Watermelon Tuna [sashimi + steaks]

5 from 3 votes

Transform watermelon into impressive vegan watermelon tuna with just 6 ingredients and an hour of baking for cruelty-free vegan tuna steaks, sashimi, and more!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Vegan

Servings: slices

Calories: 230kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

½ of a small seedless unripe watermelon, eeled and sliced (see photo for reference)
4 sheets nori, minced
1 tablespoon of neutral oil
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white miso paste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Cut the watermelon in half and peel it. Cut it into 1-inch thick circles and then cut them in half. See photo for reference.
In a large baking dish, mix together the nori, oil, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and miso paste. Mix well and then add one by one the sliced watermelon. Flip them so both sides of the watermelon are coated with the sauce.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the watermelon is soft.
Allow it to cool and slice it into 1-inch slices.

Notes

Use seedless watermelon: The crunchy black seeds take away the believability of the vegan tuna watermelon and need removing, so, it’s easiest to buy a seedless melon.

Adjust the shape: We prefer to bake it as written, then slice it down to size. However, you can optionally cut it into ¾-1-inch cubes from the get-go to make vegan tuna poke bowls. Remember, it will shrink quite a bit while it bakes.

Monitor the melon: You don’t need to keep a constant eye on it, but checking it occasionally to ensure it isn’t browning/charring is a good idea. We just want to soften and remove excess water, not fully ‘roast’ it.

Nutrition