We love Brussel sprouts and we love sushi. Why not put them together?

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.

Homemade Sushi – Click here for tutorial

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.

Roasted Brussel sprouts with charred lemon slices

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.