These Muffin Tin Sushi Cups are super easy to make, so adorable and full of healthy goodness!
I’ve been so into thinking up easier twists of well-loved recipes recently (hello Lazy Falafel). I haven’t posted many sushi recipes on my blog other than this Onigiri and this Onigirazu, so I got thinking about some new sushi recipes and wanted to make something with a fun new twist!
I was thinking about how cute things like Onigiri are, but how they can be quite time-consuming to make and potentially a little fiddly too. These Muffin Tin Sushi Cups have all the kawaii-qualities* of onigiri, without taking as much time or effort to make. Hurrah! They are also seaweed-free, which is a blessing for all those nori haters out there.
*kawaii = a very popular Japanese word that means cute
So what’s great about these Muffin Tin Sushi Cups is that instead of having to mould the rice with your hands like onigiri or having to use a sushi mat like for sushi rolls, the muffin cases will do the hard work for you! Just press some cooked rice into the muffin cases using either your hands or the bottom of a small glass, and you’ll have some pretty cute Sushi Cups on your hands.
The fun part is the filling! I wanted to make sure this vegan sushi would be delicious without fish, and experimented with various different fillings. My absolute favourite was this edamame paste inspired by this edamame pesto – it has a rich flavour and almost melts in your mouth in a way reminiscent of raw fish.
I used this edamame paste to fill half of the sushi cups, then filled the other half of them with chunks of creamy avocado. I then topped them with some finely sliced sweet red pepper and grated carrot, and finished them off with some seaweed flakes and black sesame seeds.
You can use whatever you want though. Other delicious fillings include:
- Chickpea “tuna mayonnaise”
- Vegan Egg Mayonnaise
- Chickpea “chicken mayonnaise”
- Cucumber
- Diced cooked beetroot
- Scrambled teriyaki tofu
- Miso Seaweed Salad
..or whatever else you like!
These Sushi Cups make a perfect easy yet filling and nutritious lunch or dinner, but are easily portable so would also be great for packed lunches or picnics too. You could even serve them to guests at a dinner party as they can look pretty fancy, especially if you serve them on a cake stand!
Looking for more easy, plant-based twists on your favourite recipes? You might like my:
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Helpful tools to make these Muffin Tin Sushi Cups:
food processor
blender
hand-held stick blender
Muffin Tin Sushi Cups (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 1 cup sushi rice (make sure you use sticky glutinous rice)
For the edamame paste:
- 50 g (1/3 cup) edamame
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or sub 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)
To fill the sushi cups:
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced
- 1/2 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
To serve (optional):
- Black sesame seeds
- Seaweed flakes
- Shichimi (Japanese seven-spice powder)
- Tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- Wasabi
- Pickled ginger
Instructions
For the rice:
- Cook the rice according to instructions on packet
- Lay out 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin
- Divide the rice between the 12 cases
- Press the rice down into each muffin case using either your hands or the bottom of a small glass - make sure either your hands or the glass are wet before you do this, so that the rice doesn't stick!
For the edamame paste:
- Boil the edamame according to instructions on packet
- Add edamame to a blender or food processor (or hand-held blender) along with other ingredients and whizz until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary
To fill the sushi cups:
- Divide the edamame paste between 6 of the sushi cups - put about a heaped teaspoon into each one
- Divide the avocado between the remaining 6 cups
- Top half of the sushi cups with the grated carrot and the other half with the red pepper
To serve:
- Sprinkle the sushi cups with black sesame seeds, seaweed and shichimi if desired. Serve with tamari (or soy sauce), wasabi and pickled ginger!
Notes
- Chickpea “tuna mayonnaise”
- Vegan Egg Mayonnaise
- Chickpea “chicken mayonnaise”
- Cucumber
- Diced boiled beetroot
- Scrambled teriyaki tofu
- Miso Seaweed Salad
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click through and purchase any of the products, a small percentage will come to me, with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Mary Finelli
July 26, 2017 at 5:59 amWhat a clever idea, thank you! We will link to this in the Vegan Seafood Recipes section of Fish Feel and share it on our social media accounts. We’re always looking for more! http://fishfeel.org/seafood/
Anonymous
May 1, 2018 at 3:57 pmGoing to make these as a packed lunch!
Rhian Williams
May 1, 2018 at 4:02 pmThank you!
KR
February 26, 2019 at 2:55 amWould brown rice work?
How do you remove the rice cups from the muffin pan? Do you use a muffin liner?
Rhian Williams
February 26, 2019 at 3:11 pmYes brown rice will work! And I use muffin cases.
Shelby
May 3, 2019 at 1:52 pmHow long will these keep and do they need to be refrigerated?
Rhian Williams
May 3, 2019 at 1:56 pmThey keep for a day and do need to be refrigerated!