California Sandwich Rolls

With summer around the corner and those hot days and evenings slowly creeping in, I wanted to create an easy recipe that will get you in and out of the kitchen without ever having to turn on your stove or oven. This recipe, if you can even call it that, is incredibly easy to make. I love lobster rolls so much, but in this economy, who can afford lobster? I decided to take the idea of a classic lobster roll but give it a sushi twist. I know that California rolls get a bad rap sometimes for not being considered actual sushi, but I don’t care, I still love them (case in point, these jars from the archives). These California Sandwich Rolls are going to be your new favorite summer sandwich, and I don’t regret it. And if you’re still looking for some California Roll inspiration, this guacamole might make you a believer.

In a large bowl, combine the flaked imitation crab, mayo, soy sauce, rice vinegar, wasabi, and ginger paste until evenly incorporated.

**Note: You can of course use cooked shrimp, real crab or even cooked lobster for this if you’d like. I’m not a Rockefeller so I’m sticking to imitation crab but also because that’s how I prefer my California rolls.**

Add the cooked and cooled rice, cucumber, and scallion and toss to combine.

**Note: You can make sushi rice, but that defeats the purpose of this being a no-cook, easy meal. What I recommend is that you buy already made sushi rice. You can find some at the grocery store in the Asian aisle. They have bowls of rice that you can just microwave. Or you can use leftover regular white rice as well, if you happen to have some on hand.**

Serve right away or cover with plastic and chill until ready to use. This can be made up to 2 days in advance and so it’s the perfect meal to prep ahead of time.

To assemble the sandwiches, split the buns open and fill each with nori, avocado and the California roll salad. Garnish with furikake, scallions and a drizzle of sriracha if desired.

If you do make the salad ahead of time, you might find that it will dry out a bit in the fridge. If this happens, you can add a tablespoon or two of mayo and stir that into the salad to loosen it up a bit.

The measurements I give for some of the salad ingredients are more of a guide. If you want things with a bit more of a punch, feel free to add more wasabi, ginger or even sriracha to the salad. You can also mix in chopped or sliced jalapeños as well.

I also make this salad without the buns and what I do is just add the avocado to the salad directly. Then I’ll eat it by grabbing a spoonful of the salad and placing it on a square of nori and wrapping it up like the perfect little sushi bite. It makes for a great lunch or snack.

This tastes *just* like a California roll, and so if you’re anything like me and love a good Cali roll, then I really hope you’ll give it a try because it’s so simple and so delicious. You’ll want to make this again and again. Let me know what you think below and as always, thank you for reading and following along.

5 from 1 vote

California Sandwich Rolls

These California Sandwich Rolls are a cross between a lobster roll and a California sushi roll. They're fun and the perfect summer meal.

Servings 6

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Knife
• Spoon

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) package imitation crab (flake style)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons prepared wasabi
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ginger paste
• 1 cup cooked sushi rice (or leftover white rice)
• 1 medium Persian cucumber diced
• 2 scallions thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
• 6 brioche hot dog buns
• 6 nori snacking sheets halved
• 1 large avocado thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon furikake seasoning
• Sriracha for serving

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the flaked imitation crab, mayo, soy sauce, rice vinegar, wasabi, and ginger paste until evenly incorporated. Add the rice, cucumber, and scallion and toss to combine. Serve right away or cover with plastic and chill until ready to use.
• To assemble the sandwiches, split the buns open and fill each with nori, avocado and the California roll salad. Garnish with furikake, scallions and a drizzle of sriracha if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Keyword: Dinner, Main Dishes, Quick and Easy, Sandwich, Sushi