California Roll Bowl Recipe

If you are a fan of poke bowls, then you better keep reading. This recipe for a California roll bowl is not only fun to say, but it's also an excellent idea for sushi lovers. This dish is pretty much like a poke bowl or a deconstructed sushi roll, and it tastes fresh and delicious. It's filled with great ingredients like sushi rice, avocado, cucumber, and surimi, and you won't feel guilty about eating it. Top it off with some spicy mayo, and it's one of the best dishes out there!

Recipe developer Hayley MacLean came up with this fantastic recipe. "What I think is so great about this recipe is that it encapsulates all the wonderful flavors of a classic Cali roll, but in a much heartier meal," MacLean describes. "With every bite you get a different combination of ingredients, keeping this dish so fun and tasty!" And there are plenty of great occasions to serve it at. "These bowls are great to serve at get togethers or dinner parties because everything can build their own and customize it however they like! Extra sauce, only surimi, loads of furikake? Go for it! It is easy to prepare all the ingredients and lay them out so your guests can be creative," MacLean adds. Let's dive right into this refreshing recipe!

For this recipe, you'll need a few key ingredients that may look similar to those for a sushi roll. You'll need uncooked sushi rice, seasoned rice vinegar, Japanese (AKA Kewpie) mayo, sriracha, and surimi. "Surimi is the technical name for the imitation krab commonly used in California rolls and other sushi," MacLean says. You'll also need some diced cucumber, an avocado, nori sheets, pickled ginger, furikake, and optionally some roasted sesame seeds. And, it wouldn't be a California roll (bowl) without some soy sauce and wasabi for serving, so be sure to have those as well! "Adding other veggies to this like edamame, shredded carrots, daikon radish, or bell pepper would really jazz this bowl up and bulk it out into an even heartier meal," MacLean suggests for possible ingredient additions. 

Grab your sushi rice and cook it according to the instructions on the package. "Brown rice can definitely be subbed for the sushi rice! It takes longer to cook and will have a slightly chewier texture but will taste just as wonderful," MacLean notes. Once you finish cooking the rice, let it rest for about 15 minutes. When your timer goes off, add the seasoned rice vinegar and stir to combine.

Take out a small bowl and add the Japanese mayo and sriracha. Use a whisk to stir and combine. "Sriracha mayo is a classic among sushi restaurants! It is spicy and creamy and just a bit sweet due to the Japanese mayo used," MacLean shares. "While it is pretty spicy itself, adding more a higher ratio of sriracha would definitely up the ante! Or, adding a drizzle of just sriracha afterwards would also heat things up." 

This recipe calls for four bowls, so select a few dishes you would like to serve the California roll bowls in. Add the cooled sushi rice first, followed by the surimi. Next, toss in the cucumber, avocado (make sure these two ingredients are diced beforehand), and two nori sheets. Garnish the bowls with pickled ginger, furikake, and toasted sesame seeds. 

The last thing you will need to add is the sriracha mayo. Serve with some soy sauce and wasabi on the side. MacLean also provides a few good serving suggestions for these bowls: "I love serving this with a hot bowl of miso soup and some seaweed salad on the side — and don't forget the gyoza to start! It is just like you're sitting in your favorite sushi joint." 

Anything left? It's all good. "For this dish, I prefer to store the leftover ingredients separately in airtight containers so that I can assemble more bowls later! The ingredients will be good for up to 5 days," MacLean shares. "If wanting to store an already assembled bowl, place the leftovers in an airtight container and they will keep for about 2-3 days in the fridge."