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How to Make Your Own Vegan Poke Bowl With Tofu, Rice & Vegetables

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vegan poke bowl

To have the true vegan poke bowl recipe, choosing half raw and half-cooked food is the trick. What is poke, you may ask? Poke means cooked, raw, hot, and cold-all at the same time. To make a poke bowl think of the best fresh and raw veggies and then combine them into a delicious poke bowl. 

For instance, I grilled the marinated tofu for my vegan poke bowl, cooked the pickled onions and the brown rice. Conversely, the rest of the bowl is full of raw vegetables and kimchi.

The pickled red onions are simple to make, and then they brew in the refrigerator. Also, the marinated tofu absorbs more flavors if it marinates overnight. 

Despite the quick and easy preparation, the tofu and the brown rice need to be cooked beforehand, but these ingredients don't have to be served hot. In fact, I prefer the vegan poke bowl recipe cold; however, it can be served hot or cold. 

WHAT IS A VEGAN POKE BOWL?

Created in Hawaii, the poke bowl resembles other bowl recipes, but the blend of raw and cooked food makes it unique. Although slightly spicy, the cold elements cool the heat and strengthen all the flavors.

Poke means “to slice or cut” in Hawaiian but generally refers to raw fish. Because this poke bowl is vegan, I used tofu instead of fish. The rest, however, combines flavors typically in a poke bowl recipe. 

Since poke usually includes fish, adding seaweed provides the perfect flavor to the bowl. Another way to add a sea-like taste to the poke bowl, try dulse, a red seaweed that grows wild in the cold waters of the Northwest Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. This dried seaweed crumbled tastes similar to seaweed sheets. 

WHAT RAW VEGETABLES ARE IN VEGAN POKE BOWL RECIPE? 

  • 1 head Romaine lettuce, cut and shredded
  • 1 head live lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup pickled red onions, or raw red onions, sliced thin
  • 8 radishes, sliced into thin coins
  • 1 large cucumber, cut into thin coins
  • 3 carrots, shredded
  • 1 avocado, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup kimchi, squeezed and drained (make sure it's vegan because some contain fish sauce)

WHAT ARE COOKED INGREDIENTS IN THE VEGAN POKE BOWL? 

  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 14 ounces package of extra-firm tofu, grilled or baked

Even though I chose to include my favorite vegetables, any vegetables can be changed to meet your individual taste. Similar to going to a Poke Bowl Restaurant, the choices are all yours.  

I also like to think as I evolve, my recipes get better, as does my creativity. I want to show you how easy it is to make a poke bowl for this particular post. However, these particular ingredients are my favorites for my vegan poke bowl recipe.

HOW TO MARINATE AND COOK THE TOFU FOR VEGAN POKE BOWL RECIPE

Teriyaki Tofu Marinated

As I have recommended before, marinating tofu overnight is the key to tasty and enjoyable tofu. But, first, the tofu needs to be pressed and dried before marinating.  

If you are new to cooking with tofu, follow the directions provided in the following link—pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet. 

TOFU MARINATE

  • 14.5 ounces of extra firm tofu
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar or lime juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped or finely grated
  • 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

Once the tofu is pressed, using a tofu press, cut the tofu into 4 pieces and place in a refrigerator safe container with the marinade overnight. 

COOKING OPTIONS (BAKED OR GRILLED)

Although I prefer grilled tofu, you can also bake the tofu for the vegan poke recipe in the oven. Regardless of the cooking method you choose, you will love this marinade's rich deep Asian flavors. 

BAKING TOFU

  • Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silicone Baking Mat.
  • Drain excess marinade into a different container
  • Bake tofu for 15 minutes, turn it over with a spatula and cook for another 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
  • Then,  put the cooked tofu back into the container with the excess marinade.
  • Toss

GRILLING TOFU

  • First, to grill the perfect tofu on the grill, pre-heat the grill to medium or 400 degrees.
  • Then, arrange the tofu directly on the grill for a total of 20 minutes, flipping four times to get the pretty grill marks.
  • Next, I return the tofu to the container to soak up more marinade.
  • At this point, you have two choices; cut it in cubes now and use it, or put it in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

AIR-FRYING TOFU 

  • Place tofu in the base of the air-fryer in a single layer, not overlapping pieces.
  • Batch cook at 370 degrees for 15 minutes, rotating the tofu 7 minutes into cooking.
  • Remove and repeat with the remaining batch of tofu. 

cut tofu into cubes

ARRANGING THE VEGAN POKE BOWL RECIPE ALTERNATING HOT AND COLD INGREDIENTS

Another suggestion is to arrange the vegan poke bowl alternating hot and cold foods to get a little of each in every bite.

For this poke bowl, I chose a combination of live and Romaine lettuce as my base; you choose your favorite greens and form a base with a hole in the middle for each bowl.

Poke Bowl Step 1

 

Then, I made brown rice. Although my rice is not hot, it is warm to the taste. I make a bunch of brown rice when I meal prep, so I heat the amount I want for a particular vegan poke bowl recipe. Once it reaches a warm temperature, I put it in the hole in the middle of the bowl.

add rice to the center of the poke bowl

 

Now, it's time to add whatever your favorite poke bowl toppings are. I chose chopped vegan Kimchi, thin cucumber slices, sliced radishes, shredded carrots, red bell pepper, avocado, and my Simple Rosemary Infused Pickled Red Onions for this bowl. Arrange your ingredients on top of the lettuce in a circular pattern.

Building the poke bowl

WHAT IS IN THE VEGAN POKE BOWL DRESSING RECIPE?

  • 3 Tablespoons miso paste
  • 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon low sodium Tamari sauce
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • Sprinkle of red pepper chili flakes (optional)

 

How to make a vegan poke bowl

The final step is adding tofu and garnish for this vegan poke bowl recipe. The recipe for the tofu and the miso sauce is below in the recipe section. Also, one of the key ingredients is the Roasted Seaweed and black sesame seeds.

IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE, GIVE THESE OTHER ASIAN-INSPIRED RECIPES A TRY!

vegan poke bowl
Yield: 4 servings

Vegan Poke Bowl Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Plant-based vegan poke bowls are easy to make and much cheaper at home than at a restaurant. Make your own creative concoction or try this one; you will love it.

Ingredients

TOFU/MARINADE

  • 15.5 ounces of extra firm tofu
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar or lime juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped or finely grated
  • 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

MISO DRESSING FOR BOWL

  • 3 Tablespoons miso paste
  • 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon low sodium Tamari sauce
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • Sprinkle of red pepper chili flakes (optional)

GARNISH

RAW VEGETABLES AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 head Romaine lettuce, cut and shredded
  • 1 head live lettuce, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup pickled red onions, or raw red onions, sliced thin
  • 8 radishes, sliced into thin coins
  • 1 large cucumber, cut into thin coins
  • 3 carrots, shredded
  • 1 avocado, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup kimchi, squeezed and drained

Instructions

TOFU

BAKING METHOD:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Follow directions for pressing tofu The Perfect Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, or Cooking in a Skillet, Baking, or Cooking in a Skillet.
  3. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

GRILLING METHOD

  1. First, to grill the perfect tofu on the grill, pre-heat the grill to medium or 400 degrees.
  2. Then, arrange the tofu directly on the grill for a total of 20 minutes, flipping four times to get the pretty grill marks.
  3. Next, I return the tofu to the container to soak up more marinade.
  4. At this point, you have two choices; cut it in cubes now and use it, or put it in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

TOFU MARINADE

  1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender
  2. Pour marinade over tofu in a storage container or plastic bag and seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. I marinate mine overnight.

COOKING TOFU

  1. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silicone Baking Mat.
  2. Drain excess marinade into a different container
  3. Bake tofu for 15 minutes, turn it over with a spatula and cook for another 15 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
  5. Then,  put the cooked tofu back into the container with the excess marinade.
  6. Toss
  7. Place tofu in the center, not op of the rice

MISO DRESSING FOR THE VEGAN POKE BOWL

  1. In a high-speed blender, blend all the ingredients.
  2. Drizzle over salad, tofu, and rice

GARNISH

  1. Top with cut strips of  Roasted Seaweed. Or you can cut a Nori sheet of seaweed.
  2. Sprinkle the bowl with black sesame seeds

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Nutrition Information

Yield

4 servings

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 313Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 1mgSodium 462mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 13gSugar 19gProtein 11g

Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Kathy Carmichael
Cuisine: Asian / Category: Entrees
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