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Is there anything chickpeas can’t become? By mashing and mixing them with mayo, sriracha, and capers, they taste just like spicy tuna! Layer it onto a bed of sushi rice for the vegetarian answer to the viral sushi bake that will have everyone asking for seconds.
save this recipe!The Viral Sushi Bake, Made Completely Vegetarian
Most vegetarian sushi bakes use tofu, which works fine but doesn’t quite capture the flaky, slightly chunky texture of a real tuna bake. Chickpeas do.
As the internet-dubbed Chickpea Queen, I’ve spent years learning exactly how to make a can of chickpeas mimic whatever texture a recipe calls for, and a rough mash with some larger pieces remaining is exactly what makes this feel like the real thing.
Reader rating
★★★★★
“This was so easy to make and a huge hit with my kids. It’s officially going in to our rotation ” —Dom
Key Ingredients
- Chickpeas: The mash texture is what makes or breaks this recipe. Too smooth and it’s hummus; too chunky and it doesn’t press into the nori cleanly. Aim for mostly broken down with some pea-sized pieces remaining for the best texture.
- Capers: The secret ingredient. Finely chopped and stirred into the chickpea mixture, they add a briny, fermented depth that tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating spicy tuna.
- Kewpie mayo: Richer and slightly tangier than regular mayonnaise (but obviously if you have mayo, you can use that!).
- Sriracha: Goes into both the chickpea mixture and the drizzle.
- Furikake rice seasoning: Sprinkled on the rice layer before adding the chickpea mixture. It adds umami, crunch, and color! (Worth buying a jar if you don’t have it; it’s also excellent on plain rice, avocado toast, and eggs.)
- Sushi rice: The sticky, slightly starchy texture of sushi rice is what holds the layer together and keeps it from crumbling when you scoop it onto nori.
For another take on tuna, my vegan tomato tuna poke bowls use tomato and a savory soy sauce marinade to replicate poke!
Vegetarian Sushi Bake (With Chickpeas)
This vegetarian sushi bake layers spicy chickpea tuna over sushi rice. Serve with nori for a plant-based take on the viral classic!
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 2 cups uncooked sushi rice, 400 g
- 2 ½ cups water, 600 mL
- ¼ cup rice vinegar, 60 mL
- 2 Tbsp sugar, 25 g
- 2 tsp salt, 12 g
- 1 Tbsp Furikake rice seasoning, 5 g
Spicy “Tuna” Chickpeas
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained; 425 g per can
- ½ cup mayonnaise, can use vegan, 115 g
- ¼ cup sriracha, 60 mL
- ½ cup finely diced red onion, 80 g
- ½ cup finely diced celery, 50 g
- 2 tsp finely chopped capers, 10 g
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 15 mL
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce, use tamari for gluten-free; 15 mL
- Drizzle: Kewpie mayo, sriracha
- To serve: snack-size nori, sliced cucumbers and avocado
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Rice: Cook 2 cups uncooked sushi rice with 2 ½ cups water according to package instructions. While rice cooks, heat ¼ cup rice vinegar until warm in the microwave. Stir in 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp salt until dissolved.When rice is finished, gently fold vinegar mixture into the rice and set aside.
- Mash: In a large bowl, use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash 2 15-oz cans chickpeas. They should be mostly broken down with a few larger pieces remaining. Stir in ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sriracha, ½ cup finely diced red onion, ½ cup finely diced celery, 2 tsp finely chopped capers, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
- Assemble: Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon in the cooked sushi rice, pressing it firmly into an even layer. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp Furikake rice seasoning over the rice.Spoon the spicy tuna on top, spreading it into an even layer. Drizzle Kewpie mayo and sriracha in a crisscross pattern on top (amount to your liking; I like to do more mayonnaise than sriracha, but if you like it spicy, add more sriracha).
- Bake: Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chickpea mixture is hot and the top looks set and slightly dried.
- Serve warm on its own or spooned into snack-sized nori with slices of cucumber and avocado.
Notes
Can I make this vegan? Yes. The only non-vegan ingredient is the regular mayonnaise in the chickpea mixture. Swap it for any vegan mayo. Keep the kewpie for the drizzle if you want the best flavor; there are now vegan kewpie options available, or just use your preferred vegan mayo.
Can I make the rice ahead? Yes. Cook the sushi rice and fold in the vinegar mixture up to one day ahead. Store covered in the fridge. The rice will firm up slightly in the cold, which actually helps it press into a more cohesive layer in the casserole dish. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before assembling so it spreads without tearing.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The rice continues to firm up as it sits, which makes cold leftovers almost better than the fresh-baked version since the layers hold together more cleanly. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or in the microwave in 60-second intervals. Not suitable for freezing since both the rice and the mayo-based chickpea layer degrade significantly after thawing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 1620mg | Potassium: 930mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Going to be making this soon, as I’ve been looking for a vegetarian version of this sushi bake for a while!! The OG was a staple in my house. Is the celery integral to the taste like the capers are? I am not typically a fan of cooked celery, but I don’t want to leave it out and screw up the recipe.
Thank you for making and sharing so many wonderful vegetarian recipes! This is making my transition away from eating animal products easier and cheaper.
You can definitely leave out the celery. It’s not as crucial as the capers. Happy eating!
Perfect for someone on a college student budget who isn’t the sharpest cook in the kitchen! Tastes great:)
That’s so good to hear Lili, happy to hear it worked well for you!
This was absolutely delicious!
So glad it was a hit, thanks Nicole!
My husband and I LOVED this recipe. The chickpea “tuna” was so good. Next time I might try modifying it to mimic other sushi rolls.
Love hearing that Sydney, thanks for trying it!
Could you add a layer of nori in the bake? Would you add it on top or bottom and before or after baking?
Yes, that would be tasty! I would probably do it on the bottom, although I haven’t tested it, I really can’t say for sure how it’ll be!
How spicy are the chickpeas with the sriracha? Can I skip it and get the same taste? My kids don’t eat spicy things.
They’re not super spicy, but you might just start by adding a little bit of sriracha and then add more as needed. You can taste the mixture before baking!
Just made this, it was so good!! Im going to make this again for my boyfriend 😊
This was so easy to make and a huge hit with my kids. It’s officially going in to our rotation .
I’m so happy to hear it, Dom!!
I made this for my dinner tonight and I absolutely LOVED it. I made one tweak – I had some charred corn to use up and added that into the chickpea mixture. It was all so delicious. I can’t wait to make this again.
So glad it hit the spot, thanks for sharing Clare!
My family loved this!
I can’t handle a lot of spiciness, unfortunately; so, I halved the Sriracha. I also used white wine vinegar in place of rice vinegar since we were out. It was delicious and tasted just like sushi! I’ll be adding this one to our rotation.
So glad it turned out so well with those adjustments, thanks Mick!
This was easy to make and really good….mb I will buy your cookbook 👍🏻
Yay! Happy eating!