When you are craving sushi, but don't want the hassle of making rolls, then why not make these Cucumber Sushi Boats? Lower in carb, as they need less rice, so easy to adapt with all your favourite sushi fillings and a really quick and easy lunch to throw together.
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Whether you want a light meal, something quick and easy or a fun appetiser, these cucumber boats tick all the boxes. They have been going viral on TikTok, so we wanted to put our own twist on it.
You could even make them super low carb by leaving out the rice and and just loading up the cucumber boats with your favourite sushi fillings.
Looking for other sushi alternative recipes? Why not try our Tuna Sushi Bowls? Or of course, you could try all of our Easy Sushi Recipes.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cucumber - You need to make sure you are choosing the right cucumbers for this. They need to be the long English cucumbers that have less seeds.
- Tuna - We used canned tuna.
- Sushi Rice - Follow our recipe for How To Cook Sushi Rice. Don't forget to mix some rice vinegar into it.
- Mayo - To keep it authentic, we used Kewpie mayonnaise, which has a really rich flavour. Any mayo will work though.
- Avocado - You only need a little, as it's finely diced you you don't want it falling out.
- Seasoning - Some furikake seasoning for extra flavour.
- Sriracha - This is optional, but if you want to give it a spicy kick before serving, this is the way to go. If you don't want to do this, you could just add a pinch of paprika or garlic powder before serving.
Variations
The great thing about these cucumber sushi boats are that they are so easy to adapt. We went with tuna and avocado, but there are so many options.
Shrimp (prawns) - If you love shrimp sushi, then you can swap the tuna for shrimp instead. Add some sriracha spicy mayo and some chopped spring onions (scallions) for extra flavour.
Vegetarian - If you want to make a veggie version of these cucumber boats, then why not swap the tuna for some cooked and marinated tofu? Some slices of bell pepper and red cabbage go well with it.
Cream cheese - I love a carrot and cream cheese sushi roll like our Philadelphia Rolls, and that works in these cucumber sushi boats too. Mix together some cream cheese and grated carrots and add with rice into the cucumber.
California Style - If you love a California roll, then that works here too. Get some crab sticks, avocado and a little bit of cucumber mixed together.
Salmon - Salmon and cream cheese is another winning combination. Chop up some smoked salmon and mix with cream cheese.
How To Make Cucumber Sushi Boats
- Step 1: Prepare your sushi rice.
- Step 2: Mix together the tuna and mayonnaise.
- Step 3: Quarter the cucumber and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
- Step 4: Fill the cucumber boats with the cooled sushi rice.
- Step 5: Add the tuna mayo, diced avocado and furikake seasoning. Drizzle over the Sriracha, if using.
Cucumber Sushi Boats Serving Suggestions
We just eat these on their own as a snack or light lunch. However, if you were doing a whole sushi dinner party, then these would be a great addition.
Have you tried making your own sushi before? Why not try our Rainbow Sushi, Hand Roll Sushi, Salmon Maki or Spicy Tuna Rolls?
When serving up these cucumber boats with tuna, we like to add a sprinkle of furkake seasoning. If you don't have that, then just some sesame seeds work or our Everything Bagel Seasoning. Then of course you want some soy sauce or Sriracha to drizzle over. Our Healthy Teriyaki Sauce works well too.
We also love some edamame on the side for a protein boost or our Asian Slaw.
Dannii's Top Tips
- This recipe calls for 200g of cooked sushi rice. To make this amount of cooked rice, you will need 70g of raw rice. If you are altering the serving size in the recipe card, divide the amount of cooked rice by 3 to get how much raw rice you will need.
- Make sure to use a paper towel to blot any excess moisture from the cucumber after scooping the seeds out. This will help the fillings to stay in the sushi boats and not slide off when eating. I speak from experience!
- If your sushi boats are falling over and hard to fill, you can stablise them by slicing a thin strip off the bottom to create a flat base. This will help them to stay up right.
- Don't want to use cucumber? You can use bell peppers and add everything into those. They look really colourful too.
- To stop your avocado from browning, add a squeeze of lemon juice to it before adding it to the tuna sushi boats.
- If you want to make them easier to eat, you could slice the cucumber into smaller sections. This is a better way to serve them for parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cucumber sushi boats are best eaten straight away, however if you do have any leftover then you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day. These cannot be frozen.
You need to cut the cucumber lengthways and then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the inside of the cucumber to create a boat like shape. You could also use a melon baller instead of a spoon.
Don't throw them away! You can add them to salads, juices or smoothies.
You can prepare your fillings in advance, but everything needs to be assembled just before you are ready to eat it. The cucumbers will have extra crunch to them if coming out of the fridge just before serving.
More Cucumber Recipes
If you've tried these cucumber sushi boats, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cucumber Sushi Boats
Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber
- 200 g (1 cups) Cooked sushi rice
- 120 g (4.25 oz) Tuna - canned; drained weight
- 3 tablespoon Mayonnaise - Kewpie brand
- 0.5 Avocado - diced
- 1 tablespoon Furikake seasoning
- Sriracha sauce - optional
Instructions
- Prepare 200 g Cooked sushi rice.
- Mix together 120 g Tuna and 3 tablespoon Mayonnaise.
- Quarter 1 Cucumber and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
- Fill the cucumber boats with the cooled sushi rice.
- Add the tuna mayo, 0.5 Avocado and 1 tablespoon Furikake seasoning. Drizzle over the Sriracha, if using.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe calls for 200g of cooked sushi rice. To make this amount of cooked rice, you will need 70g of raw rice. If you are altering the serving size in the recipe card, divide the amount of cooked rice by 3 to get how much raw rice you will need.
- Make sure to use a paper towel to blot any excess moisture from the cucumber after scooping the seeds out. This will help the fillings to stay in the sushi boats and not slide off when eating. I speak from experience!
- If your sushi boats are falling over and hard to fill, you can stablise them by slicing a thin strip off the bottom to create a flat base. This will help them to stay up right.
- Don't want to use cucumber? You can use bell peppers and add everything into those. They look really colourful too.
- To stop your avocado from browning, add a squeeze of lemon juice to it before adding it to the tuna sushi boats.
- If you want to make them easier to eat, you could slice the cucumber into smaller sections. This is a better way to serve them for parties.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Carly says
My whole family enjoyed this recipe and want me to make it again