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.
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.
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.
Drizzle that dressing on top and enjoy!
Pro Tip: feel free to use our Poke Sauce to marinate your tuna before use!
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!
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Poke Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 salads 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Description
Poke Salad – a flavorful and delicious poke salad recipe with homemade sesame ginger dressing! Perfect for a light lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
The Salad Dressing:
- 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
Salad:
- 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
Instructions
The Dressing:
- Add ingredients to a mason jar and cover tightly. Shake until fully combined. Alternatively, add ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Salad:
- Divide lettuce between 2 bowls followed by the tuna, avocado, mango, carrots, cucumber and edamame.
- Garnish with jalapeño slices, nori and sesame seeds.
- Add fried wonton strips on top.
- Pour as much dressing as desired over the top of the salad and enjoy!
Notes
- Optional Poke Sauce: if you want to toss in your sushi grade tuna in a quick sauce before adding it to your salad – we have an awesome Poke Sauce for you to try!
- Lettuce: feel free to use butter lettuce, ice berg lettuce, or any other type of lettuce you prefer here.
- Tuna: if you want to sub in some sushi grade salmon, go for it!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad
- Calories: 427
- Sugar: 18.7 g
- Sodium: 653.3 mg
- Fat: 16.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.6 g
- Protein: 31.1 g
- Cholesterol: 34.5 mg
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