PETA’s Top 10 Vegan Sushi Rolls Make a Splash for Fish Amnesty Day

Ahead of Fish Amnesty Day (September 28), PETA is naming the top vegan sushi rolls of 2024. These options go beyond the avocado-cucumber roll—although we love those, too—and offer a variety of flavors and textures that will make your taste buds dance, without any ingredients that harm fish, crabs, lobsters, or any other animals.

Fish are smart, social animals who feel pain, just as mammals and birds do. They can remember other individuals, build complex social networks, and recognize themselves in a mirror. Salmon, for example, know how to swim back to the exact place they were born to lay their eggs. Tunas travel in massive schools that can span up to 19 miles wide—which helps them stay safe from predators. Every animal is someone,not something,and deserves to live in peace.

PETA first introduced Fish Amnesty Day—celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in September—in 1997 to remind everyone that fish should be respected, not killed. Humans kill more fish for food each year than all other animals combined. Next time you’re craving Japanese food, make the right decision for animals by trying vegan sushi rolls like the stellar ones below.

Vegan Striking Willow Roll

UCHU Sushi (Portland, Oregon)

This mouthwatering roll features crispy fried sweet potato, yamagobo, mango, and dairy-free cream cheese and is topped with avocado, kaiware, and spicy vegan mayo. It’s just one of many vegan sushi rolls available at UCHU Sushi, which also offers other animal-friendly dishes, including agedashi tofu, jalapeño poppers, and yakisoba noodles.

Rainbow Maki Roll

Nori (Austin, Texas)

Nori’s Rainbow maki roll features a savory heart of palm “surimi” mix, avocado, and cucumbers topped with mango, tomatoes, vegan mayo, and delectable seaweed Cavi-art. In addition to offering a variety of fish-free sushi rolls, this vegan restaurant also has an array of other Japanese favorites, including gyozas, nigiri, and ramen.

Adriana ‘Vegano’ Sparkle II Roll

House of Vegano (St. Petersburg, Florida)

This delectable dish—finished with 24-karat gold glitter—features “sckallop,” cucumbers, and avocado and is topped with house-made “toona” tartare and drizzled with vegan eel sauce and sweet chili garlic sauce. In addition to its wide variety of fish-free sushi, the vegan restaurant also offers dumplings, ramen, and wonton soup.

Spicy Jackfruit Crab Roll

Beyond Sushi (New York, New York)

Beyond Sushi, a vegan chain in New York City, offers all types of Japanese delights, including the Spicy Jackfruit Crab roll, which features jackfruit “crab,” pickled red onions, marinated carrots, avocado, chili strands, ponzu, and toasted cayenne sauce. It’s spicy, savory, and everything you crave in a sushi roll.

Love in the Edo Roll

Wellness Sushi (Denver, Colorado)

Wellness Sushi’s Love in the Edo roll is a unique offering that features vegan teriyaki beef, cucumbers, shoyu mango, soy paper, green onions, and nori furikake topping. This vegan restaurant also serves onigiri, ramen, and other dishes that will have you coming back for more.

Amakara Roll

The Yasai by RakiRaki (San Diego, California)

Made with “forbidden” black rice, which looks purple when cooked, the Amakara Roll features vegan shrimp, spicy “no-tuna,” tempura enoki mushrooms, cucumbers, and a special spread topped with eggplant, avocado, cucumbers, special sauce, and marinated “micro-pearls.” The Yasai by RakiRaki is fully vegan and serves a variety of other Japanese dishes, including ramen and stunning bento boxes.

Yellow Magic Roll

Daikon Vegan Sushi (Las Vegas, Nevada)

You can be a high roller in Sin City by ordering the Yellow Magic Roll at Daikon Vegan Sushi. It comes with pickled carrots, avocado, and jackfruit salad and is topped with roasted yellow peppers, pineapple sauce, and furikake seasoning. This fresh and unique sushi roll pairs perfectly with one of Daikon’s fried appetizers, such as the Karaage tofu or Salt & Pepper “Calamari.”

Forager Roll

Indah Sushi (Whitefish, Montana)

Indah Sushi’s Forager roll, which is vegan when ordered with the gluten-free tempura batter, comes with tempura lion’s mane mushrooms, avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, cucumbers, beet-infused rice, lime juice, and daikon radish microgreens. It’s crunchy, fresh, and a little spicy. Indah Sushi also serves other fish-free sushi rolls as well as two vegan soups: coconut curry and miso.

Veggie Lover’s Roll

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar (Norfolk, Virginia)

This restaurant in Norfolk, Virgina—the home of PETA’s headquarters, the Sam Simon Center—has a huge vegan menu and even serves a PETA Roll. We also recommend the delicious Veggie Lover’s Roll, which comes with vegan lobster, shiitake mushrooms, lettuce, cucumbers, avocado, kampyō, yamagobo, and scallions. But don’t stop there—try some of the other vegan menu options, such as the Vegan Chicken Teriyaki, the Vegan Ramen, or the Zaru Soba.

Curry Roll

The Sushi Samurai (Seattle, Washington)

If you’re a fan of comforting flavors, the Curry Roll at The Sushi Samurai, a vegan restaurant in Seattle, is for you. It features tempura vegan shrimp, mixed greens, and a mild Japanese golden curry sauce made with carrots, potatoes, onions, cilantro, turmeric, and cumin with a coconut cream base.

If none of these places are close to you, don’t worry! Check your local Japanese restaurant for veggie roll options or your local grocery store for Konscious Foods’ tasty, animal-friendly sushi! This PETA Business Friend has five varieties of frozen vegan sushi rolls that you can defrost in minutes for a quick lunch, dinner, or snack.

For home cooks who want to try their hand at making fish-free sushi, we have some tips: