Hello lovelies,
when the weather warms up, a colourful bowl is what we reach for most – and this vegan poke bowl with watermelon tuna is the current favourite. The clever part is the marinated watermelon, which tastes surprisingly of the sea and passes for tuna in colour too, and on nights when everyone is already standing in the kitchen before the bowls go on the table, my vegetarian watermelon guacamole with avocado and lime goes onto toasted pita. My kids find it funny every time that the "fish" is really melon.
The base is cooked sushi rice, topped with crispy tempeh that I marinate briefly in teriyaki and fry golden in sesame oil. Then comes the fun of arranging: creamy avocado, sweet mango, edamame, radishes, finely shaved red cabbage and carrot strips. That way the bowl is satisfying yet still light.
I like to make the watermelon tuna the evening before. The cubes soak in rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and crumbled nori – after a few hours in the fridge they taste wonderfully umami and lightly briny. A quick sesame-lime dressing goes over the top at the end to tie it all together.
A bowl like this is never quite the same twice at our place – everyone gets to add their favourite vegetable. That's exactly what I love about this recipe: it's fresh, filling and simply puts you in a good mood, and it is one of the few cold ones among my Asian recipes for a fast weeknight, which otherwise run to hot pans and coconut soups.
If you love Asian-inspired bowls and salads, be sure to try my soba noodle salad with peanut dressing, the veggie stir-fry noodles and the warming vegan umami ramen.
