Colorful Salmon Avocado Poke Bowl Recipe

Poke bowls have been a popular menu item at sushi restaurants in recent years, but they're not beyond the reach of a home cook with access to the right ingredients. "There are several things I like about this recipe," says developer Julianne De Witt of her salmon poke bowl. "It's easy to put together," she explains, adding that it also "has a lot of flavor and [is] customizable." What she means by this last statement is that you can vary the vegetables as you wish, using either raw or cooked ones. Fruit, too, is a possibility and she suggests that you can "Add mango or pineapple for some sweetness." As for the condiments, De Witt says, "I use Kewpie mayo here because the umami flavor works well with all the components of the poke bowl," but she allows that you can use another brand of mayonnaise if this is what you have on hand. She also suggests adding more sriracha to the mix if you'd prefer a spicier poke bowl.

While this recipe makes two servings, if you're dining solo De Witt advises that you reduce all of the ingredient amounts by half. "I would suggest making just the amount of poke you are planning to [eat]," she tells us, explaining that this is "because it's not going to keep for more than a day or so." She also notes that while the salmon itself is eaten chilled, the rice needs to be warm.

This recipe starts with salmon which is marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger. You'll also need sushi rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. As for the poke bowls themselves, De Witt uses edamame, avocado, cucumber, radishes, carrots, nori, sesame seeds, and scallions to make them and dresses the dish with a mixture of mayonnaise and sriracha.

Add sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger to a small bowl, and stir to combine.

Add sesame oil mixture to salmon and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, add rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stir, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, add the rice and water. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cook for 15-18 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed, and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat. Stir in the vinegar mixture. Keep rice warm.

Make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise and sriracha. Add more sriracha if desired.

Assemble the bowls. Divide rice between 2 large bowls. Top with salmon, edamame, avocado, radishes, cucumber, carrots, and garnish with sriracha mayonnaise, nori, sesame seeds, and scallions.

One important thing to note before you start shopping for the ingredients to make salmon poke bowls is that, as De Witt reminds us, "Sushi-grade salmon is a must for this recipe." While any kind of supermarket fish should be good to throw on the grill, bake, or pan-fry, only sushi-grade fish has been certified as being safe to consume raw.

De Witt also tells us, "I like to use sockeye salmon in this recipe because it's rich and has a firmer texture than other varieties of salmon," adding that it also "holds up well to marinating." If this variety isn't available, however, she notes that "Alaskan salmon would be another good option." De Witt also offers a tip that could be a potential time saver, telling us that if you buy your fish from a fish market, the vendor may be willing to remove the skin so you won't have to do it yourself.

If you're not lucky enough to have a cooperative fish seller who will remove the skin from your sushi-grade salmon, De Witt has some advice to offer here, too. She says that the way to do it is to "place the fish skin-side down on a cutting board and run the edge of a sharp knife between the skin and the salmon." (For your convenience, we have a guide to choosing the right type of knife for each task.) Her instructions continue: "Hold the loosened salmon skin in one hand and use the knife facing away from you to separate the skin from the fillet."

Not only must you skin the salmon, but you should also make sure it's free of little bones. "To locate the pin bones," says De Witt, "run your finger along the cut side of the fillet, then remove them with tweezers." Once the salmon is skin-and-bone-free, you may rinse it, pat it dry, and cut it up into bite-sized cubes before marinating it. De Witt cautions that you shouldn't keep the salmon in the marinade for any longer than 45 minutes, though, explaining that "otherwise it may start to break down." She also notes that you can put the scallions into the marinade if you prefer rather than saving them to add at the end.