this post is sponsored by the california avocado commission. thank you for supporting the partnerships that allow brewing happiness to grow and exist. xoxo.

We’re busy these days and we’re pretty sure that you are too. That’s why we came up with this Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowl with Avocado Rice. You can whip it up in 40 minutes (yes, that includes the time it takes to cook your rice!***), it serves a whopping four people in all its simplicity, and it’s gosh darn tasty. 

The Avocado Rice is the perfect addition to this Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowl if we do say so ourselves. We use California-grown avocados to add richness and flavor to our sushi rice—avocados are a nice healthy fat, which helps your body with some important processes and helps you feel satisfied at the end of your meal. 

We’re also extremely excited to tell you that we’re introducing a few new segments to Brewing Happiness. While we’ll be inspiring you to make this Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowl with Avocado Rice here in our COOK section, we’re also going to make sure you LEARN all the skills you need to do it and PLAN your ingredient shopping to a tee. Learn How to Cook Sushi Rice and the best way to Peel, Open, and Cut an Avocado as well as how to pick the best salmon with our Smoked Salmon Buying Guide and the basics of seaweed with our Nori Explainer.

Now let’s get this sushi show on the road.

ingredients

sushi bowl

• Sushi Rice: You can sub out traditional Sushi Rice for another short grain rice like Arborio. Whichever rice you choose, be sure to check out How to Cook Sushi Rice for the best results possible. 
• Water
• Rice Vinegar 
• Nori Sheets: New to Nori? Our Nori Explainer will show you the ropes.
• Soy Sauce
• Kosher Salt
• California-Grown Avocados: Avocados are super rich in nutrients. They actually have more potassium in them than potassium-famous bananas do, which we find pretty impressive. They’re one of the fattiest plant foods you can find, but it’s heart-healthy fat with some nice health benefits like reducing inflammation. And also…they taste. So. Good. 
• Persian Cucumbers: Not to be confused with your standard English or Hothouse cucumbers. You may be more accustomed to seeing giant English and Hothouse cucumbers wrapped in plastic at your grocery store. Persian Cucumbers are typically about half the size at 5-6 inches and narrower than other varieties of cucumbers. We like to use Persian Cucumbers in this recipe because they have a touch more sweetness than other varieties and they’re also less watery, so they won’t add excess moisture where you don’t need it. 
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Scallions
• Mint Leaves
• Cilantro Leaves
• Cold Smoked Salmon: We love getting our omega-3s in with some salmon, but not all Smoked Salmon is created equal. Be sure to prep for maximum deliciousness by checking out our Smoked Salmon Buying Guide before you hit the grocery store.  

spicy mayo

• Mayo
• Honey
• Rice Vinegar
• Garlic Chili Sauce: You can always sub Sriracha here if it’s a pantry staple for you!

equipment

Mixing Bowls             Measuring Spoons            2-Quart Pot                Cutting Board                 Knives

the process

step one

Sometimes people put cooking rice into the same fear-striking category as baking bread, but it truly is SO simple and we’ll prove it to you in our How to Cook Sushi Rice guide. Here’s the bones of it in the meantime.

Combine 2 cups sushi rice, 2 cups + 2 tablespoons water, and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar in a pot. Bring it all to a simmer over medium heat. Once you’ve hit that simmer, reduce the heat so you don’t hit a boil. Cover the pot and cook at that lowered heat for 20 minutes. **Important and not pictured below** After your 20 minutes cooking time is up, turn off heat and leave rice sitting with the lid on for at least 10 minutes to let the magic happen and allow any excess moisture to absorb.

Pro tip: use the time while the rice cooks to get these next steps going.

step two

Check out our Nori Explainer to get you up to speed if nori is a new ingredient for you, then take your nori sheets and cut them into small strips. We’re talkin’ nori confetti, people. Instead of throwing it into the air in celebration, transfer it into a large bowl and take out your California-Grown Avocados. Your next step is to pit and peel your avocados. 

We are big believers that there is only one best way to Open, Peel, and Cut an Avocado so we highly encourage you to join the club and learn it with us. Once you’ve got those green babies bare, cut them into small pieces in a checkerboard pattern and transfer them into the bowl with your nori.

step three

Easy peasy: add 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt to the bowl that has your nori and California-Grown Avocados in it. Mix it together with a fork, keeping in mind that you can leave it pretty chunky—this is avo mash not avo whip after all.

step four

It’s veggie time, y’all. Slice those snap peas, chop up those Persian cucumbers, and get your scallion slices going. You can slice your scallions pretty thin—those puppies pack a punch. Now set all that gorgeousness aside. 

step five

Combine mayo, honey, rice vinegar, and garlic chili sauce (or Sriracha) in a small bowl, then mix mix mix until it’s all blended into one smooth, spicy mayo consistency.

step six

The mixing continues. Uncover your rice, add it to your avo mixture, and mix all that goodness into one glorious avocado rice situation.

step seven

The time is here. Build your bowl! 

Start with the avocado rice as your base and throw on some spicy mayo. From there, you can tuck on your perfectly selected smoked salmon and sprinkle on the Persian cucumbers, snap peas, and scallions. Top it off with mint and cilantro for that herbacious flavor we all love, serve some extra spicy mayo on the side, and there you have it: the ultimate Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowl with Avocado Rice. 

You did it! Thanks as always for learning and cooking with us today.

Print

Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowl with Avocado Rice

This Smoked Salmon Sushi Bowl with Avocado Rice is loaded with fresh veg and herbs, topped with spicy mayo and ready in 40 minutes (including cooking rice!)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 bowls

Ingredients

• 2 cups Sushi Rice
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp Water
• 4 tbsp Rice Vinegar divided in 1/2
• 2 sheets Nori cut into 1/2" squares
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 2 California-Grown Avocados diced
• 2 Persian Cucumbers jewel cut
• 12 Sugar Snap Peas sliced
• 2 Scallions sliced
• 1/4 cup Mint Leaves
• 1/4 cup Cilantro
• 8 oz Cold Smoked Salmon

Spicy Mayo Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Mayo
• 1/2 tsp Honey
• 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 2 tbsp Garlic Chili Sauce sub Sriracha

Instructions

1. Combine rice, water, and 2 tbsp rice vinegar in a pot and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and cover for 20 min. Turn heat off and let stand at least 10 min. (You can let it sit for longer than 10 minutes.)

2. Meanwhile in a large bowl add nori, avocado, remaining rice vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. Mix together with a fork until avocado is about halfway mashed, set aside.

3. While rice is cooking, prep vegetables and set aside. 

4. Combine all Spicy Mayo ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to serve. 

5. When rice has finished doing its thing, combine it with the avocado mixture just until combined.

6. Divide the rice mixture between 4 bowls.

7. Spread 2 tbsp mayo over the center of each bowl, followed by 2oz salmon and ¼ of each vegetable per bowl.

8. Garnish each bowl with mint and cilantro, and serve extra mayo on the side.

9. EAT UP. 

Recipe Video