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Vegan Onigiri with Tofu Tuna Mayo

This vegan onigiri will give you a complete and authentic Japanese onigiri experience with one of the most classic and iconic filling options - tuna mayo, but made with only whole food plant-based ingredients! They're also naturally gluten-free. Make them for a most-envied lunch box, picnic, or any time you need an easy-to-eat snack on the go!

Onigiri, or rice ball, is a popular Japanese food made from short-grain white rice and formed into spherical, triangular, or cylindrical shapes, and often wrapped in nori although it is not a must! Back in the days before the refrigerator was invented, making onigiri by mixing rice with salt or salted ingredients was a convenient and genius way to preserve rice. And some of the most iconic and common flavors that you can find literally anywhere in Japan are: kombu, umeboshi (salty pickled plums), and, of course, tuna mayo!

So in this recipe, we're going to recreate the tuna mayo onigiri with the complete experience. Start with a piece of tofu "salmon" that looks exactly like a fish fillet, then we'll mash it with some silken tofu kewpie "mayo" and a few other seasonings. And finally you can shape your onigiri into whichever shape you like, I went with triangles this time and rolled them in some shichimi togarashi, which is a Japanese spice mix for some added heat and crunch.

Also, onigiri is not to be confused with onigirazu, which is another variation of rice balls but is made more like a rice sandwich. I LOVE onigirazu for lunches and picnis as well and I've made two flavor options - teriyaki tofu and gochujang tofu.

I used a mold to shape these onigiris in the video below but you can definitely do this by hand! And if you try this recipe please tag me on Instagram and Tiktok I'd love to see them! ^^


INGREDIENTS:

1 piece of tofu "salmon"

2 cups cooked short-grain white rice, preferably Japanese sushi rice

1 scallion, chopped

2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds

2 tablespoons silken tofu mayo

Sriracha sauce as needed

2 - 3 pieces of crispy seaweed

Optional - shichimi togarashi

TO MAKE:

- Mash up the tofu salmon with the tofu mayo, chopped scallions, sesame seeds, and sriracha to your preferred spiciness;

- In a mold or in the palm of your hand, press down a layer of rice, press down on the center to create an indent, and add about 2 tablespoons of fillings;

- Add more rice on top to completely cover the fillings, and either press down using the lid of your mold or your hand, shape into preferred shapes;

- Roll the onigiri in shichimi togarashi or other spices of choice, or just leave it plain;

- Wrap the onigiri with a piece of crispy seaweed, the moisture from the rice should be enough to hold on to the seaweed;

- Repeat until you use up all ingredients, you should end up with 2 - 3 onigiris depending on how big you make them;

- Enjoy!


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