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During the summer, I love trying no-cook recipes that are made with fresh vegetables and seasonal produce. A great way to do that is with this fun Cucumber Sushi idea. It’s basically a large cucumber that’s been cored and stuffed with anything you’d like. I usually try to mimic a sushi roll with the ingredients I use. But it’s a versatile and adaptable recipe that you can adjust to your taste.
Ingredients to make cucumber wrapped sushi
The most important ingredient for making this cucumber sushi recipe is the cucumber. Go for the large and wide cucumbers for best results. All other ingredients are negotiable. Because I tend to emulate the taste of sushi, I love using sushi rice (not pictured below), along with smoked salmon, avocados, red peppers and carrots.
These are all just optional ideas. If you want to keep it vegetarian, you can skip the smoked salmon. And if you want to keep it grain free, there’s no need to add the rice. I like using the rice because it helps everything stick together. And it makes it more filling if you’re making it for kids.
Other ingredient ideas of cucumber sushi
- Sushi-grade fish (salmon, tuna, crab, etc.)
- Cooked shrimp
- Nori (seaweed paper)
- Cream cheese
- Green onions
- Asparagus
- Radish
- Jalapeno
How to make cucumber sushi
Step 1: Cut the cucumbers in half and seed the cucumbers to create a hallow center with a thin wall around.
Step 2: Stuff the rice, then the remaining ingredients one by one by laying them flat on top of each other. I recommend using a dull knife to compress each layer against the previous ones. Keep adding ingredients until the cucumbers are fully packed without any hallow openings.
Step 3: Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds and enjoy! While you’re cutting the cucumber wrapped sushi, if you notice any filling feels loose, you can stuff in more rice and vegetables as needed.
This is the part where you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. There is just something fun about slicing the cucumber sushi and seeing the round green cucumbers full of delicious colorful sushi fillings! When you dip it in a spicy mayo sauce or soy sauce, it really has all the taste of sushi without the nori wrapper or fancy rolling equipment.
The presentation is so cute! They can be a bit tedious to make, but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually pretty fun. And the result is just adorable! This cucumber wrapped sushi is so much fun during the summer and works for so many events like:
- Potlucks
- Appetizers
- Kids DIY “cooking”
- Kids lunchboxes
- Bridal/baby showers
So if you’re not in the mood for cooking this summer, and just want to have some fun with fresh produce, try this homemade cucumber sushi recipe. It’s very easy to adapt it to your taste preferences and/or diet restrictions and everyone always gets a kick out of how cute and delicious these are!
Best part?! You have an excuse to use those chopsticks you brought home from the Japanese restaurant a year ago!
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Cucumber Sushi recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
More appetizer recipes:
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
- Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Shrimp Cocktail in Avocado Bowls
- Crispy Quinoa Patties
- Vegetable Spring Rolls
More kid-friendly recipes:
Cucumber Sushi
Video
Ingredients
Cucumber Sushi
- 2 large cucumbers
- 1 cup sushi cooked rice
- 4 ounces smoked salmon optional
- Avocado sliced
- Red bell peppers sliced
- Carrots julienned
Spicy Mayo
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package instructions, but do not stir when it is cooked. This allows it to stay sticky.
- Cut each cucumber in half lengthwise, and hallow it out by removing the seeds with a knife or spoon.
- Place a small amount of rice inside one half cucumber, then compress towards one side to make room for the other ingredients. Carefully add the smoked salmon, avocados, peppers and carrots, compressing as you add until the cucumber is packed full. Repeat for the remaining cucumbers.
- Using a sharp knife, slice cucumbers into ½ inch thick pieces.
- Serve immediately or cold with soy sauce or spicy mayo sauce, if desired.
Notes
- Instead of sushi rice, you can use short grain white or brown rice, but make sure to cook with extra water to keep it soft and clumpy for easier assembly.
- Feel free to add or change any of the ingredients included inside the cucumbers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Hi! These look amazing, going to try them later… Do you know how many of these is equal to 141 calories? Thanks 😊 🙏
Thank you so much! One serving is about half a cucumber or 4-5 slices of sushi with some of the spicy mayo sauce.
Delish! I shared a link to your website on our Japan Unit Study blog post. https://www.pocketfuloftreasures.net/2021/08/japan-geography-and-cultures.html
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing the recipe with your community!
Yay! Thank you so much!
Stuffed with crab, peppers & sushi rice. Super easy & loved the presentation! Thank you for the great recipe!
Yummmm!! Love how you made it. Thank you!
Lengthwise would be cutting the length of the cucumber. You want to cut them in half.
Oops…I updated the instructions! Thank you!
Kept it strictly vegetarian. Love the presentation and the taste. Great idea. Thanks