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Deconstructed California Roll Salad Recipe (Easy & Refreshing)

Deconstructed California Roll Salad

A fresh sushi-bowl-style salad featuring seasoned sushi rice, imitation crab, cucumber, avocado, nori, sesame seeds, and spicy mayonnaise dressing. This easy recipe makes four servings in about 40 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sushi Rice
  • 1 cup Uncooked short-grain sushi rice
  • 1 1/4 cups Water, or the amount specified on the rice package
  • 2 tablespoons Unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Salad
  • 8 ounces Imitation crab meat or surimi, shredded or cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 large Large English cucumber, diced
  • 1 large Large ripe avocado, diced
  • 2 sheets Roasted nori, cut or crumbled into strips
  • 2 green onions Green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Toasted sesame seeds
Spicy Mayonnaise Dressing
  • 1/4 cup Mayonnaise, preferably Japanese mayonnaise
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Toasted sesame oil
Optional Garnishes
  • As desired Extra nori, pickled ginger, wasabi, more sesame seeds, or a small amount of tobiko or masago

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Rinse 1 cup sushi rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Cook it with 1 1/4 cups water, or according to the directions on the rice package.
  2. While the rice is hot, stir together the rice vinegar, sugar, and kosher salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. Fold the seasoning into the cooked rice, spread the rice on a shallow tray, and cool it to room temperature.
  3. Whisk the mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the sriracha within the stated range for a milder or hotter dressing.
  4. Shred or cut the imitation crab into bite-size pieces. Dice the cucumber and avocado, slice the green onions, and keep the nori separate until the salad is ready to serve.
  5. Divide the cooled seasoned rice among four bowls or plates. Arrange the crab, cucumber, avocado, and green onion over each portion rather than mixing everything aggressively.
  6. Drizzle the spicy mayonnaise dressing over the four salads. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and nori, then add any optional garnishes and serve immediately.

Notes

Cool the seasoned rice before assembly so it does not soften the cucumber or avocado or make the dressing greasy. For the best texture, add the nori just before eating. The assembled salad can be refrigerated for up to a few hours, although the avocado and nori are freshest when added at the last moment.