This vegan sushi bowl has everything you love about sushi — just way simpler. Pan-fried tempeh, rice, crunchy vegetables, creamy avocado, sweet mango, and an optional sriracha sauce make it a fresh, colorful, and protein-packed lunch or dinner.
This post was created in partnership with The Ginger People.
I love sushi. I really do. What I don't love, though, is rolling sushi. No matter how many tutorial videos I watch or how motivated I feel at the start — my sushi rolls almost never turn out the way they're supposed to.
Thankfully, someone had the genius idea of serving sushi as a bowl. It has everything I love about sushi: rice with a hint of vinegar, crunchy vegetables, avocado, a little something sweet, and a flavorful protein source. Just without the frustration and without any rolling technique required.
For this recipe, The Ginger People sent me their sushi ginger to try. I was especially excited about this, because I'd been looking for a pickled ginger where the ingredient list isn't longer than the actual recipe.
This, of course, needed to be celebrated — with a big, colorful, and fresh vegan sushi bowl. Loaded with hearty, pan-fried tempeh, crunchy vegetables, creamy avocado, sweet mango, and of course a generous pile of sushi ginger. Basically everything I love about sushi, just without the complicated rolling.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easier than rolling sushi — All the ingredients are simply arranged in a bowl.
- Quick to make - with pre-cooked rice, your bowl is served in under 20 minutes.
- High in protein — Tempeh and edamame deliver plenty of plant-based protein.
- Fresh & colorful — Lots of vegetables, avocado, and mango bring color, flavor, and tons of vitamins.
The Ingredients at a Glance
- Tempeh: Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh has a hearty, nutty flavor. You can find it refrigerated at Asian grocery stores and at well-stocked supermarkets.
- Soy sauce, maple syrup & rice vinegar: These combine to create a sweet-salty marinade with a gentle tang.
- Toasted sesame oil (optional): Adds a subtle roasted aroma. If you prefer oil-free, simply leave it out.
- Cooked rice: You can use sushi rice or any other variety. I went with brown rice for extra fiber and nutrients. Quinoa also works wonderfully as an alternative.
- Shelled edamame: These young, green soybeans are usually found in the freezer section.
- Carrot & cucumber: For crunch and freshness.
- Avocado: Makes the bowl extra creamy — make sure it's nice and ripe!
- Mango: Brings a beautiful fruity sweetness to the bowl. You can also skip it if you prefer.
- Sushi ginger, sesame seeds & nori: These finishing touches give the bowl its signature sushi vibe.
For the optional creamy sriracha sauce, you'll also need vegan skyr or soy yogurt (or my oil-free vegan mayo). Alternatively, you can use a store-bought vegan sriracha mayo.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Stir the cooked rice together with rice vinegar and salt.
Pour boiling water over the frozen edamame beans and let them thaw for a few minutes.
Grate the carrot or cut it into thin matchsticks. Dice or slice the cucumber, avocado, and mango. Thinly slice the green onions.
Step 2
Slice the tempeh into strips about ¼ inch thick. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
Pan-fry the tempeh over medium heat with a little oil (or oil-free in a non-stick pan) for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. Add the marinade to the pan, toss to coat, and let it caramelize briefly. Set aside any remaining marinade to drizzle over the bowl when serving.
Step 3
Stir together the ingredients for the yogurt-sriracha sauce.
Divide the rice among 2–3 bowls. Arrange the tempeh, edamame, carrot, cucumber, avocado, and mango on top.
Garnish with sushi ginger, green onions, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the sriracha sauce and any remaining marinade, and serve!
Variations
- Even more sushi flavor: Cut toasted nori sheets into strips and scatter them generously over the bowl. Or use them as little wraps and serve the sushi bowl ingredients inside.
- Other protein sources: Instead of tempeh, you can use tofu or smoked tofu. Smoked tofu already has plenty of flavor on its own, so you don't necessarily need to pan-fry it. If you'd like to skip both tofu and tempeh entirely, simply increase the amount of edamame.
- Different vegetables: Depending on the season, red cabbage, radishes, bell pepper, or daikon radish all work beautifully.
FAQ
Yes! Simply use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Absolutely. Firm plain or smoked tofu works great. Smoked tofu doesn't even need to be pan-fried, as it already brings a lot of flavor to the bowl.
More Summer Bowl Recipes
Whether it's a Buddha bowl, poke bowl, or sushi bowl — bowls are the perfect summer meal for me: colorful, fresh, satisfying, and wonderfully versatile. Here are a few more recipes from the blog:
I hope you'll give this vegan sushi bowl with tempeh a try! If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on instagram (#veggiejam) with your recreation.
PrintRecipe
Vegan Sushi Bowl With Tempeh
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
Description
This vegan sushi bowl has everything you love about sushi — just way simpler. Pan-fried tempeh, rice, crunchy vegetables, creamy avocado, sweet mango, and an optional sriracha sauce make it a fresh, colorful, and protein-packed lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
For the Tempeh
- 7 oz (200 g) tempeh
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
For the Rice
- 1 ½ cup cooked rice* (approx. 200 g)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt (only if rice is unsalted)
Toppings
- ⅔ cup (100 g) frozen shelled edamame
- 1 carrot
- ½ English cucumber
- 1 avocado
- 1 small mango
- Other toppings: sushi ginger, green onions, sesame seeds, nori sheet
Sriracha Sauce (optional)
- ⅓ cup (80 g) greek-style/thick soy yogurt, or vegan mayo
- ½ tbsp sriracha chili sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
Instructions
Prep the rice & vegetables:
- Stir cooked rice with rice vinegar and salt.
- Pour boiling water over frozen edamame; let thaw for a few minutes.Grate or julienne the carrot. Dice or slice cucumber, avocado, and mango. Thinly slice green onions.
Prepare the tempeh:
- Slice tempeh into strips about ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick.
- Whisk marinade ingredients together.
- Heat a large skillet. Pan-fry tempeh over medium heat with a little oil (or oil-free in a non-stick pan) for 2–3 minutes per side until golden.
- Add the marinade, toss to coat, and let caramelize briefly. Set aside any leftover marinade for serving.
Assemble the bowl:
- (Optional) Stir together sriracha sauce ingredients.
- Divide rice among 2–3 bowls. Top with tempeh, edamame, carrot, cucumber, avocado, and mango.
- Garnish with sushi ginger, green onions, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with leftover marinade and sriracha sauce.
Notes
*Notes: Use sushi rice or any rice you prefer. I used whole grain rice. Not a fan of rice? Quinoa is a great alternative.
This post is also available in German (Deutsch).
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