This sesame shiitake mushroom sushi is packed with bold umami flavor. Made with sticky sushi rice and nori wrapped around a filling of savory shiitake mushrooms sautéed in a garlicky sesame sauce, it's a simple homemade sushi recipe that tastes like it came from your favorite sushi restaurant!
I love veggie sushi. My smoked tofu veggie sushi, peanut avocado sushi, and vegan cream cheese veggie sushi are some of my favorite dishes. But I have to admit: sometimes I really crave sushi with a warm, savory, cooked filling. No, I don't miss meat at all — but the idea of tender, umami-packed fillings wrapped up in sticky rice and nori has a nice ring to it.
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That's why I came up with this shiitake mushroom sushi recipe. Once you start making your own sushi, you realize you can fill it with just about anything you want. And today, I want savory, garlicky shiitake mushrooms in my sushi. If you're still with me, I'm betting you do too!
Let me save you the suspense: yes, you want to try this. The shiitakes provide a hearty, meaty texture and tons of savory flavor. The shiitakes provide a hearty, meaty texture and tons of savory flavor, making these rolls every bit as satisfying as more traditional sushi fillings. I decided to dial up the flavor with a generous splash of sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic, and the result was everything I'd hoped for: savory, tender, and absolutely packed with umami. I'm thrilled to add this one to my sushi collection.
Want some more vegan sushi options with cooked fillings? Try my spicy eggplant sushi and roasted sweet potato sushi!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Sushi rice. Sushi rice is a sticky, short-grain rice that works particularly well for rolling sushi. You can find it in the international aisle of most grocery stores or at an Asian market.
- Water.
- Rice vinegar. You can also grab this in the international aisle.
- Salt.
- Sugar.
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral high-heat oil you'd like to use for cooking your mushrooms is fine.
- Shiitake mushrooms.
- Garlic.
- Soy sauce. Tamari and liquid aminos also work, if you need an alternative.
- Toasted sesame oil. This is for flavor (not for cooking), so you'll add it near the end of cooking your mushrooms. You can also find this in the international aisle of the store.
- Sambal oelek. This is a spicy Asian chili paste, that you can get (you guessed it) in the international aisle. Sriracha sauce works if you can't find sambal oelek.
- Nori. These thin seaweed sheets are used to roll your sushi. This is another item that will make your visit to the international aisle worthwhile!
- Accompaniments. Grab some toasted sesame seeds, more soy sauce, wasabi paste, and pickled ginger for serving with your sushi.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Cook the rice. Soak it in water first for about 20 minutes, then drain and add it to a saucepan with water, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the rice cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes with the lid on, off the heat, to finish cooking, then uncover and fluff it with a fork.
Cook the mushrooms. Heat your vegetable oil in a skillet, then add sliced shiitake mushrooms. Cook them for a few minutes, stirring only a couple of times (this helps with browning). Once they're browned and tender, add minced garlic and sauté it with the mushrooms for a minute. Finally, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sambal oelek. Cook everything for about a minute longer, until the liquid evaporates.
Roll the sushi. Place a nori sheet on your bamboo mat, then cover it with a thin layer of rice. Arrange half of your mushroom slices in a strip, then roll it up, starting by tucking the edge closest to you over the filling, then continuing to roll and tuck. Once you get to the end, cut it into 8 pieces with a sharp knife.
Tip: This quick video can help give you a visual guide of the rolling process.
Serve. Your mushroom sushi is ready! Plate it up, and give it a sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy the rolls with some soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi paste.
Tip: This type of roll is known as maki. It has the nori on the outside. You could easily make it as uramaki, with the nori inside and rice outside. Check out my quick video on how to roll uramaki if you'd like to give it a try!
Variations
- Add raw veggies. There's nothing wrong with a mix of cooked and raw veggies in your sushi! Try adding matchstick-cut carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers.
- Add aromatics. For extra flavor, add a couple of scallions or some chives to the filling. Simply lay them down, whole, alongside the mushrooms.
- Sushi bowl. If you've read this far and decided rolling isn't for you, I get it. Make sushi bowls instead. Check out my sushi bowl recipe for inspiration — just switch up the fillings.
- Make it gluten-free. Just replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.
Leftovers & Storage
Homemade sushi is best served right away. But leftovers happen, and if you end up with some, they'll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
What to Serve with Shiitake Sushi
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Sesame Shiitake Mushroom Sushi
Ingredients
For the Rice
- â…” cup sushi rice
- ¾ cup water, plus more for soaking
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon organic granulated sugar
For the Filling
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced into strips
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (or sriracha sauce)
For Finishing and Serving
- 2 nori sheets
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Soy sauce
- Wasabi
- Pickled ginger
Instructions
Make the Rice
- Place the rice into a small saucepan and cover it with cold water. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes, then drain and return it to the pot.
- Add the ¾ cup of water, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar to the pot. Stir, then place the pot over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the rice cook for about 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the pot from heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork.
Make the Filling
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the vegetable oil and place it over medium heat. Let the oil heat for a minute, then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until browned and tender.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook with the mushrooms for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
- Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sambal oelek to the skillet. Stir to coat the mushrooms in the seasonings, and let the mixture cook for about 1 minute, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
Roll the Sushi
- Fill a small bowl with water and keep it handy while you roll your sushi.
- Place a sheet of nori on your bamboo mat, then cover the nori with half of your rice, pressing it into a thin layer. Wet your hands using the water bowl to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Arrange half of your mushrooms in a single line along the width of nori, about one inch from the edge closest to you.
- Take the bamboo mat and the end of the nori closest to you and tightly roll it over your mushrooms. Tuck the end of the nori in and continue rolling, using the mat to press your roll tight (See Note).
- Once completely rolled, slice the roll into 8 pieces, wiping the knife clean with water between cuts.
- Repeat the process using your other nori sheet and remaining rice and mushrooms.
- Sprinkle the rolls with sesame seeds and serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Notes
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Hi! This recipe looks delicious! Which chili paste brand do you use?
Thanks!
Thank you! I use sambal oelek!
My 9 year old son loves this sushi. I also spread little bit of spicy mayo on the rice since my son cant have wasabi... that tastes equally good.
Thanks for the lovely recipe... we love it
Great recipe but there is a typo... salt should not be TB but Tsp... otherwise these will be too salty...as I discovered my first attempt 😂
Delicious. Shittake was perfect.
I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks Anastasia!
Just a heads up that the Wasabi you link to in your recipe contains milk ingredients! <3
D'oh! Thanks for letting me know! I never would've guessed dairy would be in wasabi. Fixed it!
These are delicious! I made some rolls with just the shitake as well as some shitake/avocado rolls. Soooo good!
Avocado sounds like a delicious addition! I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Looks delicious! Do you make these hot or cold??
Thank you! By the time you've got everything rolled and sliced, they should be about room temperature or just slightly warmer - that's the perfect temperature to serve them if you ask me. Sometimes I chill sushi and eat it later, but I think the flavors don't come through as strong. :)
Yum, these look delicious! The mushrooms must tast ever so "meaty" :-)
They do!!! Well, I think they do anyway, having never tried sushi with meat, but they're definitely hearty and have lots of umami. Thank you so much!
I love that idea for the filling! Those look great. Mine always turnout looking like mangled rice humps with seaweed and sushi filling...
Thank you! And yeah, I've been there...youtube and practice made a big difference. I still end up with mangled rice and seaweed humps occasionally too, but even ugly sushi can be tasty ;)