Rice Paper Sushi Recipe
Table of Contents
Thin, delicate, translucent, and paper-like are all words to describe the wonder that is rice paper. Primarily used as a wrapper in various dishes, rice paper is made with rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, and water. They are generally sold dried and in round sheet form and once rehydrated, the rice paper sheets turn soft and malleable, allowing them to be used as wrappers for spring rolls, summer rolls, dumplings, and even sushi.
While sushi traditionally uses seaweed as a wrapper, rice paper is a good alternative! They’re nutritious, quick to make, and can be modified according to your taste. If you have some rice papers in your pantry or you just want an easy and delicious healthy snack, this one’s for you! Try out this Rice Paper Sushi Rolls recipe today!
What Is Rice Paper on Sushi?

Rice paper sushi rolls are sushi that are made with, you guessed it, rice paper wrappers instead of the usual nori sheets! If you don’t like the taste of nori or seaweed or perhaps you don’t have nori sheets on hand but still want to eat some sushi, Rice Paper Sushi is the next best thing!
One can say that Rice Paper Sushi Rolls are the shortcut version to making sushi. They are quick and easy to make and have a bouncy, chewy texture compared to traditional sushi rolls. Best of all, Rice Paper Sushi Rolls can be made in half the time!
Is Rice Paper Better Than Seaweed?

Both rice paper and nori (seaweed) are used to wrap food such as rolls. But they can vary when it comes to taste, texture, and nutritional content.
Rice paper has a neutral taste and sometimes has a hint of sweetness to it while nori has a naturally salty flavor that compliments fish well. Texture-wise, rice paper can be starchy or delicate while seaweed can go from crunchy to chewy. Rolls that use rice paper wrappers are lower in carbohydrates and can be lower in caloric content. On the other hand, sushi rolls wrapped in nori can give your body nutrients such as vitamin C, iodine, protein, and fiber. It can also keep you going for more as it contains carbohydrates.
Both nori and rice papers are good choices for making rolls. They have slight differences when it comes to nutritional content and whichever you prefer to eat, both of them are going to be better than other unhealthy snacks.
How Many Calories Are in a Vegetable Roll Sushi?
Calories in a vegetable roll highly depend on the fillings, wrapper, size, and dipping sauce. In general, however, it can go anywhere from 75 to 220 calories. For example, if your vegetable sushi roll contains sushi rice, avocado, cucumber, and carrots, wrapped using a nori sheet, and dipped in wasabi and soya sauce, you’ll be taking in about 211 caloric content.
Is a Vegetable Sushi Roll Healthy?
Sushi rolls don’t have to contain any fish at all! The vegetarian or vegan version of sushi rolls is just as healthy as rolls that contain seafood, especially if you use fresh veggies as fillings. They can also be a great alternative for those who don’t like seafood or are allergic to them.
Rice Paper Sushi Recipe Ingredients

- 1 1/2 cups sushi rice
- 1/8 cup rice vinegar
- 4 rice paper wrappers
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 90 grams smoked salmon
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- White sesame seed
- Soy sauce and wasabi for serving
- Optional: seaweed sheets, pickled ginger
How to Make Rice Paper Sushi Rolls

Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
- In a bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over cooked rice and mix well. Let the rice cool down completely.
- Prepare your fillings. Slice avocado and salmon into strips and then cut the other vegetables such as cucumber and carrot into thin matchsticks.
- When the sushi rice has cooled completely, get a large bowl or skillet and pour warm water in.
- Submerge one rice paper wrapper and wait for a few seconds until the rice paper is completely soft or rehydrated.
- Take the rice paper out of the water carefully and place it onto a clean worktop or a sushi mat.
- It’s time to build the sushi filling. Cover the rice paper with a thin layer of sushi rice and spread it around evenly, leaving the edges free from rice.
- Place your fillings in the center of the sushi rice layer. First is the salmon layer, and then top it with a half cucumber, and half carrot layer. Lastly, place the sliced avocado on top.
- Carefully lift the rice paper and place it over the fillings. Roll the sushi gently but tight.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the sushi.
- Slice the roll into equal pieces.
- Serve the Rice Paper Sushi Rolls with soy sauce and wasabi on the side.
Rice Paper Sushi Rolls Recipe Tips

- As rice paper is made with rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, and water, it is naturally gluten-free.
- Make sure that your hands are dry when taking the rice paper out of its packaging. Otherwise, they’ll end up sticking together.
- For healthier sushi rolls, instead of using white rice, you can use brown rice for your sushi rice.
- Want to make crispy rice paper sushi rolls? Get a nonstick pan, add 1 mm of vegetable oil, and pan-fry them over medium-high heat for 30 seconds per side.
- If you can’t find white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds are good to use too.
- Rolling sushi can be difficult, so worry not if your first attempt fails. Try again until you get it right.
- If you can’t find rice vinegar in stores around you, there are several alternatives that you can use for this recipe. The closest match to the sweet-sour ratio of rice vinegar is apple cider vinegar. Another substitute is white wine vinegar. If you can’t find those, champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar work just as well.
- Increase the protein content of this Rice Paper Sushi Roll recipe by adding tofu! Get some extra firm tofu and slice it into 1/4-inch pieces. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the tofu until golden crispy on both sides. Pour soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar over the tofu once cooked. Slice the tofu into strips, the same length as avocado and other ingredients, and include it in your sushi filling.
- Want to switch up the flavors used in this recipe? Simply modify the fillings! Some various fillings we recommend include mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, and pickled radish for vegetables. To include more protein in your sushi recipe, you can use tuna, crabsticks, spam, or thinly sliced egg omelets.
- You can also use this Rice Paper Roll recipe to make Pan-Fried Rice Paper Dumplings. Simply double the rice paper wrapper and then pan-fry them to get them crispy. Serve with a roasted sesame sauce on the side.
Final Note
Sushi marries the different flavors of vegetables, rice, and sometimes meat or seafood, into one soft, delicious roll. If you want to satisfy your sushi cravings, one great way to do so is to make Rice Paper Sushi. Simply layer sushi rice, avocado, cucumber, and other ingredients you wish, then top them with sesame seeds for a fresh, guilt-free snack. You get the best of both worlds with this dish. Give this recipe a try today.
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