Easy Avocado Sushi Rolls (No Nori Needed)
Sushi rolls have a reputation for being a production — special nori, perfect technique, sushi-chef pressure. These skip all of it: no nori at all, just seasoned rice rolled in plastic wrap with toasted sesame on the outside, avocado and cucumber inside.
The quiet genius is shio kombu — salty-sweet ribbons of kelp that season each bite from within, so you don't even need a dish of soy sauce. This was how I learned that homemade sushi can be casual weeknight food, not a special-occasion project.
Ingredients
Filling
- Avocado1
- Cucumber1/2 (or 1 Persian)
- Shio kombu (salted kelp)see substitutionsto taste
- Wasabito taste
- Toasted sesame seedsto taste
Sushi rice
- Short-grain rice3/4 cup
- Water3 Tbsp less — you want firm riceslightly less than usual
- Kombu (dried kelp), for cooking the rice1 small piece
- Rice vinegar2 Tbsp
- Cane sugar1 Tbsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
Nutrition
per serving🛒 Ingredient notes & substitutions
Shio kombu: Thin salty-sweet strips of simmered kelp — the secret seasoning here, worth finding at a Japanese grocery (Kurakon is a common brand). Substitute a light sprinkle of salt plus torn nori, but shio kombu is what makes soy sauce unnecessary.
No bamboo mat?: The plastic wrap does most of the work in this recipe — a clean kitchen towel under the wrap gives you enough structure to roll.
Instructions
Rinse the rice and cook it with the kombu, using about 3 tablespoons less water than usual — sushi rice should be on the firm side. Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt; when the rice is done, transfer it to a wide bowl, pour the seasoned vinegar over, and fold with a cutting motion. Let it cool.
Peel and pit the avocado and cut it lengthwise into 4 wedges.
Trim the cucumber and cut it lengthwise into quarters (you'll use half).
Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on your rolling mat and scatter toasted sesame seeds over it. Spread a layer of sushi rice into a rectangle on top.
Line up the avocado, cucumber, shio kombu and a stripe of wasabi about 1/2 inch (1 cm) from the near edge, then roll it up using the wrap and mat together. Repeat for the second roll.
Once the rolls have settled, slice them — still in the wrap — into pieces, then peel off the wrap and plate.
Tips
Keep a damp cloth over the sushi rice while it cools so it doesn't dry out and harden.
To slice cleanly, wet the knife and draw it through from heel to tip without pressing — you're slicing, not crushing.
The filling is endlessly changeable: shiso, lettuce, radish sprouts and corn all work beautifully.