Poke bowls are “poking” up everywhere these days, and it’s time Kitchen Confessions jumps on the bandwagon, too! Poke (pronounced POH-keh) is a Hawaiian dish made from marinated chunks of raw fish (usually tuna), tossed together with rice and vegetables and topped off with an amazing sauce and then unlimited choices of garnishes and toppings. The big appeal in this mixture is how all of the different flavours and textures are packed into every single bite.
Big question: do you trust yourself handling raw fish? I definitely do not, so I simplified things by using smoked salmon (some people refer to it as lox), which is easy to find in the frozen fish section at any local grocery story. Smoke salmon tastes great, is pretty affordable, has a nice texture and minimizes the stress of dealing with raw fish — so it’s a win for me!
As with almost every recipe I put together, the poke bowl is totally customizable and can be made to fit everyone’s needs and wants; a bit of ingredient prep can make for a pretty quick dinner on a hot night — or even better, what about a poke party complete with a poke buffet? Before I use the word poke anymore, I’m going to break down the recipe for you:
Smoked Salmon ‘Poke’ Bowl
Step 1: The Base
Steamed rice
Soba noodles (pictured)
Vegetable zoodles (spiralized carrot, zucchini or daikon)
Step 2: The Sides
More vegetables: cucumber, cabbage, broccoli, get creative!
Step 3: The Poke
Smoked salmon, cut into slivers
Any other fish that you feel comfortable using
Try marinated tofu cubes for a vegetarian option
Step 4: The Sauce
Store bought Ponzu sauce (in the international aisles of grocery stores close to where soy sauce is)
Home-made Asian Vinaigrette (*recipe below)
Spicy mayo (store bought or easy to make by mixing a bit of sriracha with some mayo)
Step 5: The Garnish
Avocado, cilantro, sesame seeds, wasabi, pickled ginger, sliced green onion
*Asian Vinaigrette recipe:
1/3 cup light soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 tsp sriracha
1 ½ tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced ginger
Zest and juice of one large lime
Mix all ingredients in a mason jar and shake to combine. I often double this recipe because it keeps in the fridge really well and can be enjoyed with so many different things.
Once you’ve assembled all of the different “stations” grab a bowl and follow the steps to building your own poke bowl!