I am so excited right now because I made a vegan “tuna” poke bowl with WATERMELON. Believe it or not watermelon is not JUST a summer fruit, you can enjoy it during non-summer months too and I think this recipe is the perfect way! Watermelon is not only a great texture and colour to substitute for tuna, but marinated in a salty, garlic + ginger marinade, it tastes so great in this bowl! Benefits of using watermelon: it contains vitamins A (8% DV) & C, it is super hydrating because it is 92% water and there are over 1200 varieties grown around the world!
Some fun ways to use watermelon:
- dice it into salads or salsas for a mild & sweet flavour
- skewer or grill it as kebobs
- simply enjoy a big, juicy slice for an afternoon snack
- juice or puree it, blend it into smoothies for breakfast or as pre-workout fuel, or mix it into your favourite cocktail
- the rind is often the most overlooked part of the watermelon, but can be used as a vegetable! Try stir-frying, stewing or pickling the rind.
- a hollowed-out watermelon can be used as a compostable bowl, super zero-waste and environmentally-friendly!

Watermelon “Tuna” Bowl
Ingredients
Watermelon Tuna:
1–1/2 cups watermelon, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 inch knob ginger, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
Optional: 1 shredded sheet of nori for a “fishy” flavour
Poke Bowl:
Cooked rice
Cucumber
Shredded lettuce/cabbage
Avocado
Vegan mayo + Sriracha
Instructions
- In a bowl or container, combine all watermelon tuna ingredients. Store in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to eat, assemble bowls with your favourite poke fixings (I listed my favs above!) then top with watermelon! You’ll be shocked at how delicious it is!
I hope this post inspired you to use watermelon in some new and creative ways. For more watermelon information, tips and recipes, visit www.watermelon.org
Just made this for lunch – I’m shocked how good it tasted and how the taste really mimicked tuna . I did half a nori sheet for a more fishy taste . Thanks for the recipe .