Are you ready to go on a Hawaiian vacation, even if it's just in your bowl? This unexpected, fresh, and summery plant-based poke bowl is easy to make and is full of flavor. It's one you'll want to come back to again and again thanks to the compelling mixture of sweet, savory, salty, and spicy flavors.
Get ready to have your mind blown by this vegan poke bowl. Although classic poke uses fish, this version stars a very special, delightfully juicy Hawaiian ingredient in place of the fish. While certainly not traditional, I'm beyond excited to share this easy bowl meal with you. Can you guess what ingredient I've used to make this dish vegetarian, vegan, and full of plant-based nutrients?
A poke bowl is a traditional Hawaiian dish that combines marinated raw fish with a variety of other components (usually rice and vegetables). Poke in Hawaiian means "to slice" or "to cut", describing the way the fish is prepared; the fish is then marinated in a flavorful sauce and served raw.
Unfortunately for us plant eaters, poke bowls (which have become very trendy lately) are a no-go. I didn't want to miss out on the fun, so I decided to create a plant-based poke bowl that features an unexpected ingredient.
Although far from traditional, there are a lot of ways to make a plant-based poke bowl. I've seen them done with beets, watermelon, and papaya, all of which have a pink color to mimic the usual tuna. In my version, I wanted to focus more on taste rather than appearance, so the star of this no-fish poke bowl is juicy fresh pineapple. The pineapple gets marinated in a nutty, savory, slightly spicy sauce that yields a wonderful balance of flavor. If you've been looking for a vegan version of this popular dish, I think you're going to love this pineapple poke bowl.
Because pineapple is the star of this recipe, I like to use Maui Gold pineapples. They're fabulously fragrant, much juicier, sweeter, and less acidic than the pineapples you're probably used to getting. Although pineapples can sometimes be assertively acidic, the more mellow Maui Golds merge perfectly with the savory, spicy marinade.
Making this pineapple poke bowl is easy, but it does require some time for the pineapple to marinate. You'll just toss pineapple cubes with a dash of toasted sesame oil, paprika, salt, and cayenne, then let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. The end result is a seductive combination of sweet, nutty, savory, and spicy flavors that will surprise you with its complexity.
Other than marinating the pineapple, this plant-based poke bowl is easy since most of the components are raw. You'll just cook some black rice, then plate your beautiful bowl with colorful carrot ribbons, crisp cucumber slices, savory seaweed ribbons (to enhance the ocean flavors that usually come from fish), fresh sprouts, and crunchy macadamias.
There are a lot of ways you can change up this recipe to make it work for you. For the pineapple, feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne to your own tastes, making it as mild or as spicy as you like. You can also adjust the other ingredients as desired, including swapping the rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice, altering the veggies, or adding in any other components you enjoy alongside Hawaiian-inspired or Asian-inspired flavors (for example, pickled ginger, wasabi, sesame seeds, soy sauce, etc).
As written, the recipe here is for one hearty bowl, but you can easily multiply as needed to serve more people. If you're hosting a crowd, you can also set up a pineapple poke bowl bar, where everyone can assemble their own bowls.
Good news: this vegan poke bowl recipe is very make-ahead friendly. You can start marinating the pineapple up to a day ahead. You can also precook the rice and reheat it before adding it to the bowl. For the veggies, feel free to make the carrot ribbons, slice the cucumbers, and cut the nori into strips a few hours in advance. When you're ready to enjoy this healthy bowl meal, all you need to do is assemble.
Here's what you'll need for this pineapple poke bowl, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.
Whether you're a plant-based eater who has always longed to enjoy poke bowls or you're just looking for a fun new version to try, I think you're going to love this pineapple poke bowl. It features a compelling mixture of sweet, savory, nutty, salty, and spicy flavors that feels fresh and exciting. It also has a fabulous balance of chewy, crisp, juicy, and crunchy textures, so every bite is an adventure.
I'm already excited to make this nourishing bowl meal again and again all summer long. Pineapple really excels in savory dishes and especially alongside some heat, and this is definitely my new favorite way of using this special ingredient.
It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.
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Disclosure: This recipe has been developed through a paid partnership with Maui Gold. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.
Bursting with tropical flavors, this unexpected vegan poke bowl uses pineapple instead of the usual fish. You'll be amazed at how flavorful the pineapple becomes when marinated in a mixture of savory spices.
For the Pineapple
For the Poke Bowl
Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.
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