watermelon poke bowl recipe: vegan + gluten free
your wait is over! you have found one of the the most amaaaazing healthy, vegan and gluten free recipes out there. not to brag, but this watermelon poke bowl is gonna blow your freakin’ mind.
before i went vegan, i was a huge seafood person. crab legs, lobster, shrimp, fish, anything i could get my hands on. once i started learning about the ethics of the fishing industry and how bad fish is for you, i said goodbye to my favorite foods.
that doesn't mean i don’t crave some poke though! i’ve seen watermelon poke recipes around, but i decided to create my own exactly how i liked my poke: mayo based and sesame forward.
want to check out more vegan recipes? head over to my recipes page, where you can find the likes of the best vegan peanut sauce.
what is poke?
poke is a traditional hawaiian dish. it’s usually made from raw fish that is marinated in sauce.
the word ‘poke’ means to cut in hawaiian. it’s referring to the slicing or cubing of the wish (or watermelon, in this case).
my version of this dish obviously deviates from the traditional preparation. for one, watermelon is not native to hawaii. mine is also a mayo based sauce. the traditional sauce is a mix of sesame oil and soy sauce, but mayo based sauces have become more popular.
why watermelon?
well for one, watermelon has that bright pink color that tuna has, it also absorbs flavor super well!
for this recipe, you cube the watermelon then let is with on a paper towel. this helps absorb some of the water, making the texture a bit for chewy and fish-like.
don’t expect the texture to be fishy, because it’s not. it feels like watermelon, but the taste is immaculate.
watermelon poke, broken down for ayurveda.
since lots of my followers follow an ayurvedic lifestyle, i want to provide some information so you can adjust this recipe to your constitution. here is every ingredient and how it impacts the doshas.
watermelon pacifies kapha and pitta, but raises vata. since watermelon is the main ingredient, vata types might want to sit this one out.
vegan mayo isn’t a health food, but is fine is small quantities. it’s fine for pitta and vata, but irritates kapha. the rest of the bowl is pretty kapha balancing, so either tone down the sauce or enjoy yourself a little.
sesame oil is good for vata and kapha (one of the few oils that kapha gets along with). for pittas, tone down the oil.
tamari is fine for vata and kapha, but not for pitta. pitta types should tone down the sauce usage in this recipe.
sriracha, like most other spicy foods, irritates pitta. it’s fine for vata and kapha.
sesame seeds are, again, not great for pitta.
green onions aggravate kapha, so either omit them or use sparingly. they are fine for vata and pitta types.
white rice balances all three doshas, so you’re good to go there!
avocado aggravates kapha, so you may want to leave it off or only use a small amount.
cucumber is not great for kapha or vata, but grat for pitta. if you are a pitta type, make sure to use lots of cucumber to balance the pitta irritating sauce!
all in all, this isn’t a terrible recipe. for kaphas, i would suggest loading up on watermelon and rice, and use the other toppings sparingly. pittas should use very little sauce and load up on avocado and cucumber. vatas might want to eat this as a special occasion, as many ingredients aggravate vata.
how make a watermelon poke bowl
the full recipe is below, but i want to give you a few pointers before you start!
choose white short grain rice. i like short grain for this as opposed to long grain, because ei like my rice to stick to the poke.
adjust to your preference. i personally love sesame oil, so there’s quite a bit in there. if you don’t like sesame oil, tone it down a bit.
play around. i also love to add lime if i want a looser dsauce, or you could try sambal instead or sriracha.
toppings are everything. this is another area you can be creative! i always add avocado and cucumber, and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds. you can also add gluten free hoisin sauce and a lime wedge!
like this recipe, make sure to pin it for later, and let me know on instagram by tagging me in your photos!
watermelon poke bowl (vegan and gluten free)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 of a watermelon, cubed
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1 tbs sesame oil
- 2 tbs tamari
- 1 tbs sriracha
- 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup white rice, cooked
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
- sesame seeds, for garnish
- green onions, for garnish
Instructions:
- place the watermelon on a paper towel, and cover it with another paper town to draw out some of the water.
- combine the mayo, sesame oil, tamari, sriracha, sesame seeds and green onion.
- remove paper towels and place watermelon in a a large bowl.
- pour sauce over watermelon and stir, making sure each piece of watermelon is evenly coated.
- place in the refrigerator and let sit for an hour.
- To make the bowl, place rice in the bottom of large bowl. spoon poke over rice, and place the avocado and cucumber on top. garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
