
If you love Brussel sprouts and you love sushi, you’re going to love this Brussel sprout sushi roll.
The idea of a Brussel sprouts sushi roll has been on my mind for some time now but I hadn’t quite been able to figure out what to put with them. When I roasted Brussel sprouts, I almost always add thinly sliced lemon to my roasting pan when I make Brussel sprouts. The charred, almost caramelized citrus mixed with savory roasted sprouts just works. But I just needed something else to round that combination out.
A quick search of my fridge netted a half package of prosciutto begging for a chance to get in the Brussel sprout sushi roll mix. Thus the Charred Lemon, Brussel Sprout and Prosciutto roll was born.
Sunday Meal Prep – Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll
Since returning to an office-base job, I’ve taken to spending Sundays doing a little work week lunch meal prep. About once a month I’ll make a few sushi rolls. While sushi is never quite as good the next day, it is certainly better than cafeteria food. This Brussel sprout sushi roll has me almost looking forward to Monday.

Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll at Home
Haven’t tried making your own sushi yet? I avoided it for years until I found Wil Yeung and his instructional videos. It was a game changer. I finally gave it a try and discovered it was actually really fun not to mention a fabulous way to use up pretty much anything in the fridge. Check out my On A Roll posts to get inspired.
Perfect Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll Rice
Step one to making homemade Brussel sprout rolls is to make the sushi rice. I follow Wil Yeung’s method. Rice the sushi rice well, put it over medium heat until it starts to bubble, cover, reduce heat to low and don’t touch for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and don’t lift lid or touch for another 10 minutes. Finish with a splash of rice vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar and let it cool to warm.

If you are wondering what the little black stuff is, it’s my current obsession – furikake. It a mix of sesame seeds, dry seaweed flakes and bonito flakes. Adds a little something interesting to pretty much anything plus it looks cool on the outside of a Brussel sprout sushi roll.
Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll – Roast the Sprouts and Lemon
First, you need to trim and quarter your Brussel sprouts and thinly slice about half of a lemon. I used about 6 large Brussel sprouts and ended up with enough for 3 Brussel sprout sushi rolls (which includes me eating a couple of the freshly roasted Brussels because that is irresistible).
Toss your Brussel sprouts and lemon slices in a roasting pan with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the Brussel sprouts are nice and tender and the lemon slices are sticky and caramelized.

Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll – Assembly
Once your rice is ready and your sprouts are done, it’s time to assemble your Brussel sprout sushi roll! After a little trial and error, I’ve landed on parchment paper as my preferred sushi assembly tool. You’ll need a piece of parchment paper about the size of a standard cooking tray. Lay that out on your counter and place a sushi seaweed sheet on top, rough side up.
The hardest part is setting the rice. Scoop about 3/4 of a cup of cooked rice onto your seaweed sheet (on the rougher side). Use wet hands and a fork to spread and flatten.

The goal here is to spread and flatten the rice out so that it covers all but about 2 inches of the sheet. Yes, it’s easier if you just keep heaping rice on vs. using a little patience to spread what you started with. But this will result in a Brussel sprout sushi roll with a very thick layer of rice which just adds calories per roll and makes it harder to eat. The key to perfect sushi is a nice, bite-sized roll.

The Flip
Carefully pick up your sushi sheet by the naked edge and flip it over so the rice is facing down (unless you prefer your rice on the inside of your roll).

Time to start adding the ingredients. The key to a good roll is not to over do it. I used about 6 roasted Brussel sprout quarters per roll plus 3-4 pieces of charred lemon. Spread everything out evenly along the naked edge of the sushi paper. I pulled apart half a sheet of prosciutto for each roll and layered that on top of the sprouts and lemon. Time to wrap this Brussel sprout sushi roll up!

Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll – Let’s Wrap It Up
Using your hands, flip the naked part of the sushi sheet over your ingredients and gently try to tuck the edge in underneath them. Holding that in place with one hand while you use the other to pick up the parchment paper and flip it over the roll.

Using both hands and the parchment paper as your guide, starting rolling up your Brussel sprout sushi roll. Go slowly, using your fingers to pinch the roll together as you go to make it tight.
The technique I use is to roll a little and then use my fingers to tuck the parchment under the roll, pulling back to make it snug. Then release the parchment from the tuck, pull it forward a little and continue rolling. It’s way easier to do than to describe 🙂
Once you’ve reached the end of the seaweed wrapper, unroll your parchment and admire your work. Carefully pick up your Brussel sprout sushi roll and transfer it to a cutting board. Make a few more rolls until you run out of rice.

Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll – The Right Slice
Time to slice! Transfer your perfectly rolled sushi to a cutting board and lay a piece of your parchment just over the top. Use your fingers to hold one side steady and use a serrated knife to carefully saw through the parchment and the roll until you feel that you’ve cut through the seaweed all the way.

Carefully pull off the parchment and look at your perfect creation!!

Brussel Sprout Sushi Roll – The Perfect Bite
I dipped my first piece into just a dab of soy sauce to try it.
Savory Brussel sprout, salty prosciutto and tangy charred lemon. Simple and totally satisfying.

Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 3/4 cup sushi rice, rinsed several times
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds or furikake
Charred Lemon and Brussel Sprouts
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, very thinly sliced
- 6 Brussel sprouts, quartered
- salt and pepper
- 2 slices prosciutto
- 3 sheets nori
- soy sauce for dipping
- wasabi paste, optional
Instructions
Prepare the Sushi Rice
- Preheat oven to 375°. Place the rinsed sushi rice in a small saucepan. Add water and place over med heat. As soon as bubbles start to form on the edges, stir to release anything sticking and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes and then turn off heat (don't open the lid). Allow to steam for another 10 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork. Add rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame seeds or furikake and fluff again. Set aside and allow to rest until just warm.
Preparing the Roll
- While rice is cooking, prepare the Brussel sprouts and charred lemon. Toss quartered Brussel sprouts and sliced lemon with olive oil in a small roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until sprouts are tender and lemon is caramelized. Remove from oven and allow to cool until safe to handle.
- Once rice is done, place one nori sheet (bumpy side up) on a piece of parchment paper. Using a fork and wet fingers, press cooked sushi rice onto the mat firmly leaving 1-2 inches of nori uncovered. Carefully flip the nori over so that the rice is facing down.
- Arrange your Brussel sprouts and lemon slices on the edge of the nori that does not have rice under it. Top with some prosciutto. You are going to roll that uncovered nori around the filling to get it started. Don't over do the filling. 6 small Brussel quarters and half of a strip of prosciutto should be enough.
- Pick up the edge of your rolling mat and start to flip the exposed piece of nori over the filling ingredients. You essentially want to tuck that piece around and under to get your roll sealed. Lift the parchment and flip it over the roll. Use it as a guide to begin rolling while also pulling it back towards you, and use your fingers to pinch the roll firmly as you go. You want to get things tight on that first turn and then continue rolling about a half turn at a time, pulling the mat free as you continue to roll forward and continuing to pinch along the length of the roll as you go. Unroll the parchment and you should have a beautiful sushi roll!
- The hardest part IMO is cutting. Move the roll to a cutting board and lay a piece of parchment over the top. Use your fingers to hold the parchment and roll firmly while sliced with a serrated knife, gently sawing back and forth as you go. Carefully remove the parchment. Stand back to admire what you've created, then go ahead and make your second roll. Serve immediately or keep wrapped in plastic and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Serve 1 roll per person with soy sauce for dipping and wasabi paste on the side (optional).
Notes
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Nutrition
Are You On A Roll Now?
Check out my On A Roll homemade sushi recipe collection for more ideas like these:
Wow looks amazing!