Vegan Poké Bowls

These Vegan Poke Bowls are a healthy plant-based riff on the Hawaiian classic. Made with tofu, massaged kale, and a creamy vegan dressing, these tofu poke bowls are a healthy and delicious meal bowl recipe.

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I first shared this recipe for Vegan Poké Bowls a few years ago after we spent a month on Kauai, and it has since been on regular rotation in our home. 

I love to prepare everything and then we assemble them family style. The kids love them (I called them Pokemon bowls, that might have something to do with it) especially since they could choose their own toppings.

Since my husband isn’t vegetarian, he often makes some seared tuna to top his bowl, and the kids mix and match. I think this makes a perfect dish for mixed-diet families like ours, and I’m sure they could be made to suit just about anyone’s preferences.

One change I really must insist you try, however, is the sesame dressing. Tahini-based and perfectly zippy, it’s like a vegan Sriracha mayo, and it is everything when drizzled on these bowls.

What is a poké bowl?

Poké bowls (pronounced like poke-ay) are all the rage right now, and with good reason. Poké comes from a verb in the Hawaiian language which means to slice, section, or cut. Traditionally it’s marinated raw fish, but these days anything goes.

The poké (cut up things) is layered over sticky rice and topped with vegetables and a tasty sauce. These vegan poké bowls are most definitely not traditional Hawaiian poké bowls, but they're delicious and I think that's what matters most. 

What’s in this vegan poke bowl recipe?

I’m willing to bet most of the ingredients are things you’ve already got on hand. Here’s what we’ve got going on:

• Rice --> we're going with short-grain brown rice today to make sushi rice.
• Rice vinegar –-> to season the rice.
• Tofu –-> I used a nice firm tofu.
• Massaged kale –->for a hefty dose of greens
• Mango –-> Adds tang!
• Cucumber --> Adds crunch!
• Radishes --> Adds bite!
• Edamame --> Another member of the protein squad.
• Avocado --> Because, obviously.
• Cilantro --> Optional, for the cilantro lovers in the house.
• Tahini dressing --> This is our vegan Sriracha mayo thing.
• Pickled ginger --> I like the fresh kick this adds. 
• Furikake sprinkles --> Optional, but delicious. You can also use sesame seeds.

How do you make poke bowls?

Hand on my heart, I’m telling you the single most difficult part of making these poke bowls is cooking the rice.

I used my Instant Pot to make a big batch of brown rice, and it was great because not only was the rice perfectly cooked, but I didn’t need to babysit it, so I was able to throw it on and take my kids out to the playground for a bit. (I used these instructions for Instant Pot Brown Rice)

Once the rice is cooked, I like to season it by lightly sprinkling with seasoned rice vinegar. This is optional, but delicious, so do what you will.

If you’re going to pan-fry your tofu, you can do this while the rice is cooking. But you can also totally leave the tofu plain and just toss it in the marinade.

To pan fry, cube the tofu and heat some oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan (I use olive oil, but sesame is also nice). Cook over a medium-high heat, turning the tofu cubes now and then, until they’re nicely browned on all sides.

Make the dressings

I used a homemade (and terribly inauthentic) ponzu dressing as the marinade for the tofu, and it's also what I used to massage the kale. 

The second dressing is the dreamy vegan Sriracha "mayo" that we're drizzling over our vegan poké bowls. This is simply a blend of tahini, lemon juice, garlic, agave, and Sriracha. 

Pro tip: If two dressings seems like a lot, by all means use a store-bought ponzu dressing to marinate the tofu. Or you can skip the tofu marinating altogether since you'll be drizzling with the tahini sauce, but I do find that it tastes pretty bland in that case. 

Cook the edamame

Cook the edamame beans according to package directions. I bring a pot of water to the boil, salt it generously, and add the beans. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes, then drain well.

Prep the veggies

This is where you get your poké on! Chop and slice your mango, cucumber, and radishes.

I recommend that you leave the avocado for the last minute, since it tends to go brown quite quickly. 

Now assemble your bowls!

You can see how I made them in the photos above.

Start with a bed of rice. Add a handful of massaged kale, then the tofu, vegetables, edamame, mango, and lastly the avocado.

Top with cilantro, furikake sprinkles, and a good drizzle of vegan sriracha mayo.

Can I make poke bowls in advance?

Rather than making the bowls in advance, I recommend you prepare the ingredients in advance and then assemble the bowls when you’re ready to serve.

You can batch cook the brown rice (related: batch cooking for beginners), tofu, edamame, and chop the vegetables. Only the avocado really needs to be prepped at the last minute.

I packed leftover poke bowls for my lunch, and by the end of the week the rice was getting quite dry and kinda meh, so I recommend adding fresh or batch cooked rice (from the freezer) when you make your bowls. 

Can I substitute x, y, or z?

Yes, yes, and yes! Your vegan poké bowls are only limited by your imagination.

Be sure to check out my post about how to make a meal bowl without a recipe for meal bowl tips, tricks, and inspiration. 

Hey Nutrition Lady, is brown rice healthy?

Did you know that the process of converting brown rice to white rice destroys 60 - 80% of the vitamins and minerals, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids? 

Think of white rice like cake, it's a special occasion food and should be eaten in moderation. Brown rice, on the other hand, is a whole food with a myriad of health benefits from colon health to cholesterol lowering! Brown rice is a source of dietary fiber, manganese, selenium, magnesium, and tryptophan. 

Other meal bowls you might enjoy:

Veggie Burger in a Bowl
Vegan Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls
Winter Vegetable Meal Prep Bowls
Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Bowls
Sriracha Tempeh Bowls
BBQ Tofu Bowls
Red Curry Stir Fry

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5 from 3 votes

Vegan Poké Bowls

These Vegan Poké Bowls are a healthy plant-based riff on the Hawaiian classic. Made with tofu, massaged kale, and a creamy vegan dressing, this is a healthy and delicious meal bowl recipe.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword Poké Bowls

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 594kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar optional
• ½ bunch lacinato kale destemmed and cut into thin ribbons
• 4 ounces firm tofu cut into cubes
• ½ medium cucumber sliced
• 4 radishes thinly sliced
• 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1 medium mango peeled and cubed
• 6 ounces edamame beans cooked according to package instructions

Ponzu Dressing:

• 2 ½ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoon honey or other liquid sweetener
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid aminos

Vegan Sriracha "Mayo"

• ¼ cup runny tahini paste
• ¼ cup water
• 2 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar or other liquid sweetener
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• First, prepare the rice. Sprinkle the cooked brown rice with rice vinegar and toss with a fork. Set aside while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients.
  2 cups cooked brown rice, 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• If desired, you can pan-fry the tofu. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet and fry, turning every couple of minutes, until the tofu is browned on all sides.
  4 ounces firm tofu
• Make the spicy sesame dressing. In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients, and whisk well. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired.
  ¼ cup runny tahini paste, ¼ cup water, 2 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon agave nectar, 1 teaspoon Sriracha, ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the ponzu sauce and whisk well. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
  2 ½ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 2 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger, 2 teaspoon honey, 2 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
• Place the shredded lacinato kale into a small bowl and spoon a bit of the ponzu dressing over top. Use clean hands to massage the dressing into the kale, and then set aside while you're prepping the rest of the ingredients.
  ½ bunch lacinato kale
• Place the cubed tofu into the bowl with the remaining ponzu dressing and let stand for 5 minutes, or as long as overnight.
• Cook the edamame beans according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  6 ounces edamame beans
• To assemble, first place the rice into two serving bowls. Arrange the marinated kale and tofu over top, followed by the remaining ingredients. Garnish with cilantro and furikake sprinkles if desired.
• To serve, drizzle generously with vegan Sriracha mayo. Enjoy!

Notes

• Nutrition values are an estimate only
• Prep time assumes the brown rice is already cooked.
• Ponzu dressing and marinated kale and tofu can be made up to a day in advance, as can the Sriracha mayo and the edamame beans. 
• If you're making this for packed lunches, leave the avocado off until ready to serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 746mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 7899IU | Vitamin C: 126mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 3mg

This recipe was originally published January 24, 2017. It was retested, rephotographed, and updated on February 4, 2020. Last edited and updated March 2, 2022.