Introduction

The Philadelphia Roll is a delicious sushi roll featuring smoked salmon, cream cheese, and crisp cucumber, layered with a tangy touch of pickled red onions. This homemade version captures the perfect balance of creamy, fresh, and savory flavors, ideal for sushi lovers eager to try making rolls at home.

Several sushi rolls are scattered on a white marbled surface. Each sushi piece has three main layers: the outer layer is sticky white rice speckled with black and white sesame seeds, the middle layer is a thin sheet of dark seaweed, and the inner layer is filled with an orange slice of raw salmon, a white creamy layer of cream cheese, small green cucumber sticks, and pink pickled radish pieces. The sushi rolls are cut into even, bite-sized pieces showing the colorful and fresh fillings inside, with some arranged flat and others standing on their side. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (for pickling onions)

2/3 cup sushi rice

2/3 cup water, plus more for rinsing rice

1 (2″) piece kombu (optional)

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar (for rice seasoning)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sheets nori

2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning, divided

4 oz. smoked salmon, divided

4 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2″-thick strips, divided

1 Persian cucumber, seeds removed and julienned, divided

Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, for serving

Instructions

Step 1: Pickle the onions by placing the thinly sliced red onion in a small bowl and covering with 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar. Let them soak while you prepare the rest.

Step 2: Rinse the sushi rice under cold water to remove excess starch. Swirl the rice with your fingers, drain, and repeat about 3 more times until the water runs mostly clear. Then soak the rice in cold water for 30 minutes and drain well.

Step 3: In a rice cooker or medium saucepan, combine the soaked rice, 2/3 cup water, and kombu if using. Cook the rice according to your rice cooker’s sushi or white rice setting, or bring to a boil in the saucepan, then cover and simmer on low for 12 to 15 minutes. Let it steam covered off the heat for 10 minutes, then discard the kombu.

Step 4: Spread the cooked rice on a baking sheet or 13-by-9-inch dish to cool. Whisk together 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar dissolves. Drizzle this mixture over the rice and gently fold using a wooden spoon or rice paddle to season without making the rice sticky. Let cool for about 30 minutes.

Step 5: To assemble, lay one nori sheet shiny side up on a bamboo sushi mat. Wet your fingertips and spread about 1 cup of rice evenly over the nori. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of everything bagel seasoning over the rice.

Step 6: Cover the rice with a piece of plastic wrap and flip the mat so the plastic and rice face down on your work surface. Remove the bamboo mat, then slide the plastic back onto it so the nori side is up for adding fillings.

Step 7: Arrange half of the smoked salmon along the edge of the nori closest to you. Drain the pickled onions and place half next to the salmon. Add half of the cream cheese strips on top of the onions, then layer half of the cucumber strips over the salmon.

Step 8: Use the bamboo mat to roll the nori tightly over the fillings, lifting the mat as you roll to avoid it getting rolled inside. Press gently to secure the roll, then remove the mat and plastic wrap.

Step 9: Cut the roll into 8 even pieces. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients to make the second roll.

Step 10: Serve the Philadelphia Rolls with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger on the side.

Tips & Variations

Use cold cream cheese straight from the fridge and cut it into firm strips to prevent melting during rolling.

Try substituting smoked salmon with fresh salmon or cooked shrimp for a different flavor.

For a vegetarian version, replace the salmon with avocado slices and add some thin carrot strips for extra crunch.

Lightly toast the everything bagel seasoning in a dry skillet before sprinkling to enhance its flavor.

FAQs

Can I use regular rice instead of sushi rice?

Sushi rice is preferred because its short grains stick together, making it easier to roll. Regular long-grain rice tends to be too dry and doesn’t hold well, so it’s best to use sushi rice for this recipe.

Is it necessary to use a bamboo sushi mat?

While a bamboo sushi mat helps create tight, evenly shaped rolls, you can also roll sushi by hand or use a clean kitchen towel covered with plastic wrap as a substitute if a mat is unavailable.