Watermelon Poke Bowls
Watermelon Poke Bowls. Have you heard of them before? They are indeed a thing, even though Aaron thought for sure I was trying to pull a fast one on him by adding watermelon to our dinner the other night. “Watermelon…with a sushi kind of bowl? Amanda, that sounds like something you made up so you could have watermelon for dinner.” (HA, he knows my love for watermelon has no bounds!). Watermelon poke has actually existed for a while though, I’m just a little late jumping on the (vegan) poke trend.
If you’re not familiar with poke, let’s first tackle how to pronounce it: “po-kay” (not “po-kee” or “poke”). It’s a Hawaiian dish traditionally made with cubed raw fish that’s either eaten on its own or served over a bowl of sushi rice. For today’s recipe, I’m going with the latter as inspiration, except instead of raw tuna, I’m using watermelon. Weird? Maybe a little, but I promise the texture and flavor combination is surprisingly awesome. Plus, from a distance it almost looks like tuna.
While admittedly this watermelon poke rendition doesn’t taste anything like tuna, the watermelon lends a refreshing, juicy sweetness that pairs really well with the salty soy, sesame, and lime dressing. There are seaweed flakes for a subtle “fishy” flavor, thinly sliced cucumbers, radishes, scallions, lots of creamy avocado, pickled ginger, micro greens, macadamia nuts, and sesame seeds for garnish. Basically, this meal includes all of your favorite poke toppings and it will give you a good excuse to eat watermelon for dinner.
So, just to quickly recap: Watermelon Poke Bowls. Not something I made up (although I wish I had!). Pronounced “po-kay.” Under 30 minutes to make. No oven needed. Super minimal prep. Will totally hit the spot on a hot summer day.
P.S. In the end, Aaron could not stop gushing over this meal.
Watermelon Poke Bowls
Watermelon Poke Bowls
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
This vegan poke bowl uses watermelon in place of raw fish, lots of fresh veggies, and macadamia nuts for crunch. Seaweed flakes provide just the right "fishy" flavor.
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan Servings: 2
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins
This vegan poke bowl uses watermelon in place of raw fish, lots of fresh veggies, and macadamia nuts for crunch. Seaweed flakes provide just the right "fishy" flavor.
Instructions
- Cook the rice: Add the rice, a generous pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil uncovered. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 12-15 minutes or until cooked. Fluff with a fork.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, seaweed, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the bowls: Divide the rice between 2 bowls. Top each with half of the watermelon, radish, cucumber, scallion, avocado, ginger, and micro greens (if using). Sprinkle with macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.
Copyright © 2021 Amanda Maguire for Pickles & Honey
There is so much summer goodness packed into these bowls, and I love that you did a vegan version!
I’m trying to pack as much summer goodness as possible into these last few weeks before it’s pumpkin and cinnamon everything. 😉
Oh wow! This is such a beautiful recipe! I cannot wait to try it. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Kasey! I hope you love it as much as we do.
What an awesome alternative to raw fish poke bowls! This looks so refreshing and perfect for the remaining hot weather before it cools off.
It’s one of the most refreshing meals, especially on those hot/humid days.
Poke bowls are all the rage where I am in Orange County, California. I really like your idea to use watermelon – so creative!
Oddly enough I don’t think they’ve really caught on in Boston, but that makes sense about Orange Country.
Thanks for sharing, Amanda! I love reading practical posts like this & it definitely inspires me to rethink my daily meals.
That’s so wonderful to hear!
It looks so pretty! I bet it tastes amazing too (of course it does because it has watermelon and avocado in it!)
haha Yeah, it is hard to go wrong with watermelon and avocado. 😉