Beet & Turnip (and/or radish) Poke Bowl

Why I Love This Recipe
FEATURING: Beets, cabbage (and/or kale), carrots, turnips (rabioles), and green onions.
Marinated beets bring a fun & colourful vibe to this poke bowl that also screams sushi! Check out this even easier variation of a Poke Bowl Salad from the Feasting at Home blog: https://www.feastingathome.com/beet-poke/
NOTES
- You can add any protein of your choice to your bowl if you want.
- Serve with sushi sheets to roll your own tiny hand rolls, or crumble them right into the bowl, if you want.
- DO THE BEETS AHEAD TO SAVE TIME: The beets can be cooked and stored whole, refrigerated airtight, for up to 4 days. The marinade can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week. The carrots, cabbage, and rice are best prepared fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
Ingredients You'll Need
BEETS:
3-4 medium beets (about 300 g)
6 tablespoons (45 ml) tamari
2 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon wasabi paste (optional)
1 teaspoon sriracha
RICE:
1.5 cup (175 g) rice (ex: sushi rice like Kokuho Rose, Calrose, or brown rice), uncooked
2.5 cups (300 ml) water
0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
PICKLED CARROTS:
1-2 medium carrots, scrubbed
4 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
PICKLED CABBAGE (and/or kale):
4 cups lightly packed shredded cabbage (150 g) (and/or a few kale leaves, stem removed, chopped into bite-sized pieces)
4 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
FOR SERVING:
4 green onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
2 large firm-ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced or guacamole (optional)
1-2 thinly sliced turnips, radishes, daikon radish and/or watermelon radish (optional)
black and/or white sesame seeds (optional)
A few sushi sheets, broken in pieces (optional)
A bit of Tamari, on the side, for dipping if serving with sushi sheets (optional)
Directions
BEETS: Place the beets in a small saucepan, cover with an inch or two of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beets are tender enough to be easily pierced with a knife, 25-35 minutes. Drain the beets and cover with cool water, letting them sit until cool enough to handle. Trim and peel the beets and cut them into 1-inch cubes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, wasabi paste, and sriracha to combine. Set aside a few tablespoons of the marinade for serving and to the rest, add the cubed beets. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 1 day, tossing once or twice.
RICE: Cook rice in a rice cooker (if so, use less water; use a 1:1 rice to water ratio AND do not add salt to the water). If you don't have a rice cooker, place the rice in a bowl, cover with cool water, and swish it around to release the starches. Carefully pour off the water, then repeat 2-3 more times. Drain well. Place the rice in a small saucepan and add the water and salt. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the rice steam until the water is absorbed, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Test the rice – if it is too firm, sprinkle in a few tablespoons more water and repeat the steaming/standing process until the rice is tender but still chewy. Fluff the rice with a fork and set aside, without a lid to let the rice cool a bit.
CABBAGE (and/or kale): In a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let sit until wilted, 10 minutes or up to an hour or two.
PICKLED CARROTS: Grate carrots OR use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot into long, wide ribbons. Toss with the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let sit until wilted, 10-30 minutes.
ASSEMBLY: Divide the rice between wide, shallow bowls. Top with the marinated beets and their juices. Drain the carrots and cabbage separately and place over the rice. Top with the slivered green onions. Add avocado, and sliced radish (or daikon or watermelon radish), if using. Drizzle the remaining marinade over the bowls, adding more sesame oil if you like. Sprinkle with black and/or white sesame seeds (if using) and serve with sushi sheets on the side (optional). You can also have a bit of Tamari in a small container on the side, for dipping, if serving with sushi sheets.