Gentle, tangy, and refreshing—this vegan ume shiso cucumber roll is a summer twist on classic kappa maki. With sesame oil mixed into the rice, each bite feels light yet deeply flavorful. Perfect for hot days when your appetite fades, but you still crave something nourishing.
🧺 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe is perfect if you are:
- Looking for a refreshing variation of the classic cucumber roll (kappa maki)
- Searching for a light summer sushi roll that boosts your appetite
- A fan of umeboshi (pickled plum) and shiso flavors
- Following a vegan or vegetarian diet
The combination of crunchy cucumber, tangy umeboshi, fragrant shiso, sesame seeds, and sesame oil makes this roll both satisfying and refreshing.
Jump to:
🌿 Ingredients for Ume Shiso Cucumber Roll (Kappa Maki)
- 120 g cooked rice
- 1 cucumber (preferably crunchy, not watery)
- 6 g umeboshi (pickled plum, seed removed)
- 3 g shiso leaf
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 sheet nori
Ingredient notes:
- Cucumber: Choose firm, crunchy cucumbers for best results.
- Umeboshi: Adjust amount depending on saltiness.
- Shiso: Add generously if you love its fresh, herbal flavor.
- Sesame oil & seeds: The key to aroma and texture—don’t skip!
💡 Tips for Rolling Beautiful Ume Shiso Kappa Maki
The trick to a beautifully round ume shiso kappa maki lies in how you spread the rice. Follow these steps for perfect results:
- Spread the rice thinly on the nori
- Leave about 2 cm of space at the edge without rice. This prevents the roll from bursting open.
- Create a U-shaped indentation
- Lift the front edge of the rice slightly and shape it into a shallow U. This hollow will hold the cucumber snugly.
- Place the cucumber
- Lay the cucumber cut into a fan shape in the U-shaped space. Make sure the center (seed side) faces downward.
Following these three steps will help you roll a kappa maki that is not only tasty but also visually appealing.
🍚 Instructions
Once you understand the key points from the TIPS section, making kappa maki becomes very simple. Make sure all your ingredients are prepared, and you can start rolling right away!
Kappa maki is also a great way to practice making sushi rolls without a sushi mat. If you feel unsure or want extra support, you can use a sushi mat, plastic wrap, or parchment paper to help keep the roll tight and neat.
- Make ume shiso rice
- Mix cooked rice with finely chopped shiso, chopped umeboshi, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.
- Quarter the cucumber lengthwise.
- Place ingredients on nori
- Lay a sheet of nori on a cutting board.
- Spread a thin layer of ume shiso rice on top, leaving 2 cm at the edge.
- Using the tip from the TIPS section, create a slight U-shaped hollow in the rice.
- Place the cucumber slices into this concave space, with the center of the cucumber fan facing downward. This ensures the roll will maintain its shape when rolled.
- Roll the sushi
- Stage 1:
Lift the front edge of the nori and roll it once, gently tightening to keep the filling from falling apart.
💡See the Vegan Avocado Sushi Roll photo for reference. - Stage 2:
Continue rolling until the end. Keep the roll gently tight to prevent the filling from falling out, then place the seam side down.
- Stage 1:
- Cut and serve
- First, warm your knife by running hot water over it, then wipe it dry. This helps you cut smoothly without crushing the roll.
- Slice the roll into bite-size pieces in one go. Wipe the knife with a damp cloth between cuts for neat slices.
- Serve with soy sauce or soy sauce koji if desired.
🍱 Tools
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- rice paddle
- bowl
- makisu (if needed)
☀️ Storage
Best enjoyed immediately. The rice will dry and the nori will soften if stored too long.
👨🏻🍳 Questions
Kappa-maki is usually served with soy sauce, but this recipe is also delicious on its own thanks to the salty and tangy umeboshi flavor.
If you prefer more saltiness, try dipping in soy sauce koji—the mild, savory liquid complements the pickled plums perfectly.
Yes! This roll can be made entirely by hand. Stage 1 of rolling wraps the filling securely, and Stage 2 finishes the roll. If you prefer, you can also use plastic wrap or parchment paper to help keep the roll tight and neat.
We recommend eating the roll immediately. As time passes, rice dries out and nori softens. Make just enough for each meal for best texture.
Absolutely! Adjust umeboshi to taste if it’s very salty. Add more shiso if you enjoy its herbal flavor.
🍙 More Cucumber Recipes
Looking for more refreshing cucumber dishes? Try:
🌾 More Vegan Rice Recipes
If you love sushi rice recipes, also try:
If you try this recipe, please share your thoughts in the COMMENTS 🐒. Also feel free to ask any questions or leave any requests!
📖 Recipe Card
Ume Shiso Cucumber Roll (Kappa-maki)::Vegan Sushi Roll
Equipment
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- Rice paddle
- Bowl
- sushi mat (if needed)
Ingredients
- 120 g cooked rice
- 1 cucumber (quartered lengthwise)
- 6 g umeboshi (seed removed, adjust saltiness if needed)
- 3 g shiso leaf (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 sheet nori
Instructions
Make ume shiso rice
- Mix rice with chopped shiso, chopped umeboshi, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.120 g cooked rice6 g umeboshi3 g shiso leaf½ teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Place ingredients on nori
- Place a sheet of nori on a cutting board.1 sheet nori
- Spread a thin layer of ume shiso rice on the nori, leaving 2 cm at the far edge.
- Using the tip from the TIPS section, create a slight U-shaped hollow in the rice.
- Place the cucumber slices into this concave space, with the center of the cucumber fan facing downward. This ensures the roll will maintain its shape when rolled.1 cucumber
Roll the sushi
- Lift the front edge of the nori and roll it once, gently tightening to keep the filling from falling apart. See the Vegan Avocado Sushi Roll photo for reference.
- Continue rolling until the end. Keep gently tight, then place seam side down.
Cut and serve
- First, warm your knife by running hot water over it, then wipe it dry. This helps you cut smoothly without crushing the roll.
- Slice the roll into bite-size pieces in one go. Wipe the knife with a damp cloth between cuts for neat slices.
- Serve with soy sauce or soy sauce koji if desired.
Notes
- Spread rice thinly and leave a 2 cm margin to prevent the roll from bursting.
- Create a slight U-shaped hollow in the rice to hold the cucumber.
- Adjust umeboshi and shiso according to taste.
- Best eaten immediately; rice dries and nori softens if stored too long.
💬Did you try this recipe? Let me know how it turned out in the comments— or mention #vegin_vegan_vegun or just tag us @veginveganvegun with your delicious creations!
👘 Closing Thoughts
This ume shiso cucumber roll is a simple, refreshing twist on kappa maki—light, flavorful, and vegan-friendly. Perfect for summer days when you want something easy yet nourishing.
If you enjoyed this recipe, try my Vegan Avocado Sushi Roll or Vegan Chirashi Sushi next. Both are fresh, plant-based Japanese recipes perfect for gatherings everyday meals. 🌿
Gee says
The sesame oil gives it a nice flavor. It was refreshing and tasty, good for summer.