Vegan Poke Bowl from my new book Eating Vegan is a super easy and delicious meal. It travels well, so it’s a great dish to pack for lunch at the office. Since it comes together quickly, it’s the perfect dinner for busy weeknights. This plant-based take on the classic dish from Hawaii is made with hearts of palm rather than ahi or tuna. It’s also loaded with rice, edamame, grated carrots, cucumber, and avocado, and it’s topped with a spicy nondairy mayo. This easy poke bowl recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Eating Vegan
I’m so excited to share that I have a new cookbook coming out on April 14th, and it’s now available for preorder. Eating Vegan is a starter guide to going vegan. My goal in writing it was to help those who want to go vegan but aren’t sure how. It’s the book I wish I had when I went vegan back in 2001.
In it, I share info for newbie vegans, including how to cook dry beans, how to cook grains, and what to do with tofu. I also share tips for vegan staples that are handy to have in your pantry. There are starter meal plans, too!
Eating Vegan is packed with 75 recipes. My goal when creating them was to share vegan versions of everyday favorites, such as French Toast, Baked Ziti, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are all dishes that omnivores will recognize, so they’re sure to please everyone. I also share recipes for fun dishes you might have in your weekly rotation, like a Vegan Poke Bowl, Spinach Mushroom Calzones, and Chipotle Seitan Taquitos. There are recipes for pantry essentials like nondairy Cashew Mayonnaise and Tofu Ranch Dressing, too.
The Chapters in Eating Vegan Include:
- Eating Vegan 101
- Getting into the Kitchen
- Breakfast
- Salads, Soups, and Stews
- Snacks and Sides
- Handhelds
- The Main Event
- Something Sweet
- Homemade Essentials
Vegan Poke Bowl
Today I’m sharing my vegan poke bowl recipe with you. It’s super easy to make, and it’s a great dish for spring, since it can be eaten chilled.
A poke bowl isn’t a dish that you jab with your finger. “Poke” is pronounced po-kay, and it’s a marinated raw tuna dish from Hawaii. It’s usually served in a bowl over rice with vegetables—kind of a deconstructed sushi. This vegan version uses ginger-sesame marinated hearts of palm.
How to Make Vegan Poke Bowl
This recipe is super simple to make!
- First you whisk together the tamari, lime juice, sesame oil, and ginger. You marinate the hearts of palm in the mixture for about 15 minutes.
- While the hearts of palm is marinating, you whisk together the mayonnaise and sriracha.
- Then you assemble the bowls by placing a cup of rice into a bowl and topping it with some of the hearts of palm, edamame, carrot, cucumber, and avocado.
- Finally, you drizzle on the sriracha mayo and garnish your bowl with scallions and sesame seeds.
I have a cashew mayo recipe in my Eating Vegan. You can use store-bought mayo, or even use my tofu mayo.
This poke bowl holds up to travel, so it’s easy to take the leftovers for lunch at the office the next day.
Customizing Your Poke Bowl
I’ve used grated carrots, cucumber, and avocado in my bowl, but you can pile it high with any veggies you like.
- Toss in some sliced radish, diced red pepper, or shredded red cabbage.
- If you miss the fishy flavor of traditional poke, throw a little chopped nori seaweed into your bowl.
How to Cook Rice
I recommend cooking your rice ahead of time to cut down on the prep for this recipe. I like to make a big pot of grains like rice and quinoa on Monday, so that I have grains for my meals throughout the week. Grains freeze well, so I just pop them in the freezer. If you’re pressed for time, you can find precooked rice in the freezer section at most grocery stores.
It’s a good idea to place your rice in a colander and check it for small stones or debris, then rinse it with cold water. You can soak some your rice in water before cooking to soften it and help with digestibility, but it’s not necessary.
I like short grain brown rice, but you can use whatever kind rice you like in this recipe. The cooking time will depend on the type and if you soak it or not.
Typically, you’ll need 21/2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of dry rice. Place both in a pot over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer until all of the water has been absorbed and the grains are tender. Brown rice will take between 35 and 45 minutes. White will take 15 to 20. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Use a fork to fluff them before serving.
More recipes from Eating Vegan that you might enjoy include:
Poké Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½-inch piece fresh ginger peeled and coarsely chopped, or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm drained and chopped
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sriracha hot sauce
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 2 carrots grated
- 1 medium cucumber chopped
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 2 scallions sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, lime juice, sesame oil, and ginger. Place the chopped hearts of palm in a medium shallow bowl and pour the mixture over it. Gently toss to coat and leave it to marinate for about 15 minutes.
- While the hearts of palm are marinating, whisk together the Cashew Mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl. Add a little water to thin it out if it’s too thick.
- To assemble the poké bowls, place a cup of rice into a bowl and top it with some of the hearts of palm, edamame, carrot, cucumber, and avocado. Drizzle on the sriracha mayo and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Other bowl recipes you might enjoy include:
Susan
My favorite easy vegan meal is soup. I throw chopped cabbage, diced potatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, fennel seeds and broth in an instant pot, cook for 6 minutes. After a quick release I add mixed veggies and there’s soup in less than 30 minutes.
Karen D
Veggie burger and a salad