Here’s how to make Vegan Sashimi with California Avocados–a quick, no-cook appetizer with absolutely no fish (but tons of flavor!)! This recipe is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission! All opinions are my own.

What is Vegan Sashimi?

Vegan sashimi is a plant-based alternative to traditional sashimi, which typically consists of thinly sliced raw fish or seafood. Since vegan diets exclude animal products, vegan sashimi is crafted using alternative ingredients that mimic the texture and flavor of fish or seafood.

For example, when re-creating vegan salmon sashimi, many recipes call for carrots as the main ingredient. Other alternatives include vegan zeastar zalmon sashimi, which is a plant-based fish alternative that typically passes as a tuna/salmon equivalent in a vegan poke bowl or sashimi. 

Today, we’re using California Avocados to make a super flavorful vegan sashimi with all the taste and flavor of classic salmon or seafood versions without the fish! Even the texture is spot on!

What Makes This Recipe Great

Sashimi is a Japanese dish consisting of thinly-sliced pieces of raw fish. It can be eaten on its own, with soy sauce and wasabi, or dressed with a marinade or sauce. 

In order to make vegan sashimi without the fish, we’re substituting raw fish with ripe, Fresh California Avocados. The rich, creamy texture of California Avocados stands in for the richness in many types of sashimi. 

This dish is paired with a zesty soy vinaigrette and peppers for spice, making it the perfect bite. 

Ingredient Notes

The base ingredient for our vegan sashimi will be ripe, Fresh California Avocados. In addition, we’ll be making a soy-based vinaigrette with the following:

• Tamari. You can also use soy sauce, if not gluten-free, or another soy sauce alternative like liquid aminos.
• Toasted Sesame Oil. This adds such a rich flavour to our vinaigrette. Be sure to use toasted!
• Lime. We’ll use the juice of a whole lime for acidity and zing. You can also use fresh yuzu, but it can be tricky to find so I like to use lime juice instead!
• Maple Syrup. Just a touch, to balance out the savoury elements in this vinaigrette.
• Fresh Garlic. I like to grate or microplane it into the marinade, so no chopping or blending is required to make the dressing.
• Fresh Ginger. For a little bit of a kick.

To garnish the dish, we’ll top it with:

• Scallions. Slice the green part of the scallion on the diagonal to create a beautiful and flavourful garnish.
• White Sesame Seeds. Toast them, then top for nutty flavour and crunch.
• Jalapeño. Thinly sliced, they add a nice bit of heat to this dish. Optional, but recommended!
• Microgreens. Micro arugula and cilantro work beautifully to add both flavour and colour to the dish.

What Differentiates California Avocados?

California Avocados are cultivated with a dedication to quality and freshness, by about 3,000 growers, on approximately 50,000 acres in California from San Diego to Monterey. The Golden State’s terroir and coastal climate provide ideal growing conditions to produce these delectable avocados!

Locally grown California Avocados are picked at their peak resulting in fruit that is consistent in taste and texture. California Avocados are in season from spring to summer, so now is the perfect time to make dishes like this!

To ensure you’re enjoying locally grown California Avocados, just look for California on the label.

How to Make Vegan Sashimi

This vegan sashimi recipe is incredibly easy to make and is beautiful too! You can get creative with presentation and garnish, but it’s a dish you can make the same day and best enjoyed fresh.

Slice California Avocados

First, we’ll cut our ripe, Fresh California Avocados, remove the skin and then remove the pit. Thinly slice the halves lengthwise (or as you’d like) and place them on your serving platter of choice.

Prepare the Dressing

To prepare the dressing, simply whisk together grated garlic and ginger, tamari, toasted sesame oil, lime juice and maple syrup. Adjust the dressing to taste, as needed, then generously pour over your avocado slices, making sure each slice is nicely coated.

Serve and Enjoy!

To finish the dish, top with thinly sliced jalapeño peppers, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Thinly slice your California Avocado halves and place them on a plate or serving platter.
2. To prepare your dressing, grate or microplane ginger and garlic into a bowl, then whisk together along with all remaining dressing ingredients. Adjust to taste, then drizzle over avocado slices to cover evenly.
3. Top with thinly sliced jalapeño peppers, toasted white sesame seeds, scallions, and microgreens, if desired. Enjoy immediately!

Expert Tips

How to Make it Gluten Free

The only substitution you’ll need to make this dish gluten free is to make sure you’re using a gluten free soy sauce alternative. Soy sauce contains wheat, but tamari makes for a near identical substitute. The rest of the dish is naturally gluten free!

Ingredient substitutions

I encourage making ingredient substitutions where you need to, especially with regard to the citrus and garnish. Instead of lime juice, you can opt for lemon juice or grapefruit juice to switch things up. Additionally, you can get creative with the herbs you top your dish with, add black sesame seeds for contrast, colour, and more.

Serving Suggestions 

I recommend preparing this dish just before you intend to eat it. Since it is so easy to throw together, it’s best made on the spot. Avocados tend to brown over time, and the vinaigrette does have some citrus in it which helps to slow the browning, but this dish will be most delicious fresh. It’s such a delicious bite that you’ll likely end up without leftovers anyway!

Recipe FAQs

More Vegan Recipes!

Vegan Japanese Hot Pot

Homemade Pad Thai Recipe

Authentic Sundubu Jiggae

Vegan Bibimbap

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!