Poke Bowl with Toasted Sesame
Why this recipe works
- Balanced textures: Warm seasoned rice, soft salmon, creamy avocado and crisp cucumber create a bowl that feels fresh but substantial.
- Clean savoury flavour: Soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil add salt, acidity and nuttiness without overpowering the salmon.
- Fast assembly: Once the rice is cooked and lightly cooled, the toppings only need slicing and arranging.
Get the most out of this recipe
Timing notes
- Serve promptly: Assemble the bowls just before eating so the salmon stays glossy, the avocado stays fresh and the nori keeps some texture.
- Cool the rice slightly: The rice should be warm rather than hot before the toppings are added; excessive heat can soften the fish and avocado.
Ingredient notes
- Use suitable salmon: Choose salmon sold as sashimi-grade or suitable for raw consumption, and follow food safety advice for anyone more vulnerable to foodborne illness.
- Pick firm-ripe avocado: A ripe but firm avocado slices cleanly and holds its shape in the bowl.
- Finish with sesame and nori: Roasted sesame seeds bring nuttiness and light crunch, while nori adds a savoury marine note.
Make-ahead tips
- Keep components separate: If preparing ahead, store the rice and toppings separately in the fridge and assemble shortly before serving.
- Best eaten fresh: This bowl is at its best on the day it is made; the fish, avocado and nori lose quality after assembly.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the sushi rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Tip into a saucepan with enough water to cover by about 2 cm, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the rice to a bowl and drizzle over the rice vinegar. Fold gently to coat and cool the rice a little so it is warm rather than hot.
- Cut the salmon into bite-size cubes and place in a bowl. Stir through the soy sauce and sesame oil, then set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
- Halve the cucumber lengthways and slice. Halve and stone the avocado, then slice the flesh. Thinly slice the spring onion and snip the nori into thin strips.
- Divide the rice between two bowls and arrange the salmon, cucumber and avocado on top. Sprinkle generously with the roasted sesame seeds, then finish with spring onion and nori. Serve straight away.
Recipe notes
Tips
- For the best texture, let the rice cool until just warm before topping, so the salmon stays fresh and glossy.
- If serving to pregnant people, young children, the elderly, or anyone immunocompromised, use salmon that has been properly frozen for raw consumption or briefly sear the outside before cubing.
Substitutions
- Replace rice vinegar with white wine vinegar for a slightly sharper, less sweet finish.
- Replace soy sauce with light soy sauce for a cleaner, salt-forward dressing.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 1 days
- Best assembled and eaten straight away. If needed, keep the rice and toppings separate in the fridge and assemble just before serving; eat within 24 hours.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 2 bowls
- Total time: 25min (20min active)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cuisine: Fusion
-
Allergens:
Fish Sesame Soybeans
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