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Meal prep bowls filled with sushi rice, crab sticks, avocado, cucumber, and nori strips for California rolls.

Delicious Lunch Meal Prep: California Sushi Bowls


  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 bowls

Description

All the flavors of a California roll—avocado, crab, cucumber, nori—layered over tangy sushi rice with a drizzle of spicy mayo. Perfect for make-ahead lunches that stay fresh 3–4 days.


Ingredients

  • Short-grain sushi rice: 1 1/3 cups (uncooked)
  • Water: 1 2/3 cups
  • Rice vinegar: 2 tablespoons
  • Sugar: 1 teaspoon
  • Fine salt: 1/2 teaspoon
  • Imitation crab or real crab: 2 cups, shredded
  • English cucumber: 2 cups, matchsticks
  • Avocados: 2 medium, sliced or cubed
  • Nori sheets: 2, cut into thin strips
  • Soy sauce or tamari: 4 tablespoons, divided
  • Sesame seeds: 2 teaspoons
  • Mayonnaise: 1/4 cup
  • Sriracha: 2–3 teaspoons, to taste
  • Lime or lemon juice: 1 tablespoon (for avocado and sauce)
  • Optional add-ins: 1 cup shelled edamame, pickled ginger, sliced scallions

  • Instructions

    1. Rinse rice under cold water until it runs clear. Cook with 1 2/3 cups water in a rice cooker or covered pot until tender; rest 10 minutes.

    2. Warm rice vinegar with sugar and salt until dissolved. Fluff rice and gently fold in vinegar mixture; cool to room temp.

    3. Shred crab. If desired, mix with 1–2 teaspoons mayo for extra creaminess.

    4. Prep produce: slice cucumber into matchsticks; cube or slice avocados and toss lightly with lemon/lime juice. Cut nori into thin strips.

    5. Stir together mayonnaise, sriracha, and a squeeze of lime to make spicy mayo; adjust heat to taste.

    6. Assemble 4 bowls: add 1 cup cooked sushi rice to each. Top with crab, cucumber, and avocado. Sprinkle nori and sesame seeds.

    7. Finish with a drizzle of soy sauce or tamari and a zigzag of spicy mayo. Serve immediately or portion for meal prep.

    8. Meal prep/storage: keep sauces separate until serving. Refrigerate bowls up to 3–4 days; add fresh avocado day-of for best color, or toss with extra citrus. Splash rice with a few drops of water before reheating.

    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes

    Nutrition

    • Calories: 535 kcal
    • Sodium: 1250 mg
    • Fat: 24 g
    • Carbohydrates: 67 g
    • Protein: 14 g