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Healthy, colorful and refreshing, poke bowls are a popular food everywhere. Traditionally made with chopped raw fish, this Hawaiian delicacy can also be vegan.This summer, get creative with the abundance of colorful, fresh veggies and do it yourself.
Poke, pronounced po-KAY, is the Hawaiian word for slice. Poke is diced raw fish served with Hawaiian salt, seaweed, and roasted candlenuts, according to Spoon University. Once it became popular across North America and Europe, unique and innovative versions – including vegan – were soon created.
Outside of Hawaii, the recipe combines rice, Asian sauces, fusion cuisine vegetables, plus fish or a vegan substitute. This is a dish (or bowl) that no one can resist. A healthy twist replaces the white rice with cauliflower rice or quinoa, and adds seaweed salad. Here are five DIY vegan versions of the popular poke delicacy. Get creative!
Sweet Potato Poke
A vegan version from the blog A Farmgirl's Dabbles replaces the fish with roasted sweet potato cubes. This plant-based recipe uses brown rice for the bottom layer of the bowl, followed by lots of raw vegetables and sweet potato cubes, then topped with a peanut lime dressing. It is colorful and satisfying.
Watermelon Poke Bowl
A watermelon poke bowl is the ultimate in summer freshness! This no-grain poke bowl recipe from the Love & Lemons blog combines crisp and juicy watermelon chunks, cucumber, and macadamia nuts avocado served with a tamari-lime dressing.
Marinated Tofu Poke
This recipe from Nora Cooks uses tofu marinated in an Asian-style dressing. You can prepare the tofu pan fried, baked, or have it raw. Add rice or rice noodles, then top with a cucumber salad that has been drizzled with a wasabi mayo dressing. This is one refreshingly healthy summer dish!
Portobello Mushroom Poke
Swap out the fish for marinated chunks of Portobello mushrooms in this recipe from the blog Loving It Vegan. A true salad in a bowl, this recipe calls for lettuce, cucumber, plus Asian goodies including pickled ginger and beets. This is served with basmati rice, lime wedges, and a spicy mayo dressing.
