Japanese Edamame and Sesame Rice Bowl

Other Fast With Oil Published January 18, 2026

This is a quiet, clean bowl of food — the kind of thing Japanese home cooks throw together when they want something nourishing without fuss. Warm rice, bright edamame, pickled vegetables, and a sesame dressing that ties everything together. It is simple in a way that requires each component to be done well, because there is nowhere to hide.

The protein here comes from the edamame (17 grams per cup) and the sesame. Do not underestimate it.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 2 cups short-grain Japanese rice, cooked and kept warm
- 2 cups shelled edamame (frozen is fine, thawed)
- 1 large cucumber, diced
- 1 large carrot, julienned or grated
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- 2 tablespoons pickled ginger
- Nori sheets, cut into strips
- Toasted sesame seeds

For the sesame dressing:
- 3 tablespoons tahini (or Japanese sesame paste)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons warm water (to thin)

METHOD

1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth. Add water as needed to reach a pourable consistency.

2. If using frozen edamame, blanch in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes until tender. Drain.

3. Divide warm rice among 4 bowls.

4. Arrange the edamame, cucumber, carrot, avocado, and pickled ginger on top of the rice in neat sections.

5. Drizzle with sesame dressing, top with nori strips and a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

6. Mix together before eating, or eat in sections — both are valid.

NOTES

- Mirin is a sweet rice wine used in cooking. It contains trace alcohol that cooks off. If you prefer to avoid it, substitute with 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
- For more substance, add pan-fried tofu or marinated shiitake mushrooms.
- On fish days, top with sashimi-grade tuna or salmon, or with cooked shrimp.
- Japanese short-grain rice is stickier and clings together, which makes it easier to eat with chopsticks. Long-grain rice will work but gives a different character to the bowl.