Super easy Umeshiso Roll combining tangy pickled plums and aromatic shiso leaves to get you rolling your homemade sushi successfully ASAP!
Ingredients
- Regular sushi rice: The traditional, classic short-grained rice. This makes sure that your rice sticks together.
- Brown rice: A healthier alternative to white rice, adding a nutty flavor and extra fiber and protein to the rolls.
- Rice vinegar: Essential condiment to sushi rice.
- Sugar: Gives a characteristic sushi flavor.
- Salt: A natural flavor enhancer.
And now the fillings!
- Umeboshi or ume: Japanese pickled plums that are intensely sour and salty, adding a unique and tangy flavor to the rolls.
- Shiso leaves: Also known as perilla or ooba leaves.
- Nori sheets: The outer wrapping for the sushi rolls.
- White sesame seeds (optional): Adds a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to the rolls.
- Avocado (optional): For a creamy and buttery element to complement the other flavors.
Note that I did not use avocado and sesame seeds in the pictures for the blog since I want the pictures to look as simple as the recipe actually is. However, I have tested the recipe using these two ingredients so if you would like to add them, rest assured that they pair well!
Step-by-step Instructions
Cook the rice: Combine sushi rice, brown rice, and water in a saucepan. Simmer until cooked.
Prepare rice vinegar mixture: Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved.
Prepare fillings: Cut out the shiso leaf stems. Slice the avocado, if using.
Season the rice: Let the cooked rice steam, then transfer to a tray and flatten. Pour the rice vinegar mixture over the rice and mix until coated. Allow to cool.
For complete tips and tricks to make the best Brown Sushi Rice (using whole grain brown rice), check out this Brown Sticky Rice recipe post!
Assembly time: Place nori on a sushi mat, spread rice, and then shiso leaves, umeboshi, and optional avocado. One roll should contain 3 shiso leaves and 1 to 1.5 pickled plum. Be careful not to put too much pickled plum as that could overpower the taste of the sushi very quickly! Remember that it’s better to have too few umeboshi than too many!
Roll the sushi: Roll tightly and seal with a bit of water (using a wet finger to brush it) if needed.
Slice and serve: Cut rolls into bite-sized pieces. Serve on its own, or with some mayo for a twist.
What is Umeboshi Exactly?
“Ume” or “umeboshi” is a traditional Japanese delicacy of pickled and fermented apricots or plums. Botanically, they come from an apricot tree (prunus mume) but they are often referred to as plums. The raw ume plums are yellow or green in color, but red shiso leaves (see below for a more detailed explanation) are usually added which changes the color of these apricots/plums to reddish.
These umeboshi taste very salty and sour, so a little goes a long way. They are often used as a filling for onigiri rice balls or served with rice in bento boxes.
What are Shiso Leaves?
Shiso leaves, also known as perilla leaves or ooba, are a type of herb that is very popular in Japanese cuisine, although it is also often used in Korean and Vietnamese cuisines. Shiso leaves have a distinct aroma and flavor, often described as a combination of mint, basil, and citrus.
You can find these leaves in Asian or Japanese grocery stores. If you like gardening, you can also plant one in your garden since they are actually quite easy to grow!👩🌾
Serving Suggestions
Serve these ume shiso sushi rolls immediately for the best flavor. I usually serve them plain without soy sauce since the umeboshi already has quite a strong flavor.
However, if you’d still like to pair it with a dipping sauce, it pairs well with my low fat vegan mayo, or my yuzu aioli sauce for a citrusy twist.
For some sweet pairings, check out my Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream or my Nutella Mochi Daifuku Balls which can easily be made sugar-free using my Homemade Vegan Nutella!
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
Storage: Ume shiso rolls are best enjoyed fresh, or for a maximum of 2 hours. The shisho leaves wilt quickly once rolled up in the sushi, which is a pity given that they are quite hard to find and expensive.
Meal Prep: To meal prep, prepare the seasoned rice and the fillings (such as mincing the umeboshi) ahead of time. Store them separately in the refrigerator in airtight containers until ready to use, for a maximum of 4 days. Roll your sushi just before consumption to keep everything fresh.
FAQ
Looking for More Vegan Sushi Ideas?
For more vegan sushi recipes, check out my maki roll recipes such as this Kappa Maki (cucumber roll) recipe or this Mushroom Roll. If you are a fan of fermented food, this Natto Maki (fermented soybeans roll), or this Korean Kimchi Sushi (fermented cabbage) recipe might be your next favorite recipe!
Want something a little bit different? Try my asparagus sushi, bean curd sushi, mango sushi, or peanut avocado sushi!
Easy Umeshiso Roll (+ Step-by-Step Photos!)
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- ½ cup white short-grained sushi rice 110 grams uncooked
- ½ cup brown rice 105 grams uncooked, feel free to sub with regular sushi rice as above for a more traditional recipe
- 1.5 cups water or according to package instructions
- ¼ cup rice vinegar 60ml (see notes for substitutes)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar 30 grams (see notes for substitutes)
- 1 teaspoon salt 5 grams
Fillings
- 35 grams umeboshi Japanese pickled plums, 12 pieces
- 24 shiso leaves perilla or ooba leaves
- 4 nori sheets cut into halves to make 8 sheets
(Optional) More Fillings
- 1 medium avocado sliced (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons white sesame seeds (optional)
- vegan mayonnaise for serving; either this homemade cashew mayo or store-bought
Instructions
Cook the rice and prepare rice vinegar mixture
- In a medium pot or saucepan, add the sushi rice, brown rice, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or according to package instructions.½ cup white short-grained sushi rice, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1.5 cups water or according to package instructions
- While the rice is cooking, whisk in the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until they are mostly dissolved. If there are clumps, microwave in 10-15 second increments. Another option is to bring them on low heat on the stove, but note that you don’t want them to be boiling.¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
Prepare your fillings
- Remove the tough stems of the shiso leaves.24 shiso leaves
Mix rice with the sushi rice seasoning
- The rice should be done by now. Cover the pot or saucepan with a lid to let the rice steam, for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer rice to a large plate/dish or baking sheet and gently flatten out the rice. If your plate/dish/baking sheet is metallic, layer with some baking paper so the metallic flavor won’t mess with the acid from the rice vinegar. Note that this step is important to get a sticky but fluffy sushi rice so please do NOT skip this step.
- Pour the rice vinegar mixture over the rice. Then mix evenly using a rice spoon or spatula. You would want to mix them using a ‘slicing’ motion until all grains of rice are coated with the rice seasoning, for about 2-3 minutes.
- Now let the rice to cool down for about 10-15 minutes.
Roll, roll, roll!
- Once the rice cools, place half a nori sheet with its shiny side down on the sushi mat.4 nori sheets
- Spread the rice evenly on the nori, leaving an inch (2.5cm) at the top. Be sure to fill in the left and right sides completely. The more traditional way is to use your hands to do this but I prefer just using (rice) spoon.
- Fold three shiso leaves, each into half lengthwise, then place them about an inch (2.5cm) from the bottom. Then take out the pit of your umeboshi plum. Tear out each plum into 4-5 parts, then spread them on top of your shiso leaves in a horizontal line. One sushi roll should use 3 shiso leaves and 1 to 1.5 plums.Be careful not to put too much umeboshi since they have a strong taste and can overpower the recipe that way. Remember that it's better to have too few than too many umeboshi!24 shiso leaves, 35 grams umeboshi
- (Optional) If you are using avocado, add it on top of the umeboshi. Also sprinkle your sesame seeds over the sushi rice now, if using.1 medium avocado, 2 Tablespoons white sesame seeds
- Roll the sushi tightly using the sushi mat, applying gentle pressure by pressing the sushi roll (and sushi mat) to keep it secure. If needed, seal the roll by brushing the top edge of the nori using a damp finger (wet, but not dripping with water).
- Repeat the process with the remaining nori sheets, sushi rice, and vegetables.
- Then slice them into bite-sized pieces, about 8 pieces per roll. It's easiest to first slice the roll into two halves, then continue slicing each piece into two (see process shots above in the post).
- Serve the Umeboshi Sushi on its own, with vegan mayo, or soy sauce for dipping!vegan mayonnaise
Notes
- Brown rice: You can also use only white short-grained sushi rice instead of combining it with brown rice. This is the traditional method but will result in lower fiber and protein content.
- Rice vinegar: Diluted white vinegar (2 parts white vinegar to 1 part water) can be used as a substitute. Other clear vinegars may impart a subtle flavor, such as an apple-like aroma with apple cider vinegar so proceed at your discretion.
- Sugar: You can substitute with any flavorless sweetener of your choice. Note that sweeteners with intrinsic flavors like honey or maple syrup will slightly alter the taste of the rice (e.g., honey’s taste or maple syrup’s mapley flavor), so keep that in mind when using them.
- Avocado and sesame seeds: I did not use avocado and sesame seeds in the pictures for the blog since I want to keep it as simple as possible. However, I have tested the recipe using these two ingredients so if you would like to add them, rest assured that they pair well!
- Sushi mat: If you don’t have a sushi mat, you can also use a clean and thick kitchen towel.
I didn’t know that it literally just contains 2 main ingredients🤯
When making, definitely be careful with the ume. We ended up using 1 plum per sushi roll cos the taste was too strong that it could overpower the shiso very quickly. Sushi rolls look less aesthetic than the pictures since we had to spread the ume really thin. But otherwise, 10/10 for the recipe! Thanks!