An easy, fresh, and light vegan tofu poke bowl recipe made with avocado and tofu. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and packed with vibrant plants and wholesome ingredients! 

Why You’ll Love This Tofu Poke Bowl

Today I’m sharing another recipe-but-not-really recipe for this Easy Vegan Poke Bowl. It’s a vegan take on the popular, Hawaiian, traditional Poke Bowls, typically made with raw fish (ahi tuna), and makes for a fresh, vibrant, and light meal. After I shared this photo on Instagram, there were so many requests for a “recipe” so that’s exactly what I have for you! This vegan option is such a flavorful dish that makes a healthy lunch or dinner, and is easy to throw together! 

With this recipe, I highly recommend you play around and modify it as you see fit. The ingredients don’t matter too much, except for a few key flavor makers which I’ll call out. If a specific ingredient I used doesn’t appeal to you or perhaps isn’t accessible to you, feel free to swap it out for another similar ingredient. The beauty of poke bowls is that you can really make them with whatever you have on hand. In fact, my original Instagram post was inspired by my winter trip to Thailand, during which my family ate many poke bowls. The little spot we went to was a customizable poke bowl spot, so each day we had a different delicious blend of ingredients in our bowls and it never got old.

The primary 2 ingredients I’d recommend not swapping out are seaweed salad and nori sheets. Seaweed salad is typically seasoned with sesame oil and other ingredients that really add a Japanese flavor to the bowl. Nori, of course, does the same and also adds a “fishy” flavor to the bowl without the use of fish. The rest is really up to you, but I’d recommend sticking with veggies like shiitake mushrooms, okra, and other Asian veggies. For the base, you can play around with adding brown rice, using different kinds of salad greens, or even swapping for quinoa/other grains. Like I said, you can really tweak this to suit your taste!

This tofu poke bowl is just as easy as Buddha bowls or nourish bowls because the idea is just to chop things up and toss them in a bowl. If you’re in a rush or just want to get rid of random ingredients in your fridge, this is a great “recipe” to opt for.

Ingredient Notes

• avocado
• extra-firm tofu: Roughly 1/3 of a package of tofu cut into cubes and prepared your favorite way or simply toasted with sesame oil + tamari.
• seaweed salad
• shelled edamame
• sheet or plain nori
• white & black sesame seeds
• mini cucumbers
• additional tamari
• mixed salad greens
• Optional: red chili flakes, brown rice, green onions, and/or Japanese 7-spice.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Begin by preparing your tofu by cubing it into 1-2 inch cubes. Drain any excess water from the tofu with paper towels, a kitchen towel, or a tofu press. 
2. Pan fry (in a large skillet over medium heat) or bake in the oven with 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce equivalent, 1 tbsp water, 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 tsp rice vinegar or your favorite marinade. Sometimes, I’ll just add plain baked tofu cubed when I’m short on time.
3. Divide ingredients between two bowls, starting with salad greens, diced mini cucumbers, edamame, seaweed salad, avocado cubed, and finally tofu.
4. Add toasted black and white sesame seeds and shredded nori to the top of the bowls.
5. If you want something a little heartier, toss in brown rice. For more flavor, use additional tamari or soy sauce, chili flakes, or shichimi togarashi to top.

Secrets to Success

• If you want something a little heartier, you can toss in brown rice or sushi rice. You can also make this over a bed of rice and top it with fresh veggies and greens. 
• For more flavor, use additional tamari or soy sauce, chili flakes, or shichimi togarashi to top.
• These bowls make an excellent make-ahead meal prep option. I recommend storing the ingredients separately in airtight containers, then reheating and assembling them when ready to eat. 
• As with most bowls and salads, you can add or omit ingredients as needed. Feel free to add additional fresh vegetables like bell peppers, radishes, edamame, carrots, green or red cabbage, red onions, and more! Make this dish your own. 
• For best results, I recommend using extra firm tofu. Remove any excess water with kitchen towels or a paper towel to get extra crispy tofu. 

Serving & Storage Tips

Divide ingredients between two bowls, starting with salad greens, diced mini cucumbers, edamame, seaweed salad, avocado cubed, and finally tofu. Top with toasted black and white sesame seeds and shredded nori to top. If you want something a little heartier, toss in brown rice. For more flavor, use additional tamari or soy sauce, chili flakes, or shichimi togarashi to top.

Store leftover ingredients in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat/assemble when ready to serve. 

More Tofu Recipes

Crispy Garlic Sesame Tofu Sticks

Healthy Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Vegan Peanut Curry with Smoked Tofu

Korean Braised Tofu

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!

Love & light,