Sushi Without Fish? Yes. And It’s Better Than You Think. GF-DF
Rainbow veggie sushi - plant-based and gluten free
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My relationship with fish has always been… challenging but on Good Friday, my preferences were no match for my nan’s ritual of eating fish. Even the chips alongside it didn’t sweeten the deal. The rule was simple: I had to stay at the table until I finished my lunch.
To distract myself, I’d lock eyes with the fish in a staring competition, willing it to vanish—or, seeing as it was the season, hoping for an Easter resurrection. I would imagine it would wake up, flap off to the nearest drain, reunite with its family, and I’d finally be allowed two scoops of value-pack vanilla ice cream topped with Ice Magic.
It was, after all, supposed to be a special occasion.
When I became a vegetarian, I’ll be honest—it was a relief not to have to eat fish anymore.
So raw fish sushi? Not even on my radar.
It took me a long time to try veggie sushi for the first time. I remember I grabbed some hosomaki at the airport.
I’d love to say it was love at first bite, but the burning sensation from a mouthful of wasabi I curiously sampled ended that romance rather quickly and I stayed away from it for a few years.
But as someone who’s low-gluten and dairy-free, I eventually realised sushi made a brilliant alternative to a sandwich when travelling—and slowly, after learning to moderate my wasabi intake, I grew to love it.
A sushi restaurant opened in my town, serving incredible veggie options with flavours like banana blossom, cauliflower tempura, mango, and a lime-avocado smash on top. It only took one visit for that casual appreciation turned into a full-blown passion.
It was a flavour explosion—addictive, but thankfully, pretty healthy.
I craftily passed on my veggie sushi obsession to a friend (what are friends for?), and we became sidekicks in sushi crime, looking for any excuse to go.
So when I met Marisa online, I was excited.
She publishes Dear Sensei and describes herself as a Black sushi chef from Mississippi who specialises in plant-based Japanese food. I knew instantly—we needed to chat.
After an hour of laughter, we realised we were kindred spirits. She generously offered to share her veggie futomaki recipe with our community to show just how easy (and delicious) homemade sushi can be.
My stomach, taste buds, and bank card were all on board.
I called my sushi sidekick and said I needed help to make—and taste—Marisa’s sushi recipe. You know, purely for quality control reasons. Her response? “Where and when?”
We spent an afternoon filming, making gluten-free tempura for the futomaki, and experimenting with different toppings. You can’t say we didn’t take our jobs seriously.
Then we tucked in, chatting over pickled ginger about which flavour combos we loved most.
If you’d like to see us in action—or at least, see our hands— watch this…
My takeaways and thoughts:
Making sushi wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be. Marisa’s instructions were clear and easy to follow, while still leaving plenty of space to get creative with your own flavours.
A sharp knife is essential. Marisa warned me, and she was right—mine is rubbish. A good blade really does make the difference between beautiful, neat rolls and a squishy pile of ingredients on your plate. See the photo below for confirmation of this.
It can take a bit of time, especially if you cook the rice properly. But as my wise, sushi-filled partner in crime declared: “Sushi is something you make and eat with friends.”
So get the kids—or big kids—involved, pour yourself a cheeky drink (not for the little kids), and chat over cooling sushi rice and vibrant fillings. Before you know it, you’ve made a rainbow plate of food—and you get to eat it all.Putting tempura in the roll or on top is a game-changer. The fat and crunch work soooo well with the fresh, punchy flavours.
And interestingly, one of the best flavour combos we tried?
Smoked beetroot, vegan garlic cream cheese, mango and carrot.Yep, I know!
Most big supermarkets stock the basics for sushi-making, but if you’re lucky enough to live near an Asian grocery shop, you’ll likely find even more exciting options.
You can download the Futomaki PDF guide that Marisa created below
I highly recommend signing up to Marisa’s Substack—she shares incredible recipes that cater to a range of food preferences and intolerances.
If you’d like to hear more about Marisa’s fantastic journey to becoming a sushi chef, and her top tips for making amazing sushi at home, stay tuned for next week’s post.
What’s your go-to comfort food twist—or is there a dish you once hated that you’ve learned to love in a whole new way?
Yes! You can eat this - is a growing community of busy home cooks who prepare meals for food intolerances and preferences who want to make things easier without sacrificing flavour.
I'm Mel. My aim is to make cooking for multiple food intolerances easy and enjoyable. Veggie filled recipes that you can share and enjoy with your loved ones whether they have intolerances, or preferences (veggie, plant-based, vegan) or not.
I became a veggie at 15 then picked up a few food intolerances a long the way :-). With my 20+ years of experience I have learnt how to make cooking from scratch easy, with food that is kind to your bellies, without sacrificing flavour.
need to try my hand at this!
Love the takeaways and thoughts. Last time I made sushi was on a corporate team building session many moons ago! I’m going to try this brilliant thank you 🙏