Summer Watermelon Poke Bowl

Keep an opened mind with this one…I know it might sound a little bit strange! But take a quick glance, doesn’t the watermelon look like ahi tuna!? I was so fascinated by the recipe and the colors, I couldn’t wait to make it!

It all starts with rice (sushi rice if you’re fancy) and some chopped vegetables: edamame, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, and radishes. Then you top it with the marinated watermelon. I know you’ve probably never heard of putting soy sauce on watermelon, but it works! The watermelon is just a tiny bit sweet and it balances everything out perfectly.

This is the perfect bowl to eat outside on your patio, just as the day is starting to cool down.
I was so excited to create a vegetarian version of poke bowls because I love the whole concept of many seafood dishes/bowls – there’s usually lots of vegetables and minimal cooking! I’m just not a huge fan of seafood. I’ve only had raw tuna once, but it was on a taco with tons of other toppings. So, if you’re a seafood lover you could add tuna along with the watermelon. Don’t skip the watermelon, it’s the most intriguing part!

At my grocery store, I could only find edamame in the pod. I thought I would cut down on the work and serve them whole, unpeeled. Big mistake! The outer shell of edamame is NOT edible. They are leathery and fuzzy. Now I understand why the instructions said to peel them. Live and learn, I guess.

Chopping the watermelon takes some patients. But it’s definitely not as difficult as cutting a butternut squash (is there anything worse??). If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to chop the watermelon, look at this tutorial from Fooduzzi! It’s a gamechanger, I’ll never cut watermelon the old (very inefficient) way again.

Summer Watermelon Poke Bowl

From north coast eats at https://northcoasteats.com/summer-watermelon-poke-bowl/

https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/w.poke-0020-1.jpg

Yield: serves 6 people

Marinated watermelon and chopped vegetables served over soy sauce rice.

You'll Need...

3 cups rice, cooked
1/3 cup rice vinegar
4 cups watermelon, chopped in 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cups edamame, removed from pods
1 cup carrots, sliced in strips
1 ripe avocado, sliced thin
1 cup radishes, sliced thin
1 cup cucumber, sliced thin
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

Add 1/3 cup rice vinegar to the rice. Stir and set aside.
Combine watermelon, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, sesame oil in a large bowl. Place in fridge to marinate.
Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to a small saute pan, heat to medium heat. Add carrots and edamame. Cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned.
Assemble the bowls: In each bowl, place rice, cooked edamame & carrots, avocado, radishes, cucumber, marinated watermelon. Garnish with sesame seeds.