Vegan Watermelon Tuna (Poke-Style)
This vegan watermelon tuna is the BEST plant-based substitute for raw tuna poké! It might sound a bit strange, but marinating and roasting watermelon gives it the perfect tuna flavor and texture! Use this in vegan sushi, vegan poké bowls, or just on its own!
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 128kcal
Equipment
- Knife
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 750 grams Watermelon cubed (1 mini watermelon)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- ¼ cup Lime juice
- ¼ cup Rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Nori flakes or Nori Furikake seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Neutral oil
Instructions
- First, use a sharp knife to cut off the ends of the watermelon. You can then stand it up on either end for easier cutting. Cut the whole watermelon in half if you'd like.
- Carefully cut the rind off of the watermelon and discard rind pieces.
- Then, chop the watermelon into roughly 1-inch pieces. Be aware that the pieces may shrink while cooking.
- Lay the watermelon pieces out on a large plate, making sure they aren't on top of one another.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the pieces and allow them to sit for at least 5 minutes. This will help remove excess moisture from the watermelon.
- While the watermelon is sitting, make the marinade.
- To a bowl add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, nori flakes, neutral oil, and lime juice and gently whisk together.
- Once the watermelon cubes have sat for at least 5 minutes, pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Add all the cubes to a sealable container or plastic sealable bag and cover with the marinade.
- Seal the container and very gently shake to fully coat the cubes in the marinade.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Pre-heat your oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
- After it has marinated, dump the entire container (including the excess marinade) onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Spread the pieces out, making sure none are overlapping.
- Roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Toss using a spatula halfway through roasting.
- After the 50-60 minutes, remove from the oven.
- Scoop the pieces onto a plate and place in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes, or until cool.
- Serve this vegan tuna on rice, in salads, in sushi, or more. Garnish with scallions, sesame seed, and/or spicy mayonnaise.
Notes
- If you dump the entire container including the marinade onto the foil-lined baking sheet, it will be fine. However, it increases the chances that the excess marinade will seep through and burn on the baking sheet. Save the excess marinade for a dipping sauce!
- Pair this with a simple spicy mayonnaise by mixing together vegan mayonnaise, rice vinegar, and sriracha! Stir and mix until it tastes how you like and drizzle on top!
- Make this a spicy watermelon vegan tuna add 1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes OR chili oil to the marinade.
- You can use pre-cubed watermelon to save you a few steps. However, make sure there are no black seeds in the cubes. Then, you may still want to cut them in half or you can marinade and roast for longer time.
- Soy Sauce - Feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, or tamari for gluten-free options!
- Nori Flakes - Nori flakes are basically the flakes from dried seaweed, like you see on sushi rolls. You can usually find this in the Asian or International section of your grocery store. If you can find a seasoning called "nori furikake" that works wonderfully. If you can't find this seasoning, just omit it and add a little extra salt!
Nutrition
Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.6g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 9.9g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.4g | Sodium: 962mg | Potassium: 274.1mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 11.1g
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