Vegan Salmon Sashimi

I’m super excited to finally release this recipe! It took so many trials that it has been in the works for months.

This recipe is inspired by Zeastar salmon and another brand I tried in a vegan sushi restaurant.

⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe

• It looks and tastes so much better than carrot salmon. Forget about carrot lox. This vegan salmon sashimi is the new star in town. It’s just mindblowing. It has a fresh and fishy flavor and a fatty mouthfeel. Even non-vegans approved of this recipe!
• It’s just perfect for sushi. Thinly sliced, this vegan salmon makes the perfect sushi component, whether it is for nigiri, maki, or uramaki. It’s also great for poke bowls!
• It’s much cheaper than store-bought. Vegan salmon sold at the store is outrageously expensive and pretty hard to find. This homemade version makes use of affordable ingredients and tastes even better.

📘 What is Sashimi

Sashimi (刺身) is a Japanese dish that consists of raw fish or meat cut into thin slices. It is traditionally served with a soy dipping sauce. Sashimi can be served as is, or on top of sushi rice (nigiri).

🌱 Ingredient Notes

This recipe will take you about 20 minutes and just 8 ingredients. Here is what you will need:

• Jelly powder – Also known as Konnyaku jelly. It’s a key ingredient to this recipe, yielding a slightly chewy texture and helping the vegan salmon firm up. I recommend the Jim Willie Konnyaku, which you can find online or in almost all Asian supermarkets.
• Tapioca starch – The role of tapioca starch here is to create a better texture, adding just a hint of elasticity. It also makes the salmon less translucent.
• Almond milk – Adding some milk prevents the salmon from looking too translucent. Make sure you are using unsweetened plant-based milk.
• Seaweed – To create a fishy, ocean flavor. We will be infusing it in the water.
• Salt and sugar – For flavor.
• Oil – The addition of oil gives the salmon its fatty mouthfeel. While you could leave it out, I highly recommend you don’t, as it really helps create a more realistic texture.
• Food coloring – We will use orange food coloring to color this vegan salmon. Make sure you use vegan food coloring, as some may contain animal products.

🍣 How to Make Vegan Salmon

It starts with the seaweed that is infused in hot water for a few minutes. This is what will give the “salmon” its ocean-like flavor. You can use nori or wakame; both work.

Next, it’s time to prepare the salmon!

1. Strain the seaweed and discard it. Transfer the seaweed water to a saucepan and add the rest of the water.
2. Add the almond milk, sugar, salt, tapioca starch, and Konnyaku powder. Whisk until everything is combined and the starch is dissolved.
3. Pour in the food coloring and the oil and whisk again.
4. Heat over medium heat, constantly whisking, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Once thickened, transfer to a small pan or container.
5. Let it cool for 2-3 hours or until firmer.
6. Remove from the pan and slice into thin slices. Enjoy!

🍚 How to Use It

This vegan salmon is incredibly versatile and can be used in a handful of ways:

• Sushi or nigiri: Cut into sticks, it can be used in California rolls or Maki. Thinly sliced, you can use it to make nigiri.
• Poke bowls: Or sushi bowls. Cut the vegan salmon into small cubes and toss them with soy sauce, minced ginger, and a splash of rice vinegar.
• Salmon cream rolls: Spread a thin layer of vegan cream cheese on a slice of vegan salmon and roll it up into a roll. Enjoy chilled as an appetizer!
• Sandwiches or bagels: Serve with cream cheese, capers, onions, and fresh herbs.

📔 Tips

• Do not use soy milk. Soy milk tends to create foam very easily while whisking it, creating a lot of bubbles in the final texture. To prevent that, use almond or oat milk instead.
• Do not omit or substitute ingredients. This recipe is not really customizable, so any change in the ingredients will affect the final texture and flavor. Ingredients are also given in grams for a more accurate result, so I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
• Remove the salmon loaf from the pan as soon as it has firmed up. Especially if using a metal mold. There seems to be a reaction between the metal and the seaweed that creates a weird taste if you leave the salmon in a metal pan overnight. I recommend using a plastic or glass pan or removing the salmon from the pan no longer than 2 hours after making it if using a metal one.
• Make thin slices. The best way to enjoy this vegan salmon is when it’s sliced thinly.
• Lightly season sushi rice. If using this salmon to make sushi or nigiri, do not season your sushi rice too much otherwise, it will overpower the flavor of the salmon.

A More Realistic Salmon

Is it possible to make those fat lines that make salmon sashimi so special?

The short answer is yes. It is possible but quite tricky. After tens of trials, I finally succeeded in making layers of white fat. The secret lies in pouring a thin layer of white jelly while the surface of the orange layer is just set but still sticky.

To do that, you need to create a second batter using only almond milk (no orange coloring) and keep both over low heat to prevent them from firming up. Pour a thin layer of the white batter over the orange layer once it has formed a thin skin on top. Once the white layer has also formed a thin skin, pour another layer of orange. Repeat until all of the batters have been used.

If you want to give it a try, feel free to do so. However, I don’t think it’s worth the hassle. The first reason is that it adds nothing to the taste or texture. The second reason is that it’s quite tricky, and if you pour each layer a bit too late, you will end up with them separating once set. You can see below how this version looks.

💬 FAQ

Note: This recipe took me a lot of trial and error, so please don’t republish under your name, and give credit when using it.

I hope you are going to love this vegan “salmon” sashimi! It’s fatty, fishy, and melts in your mouth! Even non-vegans will be impressed!

🍗 More Vegan Meat Alternatives

• The Best Vegan Chicken
• Vegan Meat Floss
• High-Protein Vegan Burgers
• The Best Vegan Foie Gras

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!