Name: Poke Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Ingredients: 1/4 teaspoon ginger, minced or grated; 3 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce (sub Tamari for gluten-free); 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil; 1 teaspoon coconut sugar; 2 teaspoons garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon lime juice; 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil; 4 handfuls romaine lettuce, chopped; 6-8oz sushi grade ahi tuna, cubed; 1 avocado, cubed or sliced; 1 cup mango, diced; 1/2 cup carrot, julienned or shaved; 1 cup cucumber, sliced and quartered; 1/2 cup edamame; (optional) 2-4 jalapeno, sliced; 2 tablespoons nori sheets, crushed; 1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds; 1 cup fried wonton strips

Published on 08/04/23

by Erin

This light & refreshing Poke Salad is full of real, simple ingredients, like fresh tuna, edamame, mango, romaine lettuce, crispy wonton strips, and a homemade sesame ginger dressing! A flavorful Asian-inspired salad that is perfect for supper time on a busy weeknight.

Bowl of poke salad with mango, avocado, carrots, edamame, jalapeno and a small bowl of sauce.

The Best Poke Salad

When the temperature starts getting warm outside in the early spring and summer, there is simply nothing better than a fresh summer salad. Especially when it doesn’t involve any actual cooking. The best time to fix this poke salad is definitely in the summer!

It is a spin on a classic tuna poke bowl, that you might see on some restaurant menus, or similar to a deconstructed sushi roll. Such an easy way to enjoy all those delicious sushi flavors but tossed in a bowl with so many fresh ingredients. We love making these poke salads for a quick lunch or dinner option! They really hit the spot and wake-up your taste buds!

If you are feeling a bit more ambitious, we highly recommend trying our Sushi Burritos! They are so fun!

What You Will Need

sesame ginger salad dressing – in the recipe card below we listed the ingredients for this easy poke salad dressing, but you can also pick-up a store-bought dressing if you want.
sushi-grade tuna – typically your local grocery store will carry raw tuna steaks or you can find a seafood store near you.
romaine lettuce – we love using this crisp green lettuce in our salad, but feel free to use your favorite lettuce. Bonus points if you find grab some from the local farmers market!
avocado, mango, julienne carrots, & edamame – fresh salad toppings that are perfect for this salad! Option to sub for other salad ingredients that you love.
seaweed sheets – these are typically called nori sheets and are great for having some of those sushi flavors.
sesame seeds – just sprinkle a few on top!
wonton strips – great for some added crunch and has become one of our unexpected pantry staples for tossing on salads.
optional: jalapeño slices for a little bit of a kick, there are so many different ways to top your final dish.

How To Make A Poke Salad

The first steps to making this easy recipe are to mix-up the homemade salad dressing. Just place all of the ingredients in a mason jar, secure the lid on top, and shake. Or you can whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

Two images showing the sesame ginger dressing ingredients in separate bowls and then mixed together in a mason jar.

Next, cut the thawed tuna steak in to 1-inch chunks and prepare all of the pieces of the salad. Pro tip: if you have frozen tuna, just run it under cold water for a few minutes and then pat dry.

Once you have everything chopped and ready to go it is time to assemble the salad. Divide all of the salad ingredients into two large bowls and top them any way you want.

A tuna poke salad in a white bowl with a small bowl of dressing.

Drizzle that dressing on top and enjoy!

Pro Tip: feel free to use our Poke Sauce to marinate your tuna before use!

A hand pouring the sesame ginger dressing over the poke salad.

Recipe FAQ

History: this traditional popular appalachian dish got it’s name from a recipe that used to be made with a pokeweed plant (also know as poke sallet and was inspired by a hit song called, “Polk Salad Annie”). The poke leaves can be a toxic weed, if not prepared correctly. It is prevalent in Southern Appalachia and is basically the process of tossing leafy greens in a piping-hot dressing resulting in wilted leaves or “killed lettuce”. Currently, in the United States a lot of people know a poke salad to be similar to this recipe.
Variations: if you are looking to change it up, you can try sushi-grade salmon instead of tuna. Or use some imitation crab or seared tuna steaks! We also have a delicious tuna poke bowl recipe if you prefer to use rice as the base.
Meal Prep: this can easily be done by getting all the chopping done ahead of time. Just store separately in the fridge in an airtight container and assemble when you are ready to serve them. The easy dressing can also be made ahead of time. Just give it a mix before serving.
Dressing: option to make a double batch of the salad dressing if you like it extra saucy!

Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!

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