Watermelon tuna?? That's right! And believe it or not, it tastes surprisingly like the real deal. And, making it's a breeze, requiring only a handful of simple ingredients and and some time to bake and marinate the watermelon.
Jump to:
Have you seen the latest vegan meat alternative, watermelon tuna, popping up all over the internet? I even had some insanely delicious watermelon tuna salad at a local restaurant the other day. It's definitely a trend that's here to stay, and now you can make your own at home.
I'll say it again, because I know it's hard to believe - you can definitely make watermelon taste like tuna. And, it also has a very similar texture. Whether you prefer it chilled or warm, fresh or fried, as sushi, sashimi, poke bowls, salads, sandwiches, or any other way, the possibilities are endless!
If you love making plant based vegan meat alternatives like vegan bacon and vegan chicken , you're going to absolutely love adding this recipe to your repertoire.
Reasons You'll Like This Recipe
- This is an amazing recipe for when you want to make a creative plant-based lunch for a group of friends. I guarantee they'll love it.
- Cooking with unconventional ingredients like watermelon can be a fun and creative challenge! Vegan watermelon tuna is a unique dish to prepare that allows you to experiment with different flavors and techniques.
- This is a budget friendly dish. All you need is half a watermelon, and some ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Vegan tuna is a great way to use up leftover or underripe watermelon that might otherwise go to waste. By transforming this overlooked fruit into a tasty and satisfying meal, you can save money and reduce food waste.
🛒Ingredients & Substitutions
- Watermelon: This recipe is best made with watermelon that's slightly underripe. When the watermelon is very ripe, sometimes it tastes a bit too sweet to taste like tuna.
- Sesame Oil: I love the deep, umami flavor sesame oil brings to this recipe. I wouldn't substitute anything else for it if you can help it.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar has a slightly milder taste than white wine or apple cider vinegar. However, if you're if your watermelon is very ripe, I recommend using white wine or apple cider vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar.
- White Miso Paste: White miso paste contributes to the umami flavor and combats the natural sweetness of the watermelon. You could substitute tahini for the miso paste.
- Nori: Nori is actually dried seaweed. It's what contributes that "fishy" flavor to your watermelon tuna.
- Soy Sauce: For a gluten-free option, use tamari. See my post: Is soy sauce vegan? if you have questions about the suitability of soy sauce for a plant-based diet.
- Sesame Seeds: I am using furikake, which is a combination of sesame seeds, Nori and spices. However, I suggest using a combination of white and black sesame seeds if you can't find furikake.
🍉How To Make Watermelon Tuna
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175 ℃). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Begin by preparing your watermelon. Cut off both ends and stand the watermelon upright on a cutting board. Slice off the rind in sections, working from top to bottom, until all of the rind is removed. Cut the watermelon in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 1-inch thick slices that are about 2 inches long. For this recipe, they should be rectangular cubes. Be careful not to cut your watermelon into pieces that are too small. You may want to pick out the seeds, but if you leave them, that's ok too (they are not toxic).
- Lay your watermelon pieces out on the lined baking sheet with plenty of space between them. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
- Put them in the oven to bake for 1 hour, turning them over at the halfway point, and sprinkling the other side with a bit of salt.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl or Ziplock bag, combine your soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, miso, garlic and nori.
- When the watermelon tuna has finished cooking, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool.
- Put your cooled watermelon tuna into the marinade and allow it to rest in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
- Remove the watermelon tuna from the fridge. At this point, you can either eat it raw, or you can roll each piece in sesame seeds and fry in a bit of oil for 2-3 minutes.
🥢Serving Suggestions
- Sticky rice is a great side dish for watermelon tuna. Make a poke bowl with rice, avocado, edamame and scallions.
- Mix together some soy sauce, wasabi, ginger, sesame seeds or other Asian-inspired condiments for a flavorful and spicy dressing. Serve over coconut rice.
- A light, refreshing salad with fresh greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a simple dressing can be a great accompaniment to watermelon tuna. You could try adding watermelon tuna to this Chick-Fil-A kale salad.
- Cut the cubes into smaller pieces and roll them into sushi.
- Watermelon tuna is great with a spicy mayo like Sriracha mayo.
🙋♀️Frequently Asked Questions
The baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the watermelon pieces and the temperature of the oven. As a general rule, for dry and chewy watermelon bake watermelon slices at a low temperature (around 200-250°F or 95-120°C) for about 2-3 hours. For juicer watermelon, like the kind you need to make vegan watermelon tuna, you'll only need around 1 hour at 350°F or 175°C.
Plant-based ahi tuna is a vegetarian or vegan alternative to the traditional raw fish dish made from tuna. It's made from various plant-based ingredients that mimic the taste and texture of real tuna, such as soy protein, pea protein, konjac powder, and seaweed. It may also be flavored with soy sauce, seaweed extract, or other seasonings to create an umami flavor similar to the taste of real tuna.
To store leftover watermelon tuna, you should first remove it from any sauce or dressing and place it in an airtight container. You can then store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Use your watermelon tuna here...
Vegan Poke Bowl
Replace the tofu in this recipe with your vegan watermelon tuna!
Craving More Easy Vegan Recipes?
Easy Vietnamese Summer Rolls - Vegan Spring Rolls
Hunan Tofu And Vegetable Stir Fry
📖 Recipe
Watermelon Tuna
Ingredients
- ½ large watermelon
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce *or tamari for gluten free
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 sheet nori cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds *black or white, or a combination of the two
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (175 ℃). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Begin by preparing the watermelon. Cut off both ends and stand the watermelon upright on a cutting board. Slice off the rind in sections, working from top to bottom, until all of the rind is removed. Cut the watermelon in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 1-inch thick slices that are about 2 inches long. Be careful not to cut your watermelon into pieces that are too small. You may want to pick out the seeds, but if you leave them, that's ok too (they are not toxic).
- Lay your watermelon pieces out on the baking tray with plenty of space between them. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
- Put them in the oven to bake for 1 hour, turning them over at the halfway point, and sprinkling the other side with a bit of salt.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl or ziplock bag, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, miso, garlic and nori.
- When the watermelon tuna has finished cooking, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool.
- Put the cooled watermelon tuna into the marinade and allow it to rest in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
- Remove the watermelon tuna from the fridge. At this point, you can either eat it raw, or you can roll each piece in sesame seeds and fry in a bit of oil for 2-3 minutes.
Comments
No Comments