Eat This Plant-Based Watermelon Poke Bowl Poolside
This plant-based watermelon poke bowl is rich in umami flavors that pairs beautifully with sweet watermelon and a yummy spicy cashew cream sauce. It's summer in your mouth.
This dish will deeply satisfy and refresh you at the same time. I always get a craving for poke when summer comes around, and the plant world really delivers here. The umami flavors of the marinade match perfectly with the sweetness of the watermelon (if you want to learn how to master balancing the five elements of flavor, read my article, Master the Art of Plant-Based Cooking with the Five Elements of Flavor, According to a Chef).
And the spicy sauce?
Well, trust me when I say you’ll want to put this sauce on everything! As important as flavor is, finding ways to enjoy sustainable seafood alternatives is even more important in our world today. Finding better alternatives to seafood consumption can not only help preserve our oceans, but it can reduce your exposure to heavy metals like mercury. Flavor and sustainability all in one dish: Watermelon poke for the win!
Watermelon Poke Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
MARINATED WATERMELON
SPICY SAUCE
POKE BOWLS
Preparation
First, make the marinated watermelon. In a small Mason jar, combine the coconut aminos, oil, Sriracha, liquid aminos and vinegar. Mix the ingredients well with a fork, or secure the jar’s lid and shake it until the ingredients are well combined. Place the watermelon in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the watermelon. Gently toss to cover all the watermelon in the marinade without breaking any of the little pieces. Refrigerate the watermelon for 30 minutes, or up to overnight, to infuse a watermelon with all that great flavor.
To make the spicy sauce, combine the Cashew Cream, Sriracha, lime juice and vinegar in a small bowl. Mix the ingredients well, taste the sauce for your desired spiciness and set the sauce aside.
It’s time to build your poke bowls! Grab two serving bowls. First, put your rice in the bowls. Next, place a big scoop of your watermelon poke right in the middle. Add the cucumber, watermelon radishes, avocado,carrot, scallion and nori all around the watermelon poke. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top of each serving, drizzle the poke with your spicy sauce and add the lime slices. Serve the poke bowls immediately.
BAI’S TIPS:
Add more Sriracha to the sauce if you’re feelin’ spicy!
If you can’t find watermelon radishes, use any variety of radish you can find.
COOK. HEAL. GO VEGAN! A Delicious Guide to Plant-Based Cooking for Better Health and a Better World by Bailey Ruskus – Chef Bai. With the guidance of professional plant-based chef Bailey Ruskus, adopting a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle is full of fun and flavor. Learn to make easy, nutrient-dense dishes you’ll want again and again, while inviting purpose and intention into every meal. Bailey lives in San Diego, CA.
