Vegan Ahi Tuna - PlantYou

You’ll never guess that this Vegan Ahi Tuna is really made of… It’s watermelon.

You read that right! Watermelon can resemble and taste pretty similar to tuna, especially when paired with rice and sesame seeds.

Veganizing fish recipes have been my mission after watching Seaspiracy- and this one was so much fun to make.

Besides the time it takes to marinate, this Vegan Ahi Tuna is incredibly easy. Once it’s marinated, all you need to do is bake.

This vegan tuna tastes amazing in a poke bowl or in lettuce wraps. You can also make this tuna ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator overnight.

If you’re interested in other vegan seafood hacks, check out the recipes for Vegan Salmon and Vegan Tuna Salad.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: it does take about a day to make, but it’s so simple that you won’t even notice.
• It’s refreshing: this vegan tuna is light and delicious. Perfect in a summer poke bowl or in a lettuce wrap.
• Sustainable: If you haven’t watched Seaspiracy yet, I highly recommend it! The damage fishing is doing to our environment is mind-blowing. That’s why having these plant-based replacements are necessary.

Why Watermelon

Watermelon is an excellent replacement for tuna because it has the same texture. It also is very light and soaks up all of the flavors of the soy sauce mixture it’s sitting in. You can also make vegan tuna from tomatoes, but I think watermelon is a much better substitute for this style of recipe.

How To Make Vegan Ahi Tuna

First, mix the contents of your marinade including the soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, maple syrup, sesame oil, lime, and salt.

Add the ingredients to a freezer bag with the watermelon, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

After refrigerating, preheat the oven to 400F.

Transfer the watermelon to a baking dish, and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, checking intermittently until it’s cooked to your liking.

Once it’s finished cooking, enjoy with sesame seeds and rice, or in a nourish bowl!

Hack It

• To add some spice, mix some sriracha into the marinade!
• Add in some tofu cubes to give it some extra protein!

How to Serve

Serve this vegan tuna in a refreshing poke bowl with veggies, rice, and sesame seeds. You can also make a lettuce wrap with some veggies, like carrots and onions, and drizzle your favorite teriyaki over the top.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Cheese-less Pizza
• Easy Vegan Teriyaki Meal Prep
• Tempeh Teriyaki Rice Bowl

The Recipe: Vegan Ahi Tuna

This lunch or dinner recipe is vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free! 4.76 from 25 ratings Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review Servings: 6 Cook Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes minsTotal Time: 9 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ½ cup Soy sauce
• ¼ cup Rice vinegar
• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp Crushed nori
• 1 tsp Maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• ½ Lime, squeezed
• Pinch of salt
• 6-8 cups Watermelon , cubed

Instructions

• Mix the contents of your marinade including the soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, maple syrup, sesame oil, lime and salt.
• Add the ingredients to a freezer bag with the watermelon, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400F. Transfer the watermelon to a baking dish, and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, checking intermittently until it’s cooked to your liking.
• Enjoy with sesame seeds and rice, or in a nourish bowl.

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A post shared by Carleigh Bodrug (@plantyou)

Calories: 85.5kcal, Carbohydrates: 14.1g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 2.6g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Sodium: 1087.4mg, Potassium: 226.3mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10.6g, Vitamin A: 966.5IU, Vitamin C: 13.9mg, Calcium: 19.4mg, Iron: 0.9mg Cuisine: AmericanCourse: dinner, lunchAuthor: carleigh