Edamame Poke Bowl

Making an edamame poke bowl right at home is easy and so delicious! This plant-based bowl recipe includes protein-packed edamame tossed in a sweet and savory poke sauce served over rice, cucumber, pineapple, beets and avocado. Great for lunch or dinner, very versatile, meal-prep friendly and 100% vegan.

You should make this Hawaiian-style edamame poke bowl next time you crave a fresh, healthy and colorful vegan bowl that has a delicious Island flavor.

I have these vegan poke bowls on the blog already: oven-baked portobello poke bowl and marinated tomato quinoa poke bowl that are already amazing and loved by so many.

And since it is summer right now, I was looking for another fresh vegan poke recipe option to share with you guys, so I made this delicious Hawaiian-style edamame poke bowl recipe!

This is a vegetarian poke bowl, meaning that there is no fish involved, although I promise you won't be missing the meat at all.

The edamame beans are tossed in the best homemade poke sauce and provide a super pleasant hearty bite to your bowl. Edamame also makes this bowl ULTRA packed with plant-based protein, making your meal super satisfying and filling.

But the best part might be the sweet gingery poke sauce that's super easy to make and absolutely addictive: the sauce infuses the beans but also the rice and veggies underneath, making the whole dish savory and full of flavor.

Also included are beets, cucumber, pineapple, rice and avocado, although poke bowls are super versatile and easy to customize with so many other ingredients. I also made a speedy spicy mayo sauce to drizzle over the bowl, which I highly recommend you to do as well for an added layer of creaminess.

And if you already have cooked rice ready to-go (see my tips below!), then this bowl should be ready within 15 minutes!

Hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️

Why this recipe works

• Easy and quick recipe
• Healthy and packed with fiber & plant-based protein
• Very satisfying and filling
• Can be meal-prepped ahead
• Vibrant bowl filled with appetizing colors
• Delicious meat-free alternative to traditional poke bowls
• Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and can be made gluten-free

What is poke?

Poke is an Hawaiian dish usually made out of fresh fish enjoyed raw and tossed in a simple Asian-inspired soy-sauce based dressing. It sometimes also includes Hawaiian onions, sesame oil and seaweed, but the poke recipe varies a lot.

Poke actually means "cut crosswise into pieces" and it refers to the way fish is arranged to serve the poke. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack or part of a main dish.

This Hawaiian traditional dish became widely popular in North America around 2012 and now is more often served in a modern way as part of bowls called poke bowls. Poke bowls are served with rice and a large array of chopped ingredients, such as cucumber, green onion, fruit, edamame, lettuce, etc.

In this vegan poke bowl, the fish is omitted altogether and although far from being similar, the poke sauce is served with edamame instead of fish. The result is quite different but 100% plant-based, very nutritious and so tasty!

Edamame health benefits

Recently, I have been trying to find new ways to include edamame more in our diet because they are SO good for you and especially valuable if you are following a whole food plant based diet.

Did you know that edamame are an amazing source of plant-based protein? Only ½ cup of cooked shelled edamame (the recommended amount per bowl in this recipe) will give you about 10 gram of protein! If you add up the protein coming from the rice and other veggies from this recipe, then you will end up with a meal that's pretty high-in-protein.

But also, edamame soybeans are rich in healthy fiber, vitamins (especially vitamin C) and minerals, such as calcium and iron.

The trick is to always keep a bag of frozen edamame in your freezer: they are ready super quickly and will add a nice boost of nutrients to so many of your vegan meals!

Ingredients you'll need

• Edamame: you will need frozen edamame beans that are ideally already shelled. They are easy to find in most grocery stores in the frozen vegetable section. Frozen edamame usually are pre-cooked or blanched, making them even easier to cook with.
• Beets: I used already cooked red beets from the brand Love Beets that I found at Whole Foods Market, but I know this brand also is available in other stores too. You can also cook beets from scratch easily or omit if you don't have them.
• Pineapple: poke bowls are amazing paired with a sweet fruit, which goes well with the poke sauce. I love pineapple in poke, but mango is another classic fruit you might prefer.
• Cucumber: great fresh addition, I love small Persian cucumbers, but use any kind.
• Avocado: rich and creamy, avocado is a favorite in poke bowls!
• Rice: you can choose to make your bowl with traditional sushi sticky rice or for a boost in nutrients, then make it using brown rice. I used short grain brown rice and it was perfect!
• Spicy mayo: make your own spicy mayo in 2 min by whisking vegan mayo, sriracha to taste and a little soy sauce. You can also buy spicy mayo at the store if that's easier.
• Poke sauce: you will need soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic, fresh ginger and sesame oil to make it.
• Favorite toppings: green onions, peanuts and sesame seeds are great choice to add flavor and texture.

Don't have a specific ingredient listed above? Don't worry! There are so many ways you can build your poke bowl. Check out below for more variation ideas!

How to make a vegan edamame poke bowl

Cook the rice

The longest part definitely is to make the rice, so get started with that and even consider making it ahead.

I always use brown rice for bowls that I cook using my instant pot. It is so easy and mess-free, plus the rice is perfect every time. Here is a guide on how to cook brown rice using the instant pot that can help you. You can also cook brown rice on the stove.

I recommend to use SHORT grain brown rice, which has a similar shape and texture to a more traditional sushi rice.

Then, you can serve the cooked grain as is or season it before serving the same as you would season rice when making sushi. Check out my sweet potato sushi rolls recipe to see how I do this.

As a side note, feel-free to also use a classic white sticky sushi rice if you prefer!

Prepare the edamame poke

Transfer the frozen edamame in a bowl and cover with water. Then, thaw and cook for 5-7 minutes using the microwave (or until tender to your liking). Then, drain well.

Meanwhile, make the poke sauce by combining the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, sesame oil. Taste and add more sweetener for a sweet poke or a touch of sriracha for a spicy poke.

Then, combine the drained cooked edamame with the poke sauce and set aside.

Make the spicy mayo

In a bowl, whisk together some vegan mayo with as much sriracha sauce as you wish and a little soy sauce (optional). You can transfer the mayo in a squeezable bottle if you want.

Build the bowl

When ready to serve: add some rice to 2 bowls and then top with beets, cucumber, pineapple, avocado and the edamame poke. You can drizzle some of the poke sauce over the whole bowl as well and drizzle with the spicy mayo.

Garnish with green onions, peanuts and sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!

Helpful tips

• Cooking rice can take some time and honestly be a hassle sometimes when you are busy. If you are fully plant-based and eat rice a lot, then you can pre-cook bigger batch in the weekend to enjoy in bowls, salads, burrito wraps, etc all week. Rice can dry out and get stiff while resting in the fridge, but you can reheat the grain while they are soaking in water to help rehydrate it. For older rice that really got tough, I'll even boil the grain in plenty of water just for a few minutes then drain, just like pasta, and it usually does the trick!
• You can also keep some frozen cooked brown rice or microwavable cooked brown rice pouches in your pantry for the last minute meal. Those are life savers and can help you eat healthier on a regular basis.
• If you are looking for an oil-free recipe, then you can make the poke without the sesame oil and also, simply swap the vegan mayo for vegan yogurt and make your own vegan mayo using cashews.
• You should not eat edamame completely raw. But, most brands of frozen shelled edamame are blanched and won't need much cooking once thawed, but check on packaging to follow directives as needed.

Variations and serving suggestions

The beauty of poke bowls is that they are delicious no matter how you make them, they are so versatile! Similarly to buddha bowls, there are no rules when making poke bowls and you can use any ingredients you like or have on hands. It is fun to experiment and try new combinations every time you make them.

Poke bowls go especially great with fresh, vibrant and Asian-style ingredients. You can add some pickled veggies for more flavor and also include some sprouts or lettuce for added green too. Here are a few more ideas:

• Mango
• Radishes
• Coconut tofu
• Corn
• Shaved purple cabbage
• Shredded carrots
• Furikake seasoning
• Seaweed salad
• Broken nori sheet

Also, instead of using brown rice or sushi rice as the base, you could swap for quinoa (which is packed with protein and cooks faster than rice), barley, coconut rice or noodles (especially soba or ramen).

You can also play around with the sauce and swap the spicy mayo for a gochujang aioli or simply sriracha sauce for a spicier version. We love including finely sliced jalapeño too when we have them for a nice heat.

Plus, it's great to top with something crunchy or fresh, such as peanuts, sesame seeds, slivered almonds, fried onions, tempura breadcrumbs, etc.

FAQ's

More healthy bowls you might like

• Chimichurri bowls
• Greek marinated tofu bowls
• Mediterranean chickpea quinoa bowl
• Vegan fajita bowl
• Baked tofu teriyaki bowls
• Tofu buddha bowl with peanut sauce
• Rainbow salad bowl
• Falafel buddha bowl
• Vegan green nourish bowl
• BBQ chickpea bowl
• Mexican buddha bowl
• Vegan taco bowl
• Vegan vermicelli bowl

I hope you like this vegan edamame poke bowl recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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