Tired of eating the same dishes every week during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was forced to get creative. I started experimenting in the kitchen, swapping ingredients and adjusting proportions again and again to make old dishes feel new. My love for sashimi led me to discover the poke bowl, which I made over and over again, finding it a simple dish with endlessly replaceable ingredients that saved me from pandemic-induced boredom.
The poke bowl’s versatility is rooted in a rich international history. Long before Captain James Cook reached Hawaii, Hawaiian fishermen served poke — cubed cuts of the day’s catch — with seasoning. Through centuries, different cultures have introduced different spins and ingredients to this dish. As a poke bowl aficionado of six years, I’ve ordered the dish in countless places, witnessing unique combinations that never fail to surprise and delight.
The recipe below is my own favorite take on the poke bowl. Staying true to its Hawaiian roots, I favor a sweet-and-sour sauce built on apple cider vinegar — though honey or maple syrup work just as well if you’d rather skip the vinegar. Though this version is my personal favorite, this recipe is meant as a starting point, not a rulebook. Feel free to adjust the seasoning or add or remove ingredients to your liking.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 1 to 2 bowls
Ingredients:
- 4 to 6 ounces sushi- or sashimi-grade salmon fillet
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 ripe mangoes, palm-size
- 1 small cucumber
- 2 tablespoons chopped green or sweet onion
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons of a sweetener — I use apple cider vinegar, but honey or maple syrup also work as great alternatives
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1 cup of cooked rice — I recommend bibigo's microwavable sticky white rice — it tastes home-cooked and is widely available, including at Harris Teeter
Instructions:
- Cut the salmon fillet against the grain into ½-inch cubes.
- Halve the avocado, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh. Cut into ½-inch cubes or mash if you prefer a creamier texture.
- Peel the mangoes and cut into ½-inch cubes.
- Peel the cucumber and cut into ½-inch cubes.
- Peel the onion and finely chop.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, sweetener and pepper. Taste and adjust to your preference.
- Heat the rice according to package instructions.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rice, salmon, avocado, mango, cucumber and onion. Pour the sauce over the top, toss gently to combine and serve.
Whether you’re feeding yourself on a busy weeknight or hosting a build-your-own poke bar, the dish scales up or down with almost no extra effort and caters to individual tastes. It is the perfect dish to personalize and adapt, letting the bowl evolve every time you make it.
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