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Making this vegetarian poke bowl recipe is the perfect weeknight meal. Bursting with fresh flavors, these veggie poke bowls are a simple recipe that I come back to time and time again. It doesn't require any cooking, except for the rice! You can easily make this into a vegan poke bowl recipe as well.
What is a poke bowl?
Traditional poke bowls are a Hawaiian dish that consists of diced raw fish (usually raw tuna) that is marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil. It is always served on a bed of rice with various toppings such as avocado, cucumber, edamame, seaweed, and sesame seeds. In recent years, vegetarian and vegan versions of poke bowls have become more popular. It is often considered a healthy and refreshing meal option due to its high nutrient content, and its low fat and calorie count.
How to make this vegetarian or vegan
To make this poke bowl vegetarian we are going to add edamame to to the bowl as the main protein source. This is a great source of protein with 11g of protein, 9g of fiber, and only 120 calories per serving. I also load the veggies into the bowl to pack in all the flavors.
To make this bowl a vegan poke bowl recipe, just make sure to use a vegan mayo for the spicy mayo and you now have a vegan version of the poke bowl!
What to add to your vegetarian poke bowl
The beauty of a poke bowl is that you can change it up every time you have it. Switch out the veggies or the sauce to get something new each time! Here are a few of the main components you want to have in your bowls.
Grains
The base of a poke bowl is often sushi rice. If you can’t find that just use any type of white rice you can find. If you want to add a little more protein to your bowl you can swap it out for brown rice or quinoa as the base. This is not traditional, but it still tastes great!
Protein
Since the protein source for a classic poke bowl is typically raw fish, you need to get a little creative to make this into a vegetarian meal. This recipe uses edamame beans as the primary protein source. They are super easy to add and they are a perfect flavor and texture to the meal.
A few other vegetarian-friendly protein ideas are tofu, you can make crispy baked tofu to add to the top or you can make a marinated tofu to add. You could also go for some plant-based protein sources or meat alternatives such as plant-based tuna. For something a little less traditional, you could even add crispy chickpeas to the bowl.
Lots of Veggies
The best thing about these bowls is the fresh vegetables. This is what brings the color, the flavor, and the texture to your bowl. My favorite veggies and fruit that I use in this bowl are avocados, asparagus, cucumbers, and mango. You can pick whatever you want, but I like to have something creamy, a few crunchy vegetables, and something sweet.
Other veggie and fruit options you can use are sliced green onions, fresh radishes, chopped red cabbage, or pineapple.
Toppings
Some additional toppings to your poke bowls are something like a seaweed salad or kimchi. If you do use kimchi, make sure to get a vegan kimchi if that is something you are worried about. Traditional kimchi is made with fish sauce.
Another topping that I sometimes like to add to my bowls is crispy fried onions. I use the ones that are sold in the jar or bag at the grocery store. They just add a fun crunch to the bowls. This isn’t necessary, but a nice addition.
Right at the end I typically sprinkle my bowls with some sesame seeds. You could even add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce at the end to add a little extra spice.
Sauce
You want to add some type of sauce to bring the whole bowl together. This recipe uses a spicy mayo made with sriracha. To make sriracha mayo, just mix 4 parts mayo with 1 part sriracha. You could also use a wasabi mayo or just a simple soy sauce. I love using some type of spicy sauce to bring that extra flavor to the whole meal.
Can you meal prep this poke bowl?
You can make the rice ahead of time to make it very easy to assemble. I think it tastes best right after you chop up all the veggies, but if you need to make it as meal prep you can do that as well. Just add everything to an individual airtight container. They should stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just wait to cut the avocado until you are ready to eat it. If you cut it and let it sit, the avocado will turn brown quickly.
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