Thereβs something wonderfully comforting about vegan onigiri β humble Japanese rice balls often wrapped in nori and stuffed with savoury fillings. Theyβre portable, nourishing, and delightfully customizable. For many, they bring back memories of lunchboxes, convenience store snacks, or picnics under the cherry blossoms.
In this post, I'll show you how to make these three delicious fillings: edamame, teriyaki tofu, and chickpea 'tuna'.
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What Is Onigiri?
Onigiri (also called omusubi) is classic Japanese comfort food made from steamed rice with different fillings, shaped into a triangle, ball or cylinder shape and wrapped with a nori sheet (seaweed).Itβs all about the natural flavour of the rice and the surprise inside.
While traditional fillings often include fish or pickled plum (umeboshi), thereβs a world of vegan onigiri options waiting to be explored.
If you're looking for a fried version of Onigiri, check out my blog post on Yaki Onigiri.
Why you'll love vegan onigiri
βπΎNaturally gluten-free and easy to make.
π± Perfect for meal prep, bento boxes, or grab-and-go lunches.
π« Endlessly customisable with pantry-friendly ingredients.
π Comforting, satisfying, and kid-friendly.
How to Make Vegan Onigiri (Step-by-Step)
Ingredients
- 500g short-grained rice
- 200g tofu
- 300g cooked chickpea (1 can)
- 50g frozen edamame
- vegan mayonnaise
- soy sauce
- nori sheets
- rice vinegar
- brown sugar
- garlic powder
- sesame oil
- water and salt to rub on hand
- Or save this picture below for your shopping list π
Instructions
- Wash and cook the rice
The chickpea 'tuna' filling
- Mash the chickpea with a fork, add in the mayo and soy sauce then mix well.
- Cut the nori into strips, then mix in together with the chickpea mixture.
If you can't find vegan mayo, you can check out this article for a homemade vegan mayo recipe.
The Teriyaki tofu filling
- Pat dry the tofu then cut the tofu into small square pieces.
- Fry the tofu pieces till golden.
- While waiting, combine the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- Drizzle in the sauce and mix well.
The edamame filling
- Pour hot water over the frozen edamame and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. If you have fresh edamame, you can skip this step.
- Season with soy sauce to taste, then mix and set aside.
The onigiri rice balls
- Firstly, prepare a bowl of water and gather all the other ingredients.
- Wet both hands by dipping them in water because this will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
- Salt both of your hands and rub together.
- Add 2 tablespoons of rice to your hand then followed by 1 teaspoon of the filling and 1 tablespoon of rice.
- Close the rice by wrapping it into a ball.
- After that, press the rice around the filling firmly to create a triangle shape by using both of your thumbs.
- Cut the nori seaweed into a long strip and wrap around the rice ball and repeat the steps until all ingredients are out.
Tips for Success
πΎ Use only Japanese short-grain rice β itβs the key to the right texture.
π± Donβt overfill! A little goes a long way.
πΏ Play with herbs like shiso leaves, sesame seeds, or furikake (check for vegan versions) for extra flavour.
Cozy Thoughts: A Hug in a Rice Ball
Thereβs a kind of magic in crafting onigiri β itβs meditative, hands-on, and full of care. Whether youβre prepping lunch for yourself, sharing with loved ones, or simply enjoying a quiet moment, vegan onigiri offers comfort and connection. Itβs a little reminder that food doesnβt have to be complicated to be deeply nourishing.
Have you tried making vegan onigiri before? What are your favourite fillings? Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram @veggieanh β Iβd love to see your creations!
π Recipe
Vegan Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 onigiri rice balls (8 servings) 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Thereβs something wonderfully comforting about vegan onigiri β humble Japanese rice balls often wrapped in nori and stuffed with savoury fillings. These Japanese rice balls are filled with 3 types of plant-based filling: chickpea 'tuna', teriyaki tofu and edamame beans.
Ingredients
- 500 g sushi rice (or short-grained rice)
- 2 nori sheet
- water and salt to rub on hand
- sesame seeds
Chickpea 'Tuna' filling
- 1 can cooked chickpea (~300g)
- 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 nori sheet
Teriyaki Tofu
- 200 g tofu
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Edamame
- 50 g frozen edamame
- soy sauce to taste
Instructions
- Wash and cook the rice.
To make the chickpea 'tuna' filling
- Mash the chickpea with a fork, add in the mayo and soy sauce then mix well.
- Cut the nori into strips, then mix in together with the chickpea mixture.
To make the Teriyaki tofu
- Pat dry the tofu and cut the tofu into small square pieces.
- Combine the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- Fry the tofu pieces, then drizzle in the sauce and mix well.
To make the edamame
- Pour hot water over the frozen edamame and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. If you have fresh edamame, you can skip this step.
- Season with soy sauce to taste, mix and set aside.
To make the onigiri
- Prepare a bowl of water and gather all the other ingredients.
- Wet both hands by dipping them in water. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
- Salt both of your hands and rub together.
- Add 2 tablespoon rice to your hand, followed by 1 teaspoon of the filling and 1 tablespoon of rice.
- Close the rice by wrapping it into a ball.
- Press the rice around the filling firmly to create a triangle shape. Use both of your thumbs.
- Cut the nori seaweed into a long strip and wrap around the rice ball. Repeat the steps until all ingredients are out.
Notes
- Use only Japanese short-grain rice β itβs the key to the right texture.
- Donβt overfill! A little goes a long way.
- Alternatively to the hand wrapping method, you can wrap a plastic wrap around the rice balls to shape them or use an onigiri mould.
- For leftovers, wrap them in plastic wraps so it doesn't become too dry overtime.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Wrapping
- Cuisine: Japanese
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