Smoked Salmon Sushi Recipe

While sushi is a popular food item to order at restaurants, many people never even think to make it at home. Believe it or not, sushi is pretty simple to make, and it takes just a little bit of practice to perfect your craft. This smoked salmon roll is exactly like something you would order at a sushi restaurant — it's simple yet delicious, and it will satisfy your cravings.

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating came up with this recipe for smoked salmon sushi, and Brookes herself is an advocate for making sushi in your own kitchen. "Making sushi at home is easier than you might first think," she says. "It's such a fresh and delicious lunch or dinner that you can prep in advance, and easily customizable with your favorite fillings too." Brookes also shares why she likes using smoked salmon over traditional sushi-grade. "Smoked salmon is much more readily available in supermarkets than sushi grade raw salmon which can be expensive and difficult to get hold of," Brookes notes. Plus, who doesn't love a little smoky flavor in their sushi roll?

Once you are ready to start, make a list and head to the store. You will only need a few items, including sushi rice, sugar, rice vinegar, nori seaweed sheets, smoked salmon, avocado, and lemon.

Take out your sushi rice and place it into a bowl of cold water. If you've never purchased sushi rice before, Brookes says that she finds it in the Asian foods section at the grocery store. Once you put the rice in the water, move it around with your hands. Drain the water and repeat this process until the water is clear — at that point, let the rice soak for 20 minutes.

After the 20 minutes have passed, drain the rice again and place it in a saucepan with 5 ½ ounces of water. Put the saucepan on your stove and turn up the heat, and wait for the water to reach a boil. Once the water begins to boil, cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid on for about 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and rice vinegar to the pan with the rice and stir with a wooden spoon. Take out a baking sheet and spread the rice out. Cover the top with a damp tea towel — this will allow the rice to cool quicker. Let the rice sit with the towel over it for about 20 minutes.

Grab your seaweed sheets, and then dampen your hands with water to prevent the rice from sticking. Take handfuls of the rice and spread it out onto the seaweed sheet in an even layer. Be sure to leave the top third of the sheet uncovered, since you will need it empty to roll the sushi.

Now, cut the smoked salmon and avocado into long, thin strips. Squeeze the lemon over the avocado to prevent it from browning. Layer the salmon across the center of the rice, then add the avocado strips on top of the smoked salmon. Those are the only two items that will go in this roll — simple but delicious!

Brush a little bit of water along the top edge of the seaweed, which will help everything stick together. Starting with the edge nearest to you, carefully roll the sushi into a tight log. If you have a rolling mat, you can use that to help, but it's not a huge deal if you don't. Repeat the same steps with the remainder of the seaweed, rice, and salmon.

Wrap the sushi rolls tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. "The chilling does help everything to firm up and stay held together, so I would recommend," Brookes notes. 

When you unwrap the sushi, it's time to cut it up. Brush a sharp knife with rice vinegar to prevent the sushi from sticking to the blade. Cut each roll into even rounds, about ½-inch thick.

Once you finish slicing the rolls, you can serve them up. These would go great with the traditional sushi toppings, and even a little bit of spicy mayo or sriracha if you want to add an extra kick. Brookes also provides a few additional serving suggestions. "With soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger," she says. 

Any leftovers will be good for a short time. "You could eat leftovers up to 24 hours later. Store in fridge," Brookes advises. With the perfect amount of freshness, we hope this smoked salmon sushi brightens up your lunchtime routine!