Learn how to make a plant based version of Maguro Donburi (Tuna Sashimi Rice Bowls) with tomatoes! This tomato 'tuna' bowl is easy, refreshing and perfect for the summer.
If there’s one thing I miss the most since going vegan, it’s def fish. Sashimi rice bowls were a summer time fav especially when we visited Japan in smack middle of summer … when it was h o t. 😵💫
🍅 Inspired by a tomato tuna poke bowl I had awhile back, I used a similar concept for these tomato ‘tuna’ rice bowls!
🍚 There are two styles of tuna rice bowls: zuke don & tekka don. Zuke don has marinated tuna pieces over white rice and tekka don is not marinated but served over sushi vinegared rice. So if you prefer a sushi-style bowl you can mix in some sushi vinegar and have sauce on the side.
Ingredients (+Substitutions) for Tomato 'Tuna'
The ingredients used are very simple and similar to what would be used for traditional tuna sashimi bowls! If you cannot have alcohol, you can omit it but please take note that the flavour will change.
- Roma Tomatoes: Are smooth skinned and long in shape, perfect for making tuna-like shapes.
- Soy Sauce: For umami and flavour. Substitute tamari for gluten free.
- Sake: Helps remove some of that tomato-ey flavour and for flavour. However, it can be omitted.
- Mirin: For a bit of sweetness and flavour. Substitute with ¼ amount of sugar if needed.
- Neutral oil: Gives it some fattiness and texture.
- Rice vinegar: For flavour.
- Kombu dashi granules: Gives it seafood flavour.
- Nori (seaweed): Again for seafood-like flavour.
To serve, you'll also need some cooked rice, scallions, toasted sesame seeds and more nori.
How to Make Tomato Tuna
- Make marinade: Add soy sauce, mirin, sake, rice vinegar, neutral oil and kombu dashi granules to a shallow dish and mix to combine.
- Cook tomatoes: Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, score the top of the tomatoes and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the tomatoes to the pot and cook for 45-60 seconds or until you see the peel slightly coming off. Rotate the tomatoes so that it heats evenly while boiling. Do not overcook. Remove the tomatoes and add to the ice water.
- Skin & cut: Once cooled, peel the skin off the tomatoes. Slice into half and then into quarters. You should have a total of 8 pieces (or 10-12 if you have a large tomato). Remove the inside using a kiwi spoon or melon ball scooper. You should have a total of 200-240g of tomato flesh.
- Marinate: Add the tomatoes to the marinade. Then add ripped pieces of nori on top and mix. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or preferably overnight).
- Serve: When ready, add cooked rice into a bowl and top with nori. Optionally, you can slice the edges of the tomatoes to give it a more tuna-like appearance. Place pieces of tomato tuna over the nori rice and then top with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with a side salad and miso soup, and enjoy!
Serve alongside a fresh salad and miso soup for a complete refreshing meal!
More vegan seafood recipes to try:
- Vegan Unagi Donburi
- Vegan 'Salmon' Teriyaki
- Oyster Mushroom Kaki Fry (Fried Oysters)
- Vegan Oyster Sauce
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
If you recreate this Vegan Tomato 'Tuna' Sashimi Bowl recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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Vegan 'Tuna' Tomato Rice Bowls
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Description
Learn how to make a plant based version of Maguro Donburi (Tuna Sashimi Rice Bowls) with tomatoes! This tomato 'tuna' bowl is easy, refreshing and perfect for the summer.
Ingredients
Tomato 'Tuna'
- 2 medium roma tomatoes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (30ml)
- 4 tsp sake (20ml)
- 4 tsp mirin (20ml)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (15ml)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (5ml)
- 1 ½ tsp kombu dashi granules (7g)
- 1 sheet nori
For Serving
- cooked rice
- scallions
- roasted sesame seeds
- nori
Instructions
- Make marinade: Add soy sauce, mirin, sake, rice vinegar, neutral oil and kombu dashi granules to a shallow dish and mix to combine.
- Cook tomatoes: Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, score the top of the tomatoes and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the tomatoes to the pot and cook for 45-60 seconds or until you see the peel slightly coming off. Rotate the tomatoes so that it heats evenly while boiling. Do not overcook. Remove the tomatoes and add to the ice water.
- Skin & cut: Once cooled, peel the skin off the tomatoes. Slice into half and then into quarters. You should have a total of 8 pieces (or 10-12 if you have a large tomato). Remove the inside using a kiwi spoon or melon ball scooper. You should have a total of 200-240g of tomato flesh.
- Marinate: Add the tomatoes to the marinade. Then add ripped pieces of nori on top and mix. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or preferably overnight).
- Serve: When ready, add cooked rice into a bowl and top with nori. Optionally, you can slice the edges of the tomatoes to give it a more tuna-like appearance. Place pieces of tomato tuna over the nori rice and then top with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with a side salad and miso soup, and enjoy!
Notes
- Helpful Equipment:
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Category: entree
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: vegan, japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: vegan fish, tomato tuna, vegan sashimi
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Mieko says
I have given this recipe 5 stars already, even though I will just try it today! It looks sooo good! All your recipes are a win, I've tried the unagui eggplant and the teriyaki tofu, along with the homemade soy milk and I enjoyed them greatly! I hope I nail this "tuna" bowl and I will post it on IG to tag you!
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Mieko
★★★★★
Haley Liu says
I can’t stop making her food… it’s too good 🤤 this recipe was amazing! Simple and yet so delicious!
★★★★★
Rachel says
This recipe was so easy and so delicious! It didn’t taste anything like tomatoes, and the texture was so similar to fish. I didn’t have any sake but it still turned out awesome! Even my super picky dad loved it which is awesome 🙂
★★★★★
Charlotte says
I made it because I was curious and needed a tummy friendly recipe. When the first slice of tomato hit my tongue, I went “oooh that’s the bomb.”
Delicious, easy, and refreshing. Plus perfect for peeps like me with IBS. 👌🏻
★★★★★
Doma says
Tried the recipe today and it tastes so good. Quick, easy and delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Kristin says
Easy and delicious. Perfekt for a busy workday. I really like to try your recipes. I'm looking forward for dinner today because I will try your chicken drumsticks. 🙂
Thank you for your work.
Greetings from Germany 🙂
★★★★★
JoyLoveEat says
This recipe is sooo good!!!! I can’t even explain. I made a little bit of a revision and made it like a poke bowl. Such a hearty and yet at the same time a refreshing dish. I’ll be trying out her eggplant unagi recipe next. Thank you Lisa for sharing your recipes! Heart heart!
★★★★★
Yvie says
This is INSANE! Seriously does not taste like tomatoes! Absolutely delicious and super easy to make! I’m so happy that I made 3x the recipe!!!
★★★★★
Alice says
This is definitly a 5 stars recipy!! I can't decide if the unagi eggplant or the vegan tuna bowl is my favorite dish now. I love them both so much. I am completly in love with your recipies. The ones I trued so far are all doable and unbelievable tasty! I am greatfull for all your ideas, inspiration and motivation. Thank you for sharing the vegan optimized recipies 🙂
★★★★★
Lana says
This recipe is amazing!
This is very simple and quick! I ate it with simple withe rice and extra soy sauce, nilgiri, sushi, or even with a bowl of rice of my smushed onigiri 😅. It so perfect and I will repeat it all the time for my lunchbox 😊
★★★★★
Wendy M says
I literally ate this for lunch and dinner. It was super easy to make and absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to make this again! Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe!
★★★★★
Bonghee Kang says
I have tried fresh coconut with wasabi and soy (it tastes like Tuna!), but this definitely is a dish I’ll continue to go back to for more. As said, my only mistake was ripeness and the boiling time which I lacked in “texture” but next time…I can already taste it! Thank you For all the innovating menus.
★★★★★
GETSUDA says
This recipe is so simple yet delicious! Tastes exactly like tuna without using any real fish thanks to all the seaweed seasonings. Next time I will try to cook the tomatoes a little more so that the texture will better resemble tuna. It’s definitely a 5/5 recipe for me!
★★★★★
Tabtim says
Absolutely amazing!! 10/10 can’t recommend enough 😍😍 all of the recipes here are soo delish!
★★★★★
Rachel says
Lisa, you brilliant woman, this is delicious. I had only half the ingredients needed for the marinade but decided to try it anyway. It is divine, I cannot stop eating it. Thank you, thank you!!!
★★★★★
Shelli says
I wish I could give this 10 stars out of 5!!! This is a phenomenal dish that’s so easy &&&& bursting with flavor! I’ve now made 2 batches and had 4 servings and am currently craving it 😆
★★★★★
Brian Hendricks says
Absolutely one of the best vegan “fish” recipes I’ve tasted. The texture and flavor were spot on. Additionally, I’m not much of an uncooked tomato fan, but I would eat this again in a heartbeat. Can’t wait to try more!
★★★★★
Francesca says
Soooo good and easy! I was shocked when I took the first bite, it really tastes like raw tuna. I will do this recipe over and over again.
★★★★★
Jessica says
Simply wonderful! As usual <3
★★★★★
Annika says
So simple, so delicious and so genius.
★★★★★
Melissa says
Amazing!! So simple to make & sooo soso yummy:) & tomato is much easier to cut than ahi!
★★★★★
Kitchensinksoda says
SO refreshing and easy to make!
★★★★★
Jessica says
Amazing recipe! Very delicious 🙂 easy instructions to follow as week
★★★★★
Limmy says
So glad to find this ridiculously easy recipe as a person who used to love sushi. It DID have the seafood flavor and I was like “this is interesting and tastes good with wasabi!” Will definitely try it again:)
★★★★★
Ana says
Omg.. this recipe is amazing.
I don't know how Lisa is coming up with this ideas but you'll never look at tomatoes the same way again after this.
★★★★★
Agnes says
I loved this recipe so much! It realy tastes like tuna! 😍😍😍
★★★★★
Jo says
So good
★★★★★
Naomi says
Loved it! Was impressed how 'fishy' it was and how tomato-ey it wasn't! This is about to be my go to marinade when I'm craving seafood!
★★★★★
Francesca says
Always been a fan of tomatoes! This recipe makes them shine 🙌🏻 keep up the good work Lisa!
★★★★
Anna says
This is so much easier than most vegan fish recipes I've seen. I've eaten it on a donburi, slapped it on a bagel with some Tofutti... Can't wait to mix it into a spicy mayo thing and make myself an onigiri. Brilliant as always!
★★★★★
snax says
so easy.
so quick to prep and have ready.
so freakin delicious.
10/10
thanks Lisa, you’re a genius! <3
★★★★★
Francesca says
Always been a fan of tomatoes! They really glow in this recipe😍 you're amazing Lisa
★★★★★
Phuong says
I’m not vegan, but I’m always looking for fun ways to eat veggies. This was yummy and so refreshing! Thank you!
★★★★★
Gokcency says
I followed some tomato tuna recipes before but this one is honestly the best take on it. I marinade might seem a bit strong at first but trust the process since it balances out the rice perfectly.
★★★★★
Hannah says
Super easy and fun recipe. Definitely a crowd wower, and great alternative for vegans who miss the texture of fish!
★★★★★
Tracy Dinh says
"WOW!" was the only thing that came out of my mouth when i made this. So easy, so refreshing, and such a fun and innovative way to use tomatoes! I removed the insides but still marinated them to eat as a nice side dish.
★★★★★
Ben says
Great recipe! Easy to prepare and made a great quick dish over some rice 😊
★★★★★
Isabel says
My boyfriend was confused at first , he couldn't tell it was tomato. This recipe is so good that I have to boil another batch of roma tomatoes so I can reuse the left over marinade .
So good for sushi/nigiri /sashimi
***Add some wasabi to have that sushi restaurant experience (not too much )
Thanks lisa
★★★★★
Carmen says
This recipe is so simple and sooooo yummy 🙂
★★★★★
Beatrice Valencia says
The texture was still a bit firm, expected of a tomato. But the flavours are insane! Left out the dashi but it still tasted amazing. With the ease of preparation, this is definitely going into my rotation!
★★★★★
Leni Rosiyani says
It is such amazing vegan food. Thankyou for sharing your recipes. I am waiting for your next incredible vegan recipes💕💕 I will be your big fan hahaha
★★★★★
Dianne says
My first ever vegan food! I am not on a vegan diet but I follow @okonomikitchen in Instagram. I love her creations and recipes! I would love to try the rest of her recipes and share it to my family for more healthy eating.
This vegan tomato 'tuna' bowl was so good! I added slices of avocado in my bowl and ate it with more nori sheets. Full of flavors from the marinade and just simply delicious! Will definitely make this again!
Thank you, Lisa for sharing your talent and delicious healthy recipes! ♥️
★★★★★
Sara says
So so easy and so close to the texture of tuna sashimi! I say this as a non-vegan!! In addition to sashimi I made maki rolls (spicy crunchy 'tuna' and 'tuna' cucumber) and it came out amazing. As a note I would just make sure the tomatoes are properly ripe -mine were a tad bit under ripe which made a few bites a but more tomatoey lol
★★★★★
Sinem says
İt was so satisfying. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Yan says
Capture the seafood and umami taste perfectly!!! Literally could eat this everyday 👌
Highly recommend giving this one a go! It’s so simple and easy it is to make
★★★★★
Dianne says
Love love this recipe! I am not on a vegan diet but I love to try and follow recipes like this one. My parnter and I enjoyed eating this one. So simple yet so full of flavors!
Thank you, Lisa for sharing your talent and delicious healthy recipes! ♥️
★★★★★
Aliz says
Simple and easy to make, loved it!
★★★★★
Faustine says
I already love tomato and rice together so i was so excited about the dish! This recipe was a super fun to make and it was tasty! Thank you for this clever meal!
★★★★★
Fiona says
Yum!! This was so easy to make! Definitely did not taste like tomato and was so satisfying. I used the left over to make the spicy tuna as well - also so satisfying.
★★★★★
Julia Muir says
This recipe is amazing. I had to make a couple of substitutes too since I didn’t have all the ingredients and it still turned out so good so I can only imagine how much better it would taste with everything specific to this recipe. I’ll definitely be making this again. (:
★★★★★
Eva says
Trying to make this to support my vegetarian boyfriend, and was surprised by the taste. It just amazing😍
★★★★★
Anh says
Great recipe, I am amazed at how fish-like the tomato can be! Keep making awesome recipes.
★★★★★
Michelle says
Made this on a whim with my friend and was struck by how simple and delicious this recipe was! Will definitely be making this again, and can’t wait to try the spicy “tuna” rice crisps next! 🤤
★★★★★
Yalcin says
This was fun to make. Definitely keep a good eye on your tomatoes, because they boil fast. Also think it would be good to make sure they are room temperature before you boil them.
★★★★★
Ash says
Wow! This tastes just like the real thing. I served it to a couple of friends and they were so surprised when I revealed that it wasn't tuna. One of them said she likes it more than actual spicy tuna! Thanks Lisa for a great recipe! I'll definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
sabrina says
I love this recipe, at first I was skeptical about it because of how great a tomato can be? but boy I was wrong! it is very flavorful and just an umami bomb! I highly recommend it for anyone who wanna make it ~
def 10/10!
★★★★★
Josh Yalon says
This tomato "maguro" is so good, I don't even miss real maguro.
★★★★★
Jenny says
This was so easy to make! Only marinated for 30 or so minutes because we were so eager to eat it, will def do it longer or overnight next time for more flavor, love this and will be making it again and again.
★★★★★
Hope says
Amazing recipe, it was easy to follow and it tasted like the real thing.
★★★★★
jenny says
this is such a fun and refreshing flavor to go with rice!
Never in a million years would I have thought to use this as a tuna alternative, thanks for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Erika says
Lisa’s recipes truly never disappoint! I haven’t had maguro don since high school and when I tried this it tasted so similar, I was mind blown 🤯
I really love that this recipe was relatively easy to make and it was super quick to make too. I expected this to take a while to make, but was super delighted when I found that it didn’t.
This is hands down one of my fave recipes from her now! 🥰
★★★★★
Yoori Shen says
I was curious how tomato with rice would taste like and it turned out as nothing I imagined what it would be like! Marinated tomato works so well with rice! It’s so refreshing and so delicious! I had it with little bit of wasabi and it was so good!!! I like how easy it was to make this dish!
★★★★★
Yoori Shen says
I was curious how fresh tomato would go with rice and it blew my mind! The marinated tomato is full of flavour! I marinated rice like sushi and added some wasabi. It was so refreshing and tasty! Also, it’s easy to make too. I marinated tomato day before and just used it for the meal day after or marinated in the morning and used it for dinner.
★★★★★
Diana Plotnikov says
Friggin delicious. I was absolutely shook when I tried this as I NEVER expected tomatoes to be able to replicate tuna so well. Try it!!!
★★★★★
Marla says
Amazing it doesn’t taste like tomatoes at all and really feels like sushi
★★★★★
Stefanie Bartholomäus says
The recipe was really easy and fast to make and really tastes awesome! (Not exactly like tuna but really seafood-ish~)
★★★★★
Jen says
I've made this a few times now for temaki and also as spicy tuna and people genuinely can't believe it's not real tuna. Plus it's so easy to make!
★★★★★
Gabriella Kwok says
Simple, but delicious! I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but loved this dish and can’t wait to make cook again. Also excited to try more of Lisa’s recipes!
★★★★★
Miriam Kaatsch says
First of all: T H A N K Y O U! I love all the amazing yummy recipes. They are amazing and I finally found someone who mad great asian cuisine where I can learn to create it at home. This was really delicious. At least I didn't had sake, so this was my missing ingredient. It was delicious, the texture is good. But the taste was not really close to tuna. but who cares if you have great animal friendly and loving nature food. 🙂
★★★★★
Silvia says
Turns out best with really ripe tomatoes, mine were not in season but were still delish! Also you can reuse the mix and try different things with it. I soaked zucchini in it and enjoyed a lot.
Thanks, Lisa! ❤ I would love more "fishy" recipes, cause it's also something I miss since going vegan.
★★★★★
Cara says
I've made this a few times and it's so easy and delicious!
★★★★★
Susan says
This is so tasty! I've taken a while to make it as I couldn't find any Roma tomatoes. 😔 I had salad tomatoes that weren't going to be used up in time so I decided to just try them in this recipe. I don't know if texture is a bit different from using my basic tomatoes, but I still followed the recipe the rest of the way and it tastes really nice. Still has a bit of a tomatoey texture but that will probably be down to cooking time of the different tomatoes etc. Didn't stop it from being really yummy. So the search for Roma tomatoes continues for me. 🙂 X
★★★★★
Akiko says
I loooove this recipe! I made vegan sushi with this sashimi and it was quite yummy! Can’t wait to try her different recipe soon!
★★★★★
Caitlin says
hehe it sure looked the part. It was fun to make and await the final reveal. Not a repeat recipe for me but definitely worth exploring for practicing my care to details and presentation.
★★★★★
Alekya says
Easy and delicious!!
★★★★★
Juri says
This was so delicious!! Wouldnt say it resembles tuna exactly but definitely resonates on some level. Super tasty and flavoeful and most of all easy as. 10/10 would make again
★★★★★
plantbasedloverss says
My partner and I are b our h wholeheartedly obsessed with making this tomato tuna! We were both huge sushi fans before going vegan two years ago, and being able to make authentic vegan tuna at home has been such a fun and tasty experience. The recipe is very easy to follow and I highly recommend giving the tuna a try because you may be surprised to find just how much it tastes like fish.
★★★★★