Vegan Tofu Poke Bowl Recipe

Photo by Eiliv-Sonas Aceron on Unsplash

Vegan Tofu Poke Bowl Recipe

A poke bowl is traditionally comprised of cut-up cubes of raw fish (usually tuna or salmon) served on a bed of rice with crunchy veggies and a delicious dressing.

If you are a fan of poke, this is a vegan twist on the Hawaiian classic.

Let’s get to the recipe!

This recipe serves 4 people.

Note: If you want to save time with this recipe, you could cook the rice and prepare the crispy tofu in advance.

Ingredients for the rice

• 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (or a similar quantity of quinoa, buckwheat, or rice noodles)
• Water and salt

Ingredients for the crispy tofu

• 7 ounces firm tofu
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil, separated
• 4 garlic cloves
• Half bunch scallions, or one small onion, sliced
• 10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

Ingredients for the poke bowl toppings

Use a mixture of 3 or 4 of your favorite raw veggies and other foods, such as:

• Sliced cucumber
• Spiralized (or thinly sliced) carrots or zucchini
• Edamame beans
• Shredded purple cabbage
• Sliced radishes
• Slices of avocado
• Orange slices

Ingredients for the dressing

• 1/4 cup nut butter (almond or peanut works well) or tahini
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon miso paste
• 1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, xylitol, or another sweetener
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon sriracha or another type of chili sauce, or chili powder (optional)
• Water, if desired, to adjust the consistency

Optional serving ingredients

• Crushed roasted peanuts
• Sesame seeds
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh limes, quartered

Method

First, cook your rice according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

While the rice cooks, drain the tofu using a Tofu press. Otherwise, you can wrap it in a towel and put it in a colander with a weight on top. Once it has drained, pat it dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Cut the tofu into cubes and coat it with the turmeric.

While the tofu is marinating in the turmeric, prepare the poke bowl veggies, slicing, and dicing where needed. Set the veggie toppings aside.

Now it’s time to prepare the crispy tofu.

Using 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a skillet or wok, sauté the garlic and scallions or onion for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Now add the other tablespoon of oil to the skillet and brown the tofu cubes on all sides. As soon as the tofu is crispy, remove it from the skillet and set it aside.

Sauté the mushrooms in the skillet with any remaining oil (you won’t need to add more). Add the crispy tofu and deglaze the skillet with the soy sauce. Stir till everything is nicely mixed.

To make the sauce, blend all of the sauce ingredients in a blender till smooth. You may wish to add water, depending on how thin you want your sauce to be.

Assembling your poke bowls

To assemble your poke bowls, divide the rice between 4 bowls and fill each one.

Top the rice with an assortment of veggie toppings, with each kind of vegetable in its own ‘section.’ Leave room for the crispy tofu.

Serve your poke bowls with the sauce on the side, as well as any optional serving ingredients, and enjoy!

Poke bowl FAQs

Can I use other kinds of rice?

Any kind of rice is delicious in a poke bowl, so experiment to see what you prefer. Sushi rice, wild rice, or brown rice are all possibilities.

What can I do with the leftovers?

Leftover poke ingredients will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to keep the sauce separate from the rice so that it doesn’t get mushy.

Any leftover poke sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 6 days. If it thickens (as it probably will because of the oil in the nut butter), just add a little water before serving.

How can I save time with this recipe?

In addition to making your rice or crispy tofu in advance (see above), you could make a large quantity of crispy tofu and then freeze it. Tofu freezes quite well and will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

You can even freeze tofu before cooking it for an extra-chewy texture.

The rice doesn’t have to be hot, either. Cold or room-temperature rice is just as delicious, so your tofu poke bowl could also serve as a packed lunch.

And if you are really in a hurry, you could always buy pre-cooked or smoked tofu, drain it, cut it into cubes and use it right away.