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Thyroid

Seaweed & Salmon Poke Bowl

A no-cook poke bowl of sushi-grade salmon, brown rice, edamame, and iodine-rich nori and wakame, dressed in a sesame-ginger tamari.

A poke bowl of cubed raw salmon over brown rice with shelled edamame, sliced avocado, thin cucumber rounds, strips of dark nori seaweed, green onion, and sesame seeds in a light ceramic bowl.
Prep 15 min Cook 40 min Total 55 min 2 servings

This bright, mostly no-cook bowl comes together in about 15 minutes once your rice is ready. Cool salmon, crisp cucumber, and toasty nori make it feel like takeout you built yourself.

Why it helps

The thyroid needs iodine to build thyroid hormone, and nori and wakame are among the few whole foods that reliably supply it, while salmon adds selenium, a mineral the gland uses to activate and protect that hormone. Together with protein from the fish and edamame and a little zinc from sesame, this bowl covers several nutrients thyroid tissue depends on. Because seaweed can be extremely high in iodine, keep servings occasional rather than daily, and check with your clinician about iodine intake if you have a thyroid condition.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup short-grain brown rice (or about 1 1/2 cups already-cooked)
  • 8 oz sushi-grade (sashimi-grade) salmon, skin removed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 cup shelled edamame (frozen, thawed or steamed)
  • 2 sheets roasted nori, cut into thin strips
  • 2 tablespoons dried wakame seaweed
  • 1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
  • 1 Persian (mini) cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • Red pepper flakes or sriracha, to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. 1Rinse the brown rice, then combine with 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a low simmer, and cook about 40 minutes until tender. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff and cool slightly. (Skip this step if using already-cooked rice.)
  2. 2While the rice cooks, soak the dried wakame in a bowl of cool water for about 5 minutes until soft. Drain, gently squeeze out excess water, and set aside.
  3. 3In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and grated ginger. Add the cubed salmon and toss gently to coat, then chill 5 to 10 minutes while you prep the rest.
  4. 4Steam or thaw the edamame per the package. Slice the cucumber, avocado, and green onions.
  5. 5Divide the rice between two bowls. Top each with the marinated salmon, edamame, avocado, cucumber, and wakame.
  6. 6Scatter the nori strips, green onion, and sesame seeds over the top. Add red pepper flakes or a drizzle of sriracha if you like, and serve right away while the fish is cold.

Nutrition (per serving, approximate)

560
Calories
37 g
Protein
47 g
Carbs
25 g
Fat
10 g
Fiber
520 mg
Sodium

Tips & swaps

  • Make-ahead: cook the brown rice up to 4 days ahead and refrigerate, but cube and marinate the salmon just before serving so it stays cold and fresh.
  • No raw fish? Use seared or fully cooked salmon, or drained canned wild salmon; for a plant-based bowl, swap in cubed marinated tofu.
  • Raw poke is best eaten the day it's made. Buy fish labeled sushi- or sashimi-grade, keep it very cold, and don't hold leftovers with raw fish overnight.
  • Keep sodium in check with low-sodium tamari (also naturally gluten-free) and unsalted edamame, and add heat with chili instead of extra soy sauce.