These Vegetarian Poke Bowls are made with tofu, avocado and coconut brown rice. Unlike traditional Hawaiian poke, these take after the build-your-own poke bowl restaurants that are super popular. They're made with my favorite spicy mayo yum-yum sauce that's ultra addicting. It's the perfect recipe for easy lunches, meal prepping, and warm weather picnics.
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These tasty Vegetarian Poke Bowls are one of my favorite easy lunch recipes!
They're made with tofu, avocado, crisp vegetables, kimchi, and crunchy toppings. The whole thing is served over coconut brown rice with fresh spinach blended in for added greenness.
On top, my favorite spicy mayo yum-yum sauce is drizzled with a little bit of eel sauce, too.
If you like it even spicier, you can add a little more sriracha or some sambal oelek.
Since we're not using ahi tuna or another type of fish, I didn't want to take the traditional route with this recipe.
These bowls are inspired by the poke restaurants that take the build-your-own bowl approach.
And after eating about a million bowls from these kind of restaurants, I came up with my own variation that incorporates all of the best components.
It's crunchy, creamy, spicy, sweet and perfectly balanced.
And although this recipe is great for lunches and picnics, it's also a natural go-to for meal prepping.
If you go that route, just pack up the bowls as is but save the avocado for the day-of.
So let's get to it and build some of these tasty tofu rice bowls!
Ingredients - what you need
- Coconut Brown Rice
- Kimchi
- Edamame
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Tofu (or alternative protein)
- Spicy Mayo
- Eel Sauce
- Crunchy Chow Mein Noodles
- Fried Onions Bits
- Cilantro
How to make the Coconut Brown Rice
How to make the Coconut Brown RiceMaking Coconut Brown Rice is super simple.
To begin, measure out your rice and prepare 4 cups of brown rice according to the instructions. I typically do it in a rice cooker but stovetop or an instant pot would work too!
Once the rice is prepared, simply stir in 2 tablespoon of coconut oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
At this point, I like to toss my rice with spinach but you don't have to. It just adds another bit of healthy greens to your bowls which is always a plus in my book.
How to make the spicy mayo yum-yum sauce
I love how easy it is to make this spicy mayo yum-yum sauce.
All you need to do is combine mayonnaise, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic powder, and white sugar.
I typically use Kewpie Mayo because I feel like this amazing Japanese mayo makes everything better but you could use any variety.
Once the sauce is mixed up, you can decide if you'd like to add more sriracha for a little bit more spice.
How to build the bowl
This recipe makes 4 bowls which is great for a dinner party or meal prepping. If you're just making it for yourself and another person, then you can definitely cut the recipe in half.
If you're meal prepping, simply fill four meal prep containers and include everything but the avocado. Those will be added the day you plan on eating it.
Begin by equally dividing the coconut brown rice into bowls or containers.
Next, add a dollop of kimchi to each bowl followed by a few cucumbers, edamame, and a half of avocado.
Now add the tofu (or alternative protein) a drizzle of eel sauce and a drizzle of the spicy mayo.
If you can't find eel sauce where you live, you could definitely substitute it for teriyaki sauce.
Lastly, add a pinch of the crispy chow mein noodles and the fried onion bits for some crunch.
Both of these ingredients come pre-packaged at the grocery store.
Alternative protein options
I love using extra firm tofu for these bowls, but if you'd like to have another protein option, it's totally doable!
I recommend using diced ahi tuna like in the bowl above or diced salmon or barbecued shrimp.
If you don't like seafood, you could add teriyaki chicken, grilled steak, or some asian style pork belly.
What to pair it the tofu rice bowls with
For appetizers, I would serve this dish with my Vietnamese Egg Rolls, Chinese Cabbage Salad, or this Thai Noodle Salad.
If you'd like more inspiration for Asian main dishes, try these fun Asian Slaw Dogs, Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Bowls or this Thai Larb (Laab) Salad!
And if you'd like to save this recipe for later, pin it below!
Recipe Vegetarian Poke Bowls
Recipe
Vegetarian Poke Bowl with Tofu, Avocado and Coconut Brown Rice
Ingredients
For the Coconut Brown Rice
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Spicy Mayo Yum-Yum Sauce
- ½ cup mayo
- 2-3 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Vegetarian Poke Bowls
- Coconut Brown Rice
- ½ cup Kimchi
- 1 cup sliced cucumbers
- ⅔ cup cooked shelled edamame
- 2 avocados halved and sliced
- ½ block (14 oz) Extra Firm Tofu Pressed to remove excess moisture
- Spicy Mayo Yum-Yum Sauce
- Eel Sauce
- ½ cup Chow Mein Noodles La Choi
- ½ cup Crispy Fried Onion Bits
- ½ cup cilantro minced
Instructions
For the Coconut Brown Rice
- Prepare brown rice according the instructions then toss with baby spinach, coconut oil and kosher salt. Set aside.
For the Spicy Mayo Yum-Yum Sauce
- Combine mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, sugar, and garlic powder in a small bowl and mix to combine. Add more sriracha if you like things on the spicier end!
For the Bowls
- Distribute the Coconut Brown Rice into four bowls. Top each bowl with equal parts kimchi, cucumber, edamame, and avocado. Sprinkle avocado with salt.
- Next add tofu and a drizzle of eel sauce and the spicy mayo yum-yum sauce.
- Top the bowls with crunchy asian noodles, fried onion bits and cilantro.
