary. So, inspired by Heidi Swanson (who is vegetarian and will therefore never have to experience a meal of fish parts), I've been making these simple little bowls. I roast asparagus in a mixture of miso, ginger, toasted sesame oil, and lemon juice, make some quick pickles from ribbons of multi-colored carrots, place them both over some vinegared sushi rice topped with radishes, avocado, cucumber, pickled ginger, and sesame, and douse the whole thing with wasabi and tamari. You can roll the components up in little sheets of crispy nori, or just eat it like a salad, with the nori crisps on the side.

This recipe certainly isn't set in stone; other additions I could see swapping in are:

edamame or fava beans
roasted shiitake mushrooms
roasted tofu
peas or snap peas
shiso
kaiware sprouts
daikon radish
smoked trout or salmon

Or, you know, a bit of torn fish stomach, if that's your thing.

side shot of Vegan Sushi Bowl with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot

{Many thanks to my good friend Amelia, who made these beautiful bowls by hand.}

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*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this vegan sushi bowl recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*

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Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot Sushi Bowls

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These vegan sushi bowls are hearty and healthy.

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total: 1

Servings: 2 hefty servings, with extra pickled carrot.

Ingredients

For the pickled carrot:

4 medium carrots, scrubbed
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the rice:

1 cup white, short-grained sushi rice
1 1/3 cups water, plus water for rinsing the rice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

For the asparagus:

1 bunch asparagus spears (about 1 pound), ends snapped off, stalks cut diagonally into 3" lengths
1 tablespoon miso paste (I used sweet white miso)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
big pinch salt

For finishing the bowls:

4 small radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
half a small cucumber, peeled if the skin is tough or bitter, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 large avocado, ripe but firm, halved, pitted, removed from the peel and sliced
toasted sesame seeds
toasted, seasoned nori strips
pickled ginger
lemon wedges
wasabi
tamari, shoyu, or soy sauce

Instructions

Pickle the carrot:

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot into long, wide ribbons. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a mason jar or bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the carrot, toss to coat, and let sit while you get on with the rest.

Cook the rice:

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with cool water, and swish it around to release the starches. Carefully pour off the water, then repeat 2-3 more times. Drain well. Place the rice in a small saucepan and add the 1 1/3 cups water, the sugar, and the salt. Place the pot over a medium flame and bring to a simmer. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the rice steam until the water is absorbed, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Test the rice - if it is too firm, sprinkle in a few tablespoons more water and repeat the steaming/standing process until the rice is tender, but still chewy. Fluff the rice with a fork, sprinkle the vinegar over the rice, and gently toss with a spoon to incorporate the vinegar. (Try to handle the rice minimally and gently to prevent if from become mushy.) Let the rice cool to warm or room temperature, 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, roast the asparagus:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375ºSpread the snapped and sliced asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the miso, sesame oil, lemon juice, grated ginger, and salt. Drizzle this mixture over the asparagus, toss to coat, and roast in the oven until crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Finish the bowls:

Divide the rice between 2 wide bowls (you may or may not want to use all of it). Top with the asparagus, pickled carrots, radish, cucumber, avocado, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve the bowls with nori strips, pickled ginger, lemon wedges, wasabi, and tamari or soy sauce. I like to mix together about a teaspoon of wasabi with a couple tablespoons of tamari, and pour it all over my bowl along with the juice from a lemon wedge or two.

Notes

I like this dish best when served at room temperature, so I recommend letting the rice cool for 30-60 minutes before making the bowls and diving in. I used an heirloom variety called Kokuho Rose from a local California farm, which I found in bulk at our co-op. And while I like this dish best when freshly made, you can definitely keep extras in the fridge for up to a day or two. (If I had a real job, I would delight in making myself a little bento box to take to work.)

If you have extra carrot pickles left over, they'll keep well for at least a week, though they are crispest when freshly made. I bet they'd be killer on a sandwich or burger, too. Feel free to get creative with the toppings here – I list some ideas up above.

Nutritional values are based on one of two servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 708kcalCarbohydrates: 124gProtein: 19gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 1965mgPotassium: 1666mgFiber: 21gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 22555IUVitamin C: 49.2mgCalcium: 225mgIron: 9.2mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

Vegan Sushi Bowl with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot

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Vegan Sushi Bowls with Miso-Roasted Asparagus and Pickled Carrot

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