Skip to main content
Bon Appétit

Sesame-and-Soy Watermelon Poke

4.8

(5)

Image may contain Cutlery Fork Food Seasoning Sesame and Plant
Jeff Luker

Marinating and searing the watermelon concentrates its flavor and primes it for this savory treatment.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6 Servings

Ingredients

3

pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1-inch pieces

½

cup unseasoned rice vinegar

¼

cup toasted sesame oil

3

tablespoons soy sauce

2

tablespoons fresh lime juice

2

tablespoons tahini

1

tablespoon agave nectar

1

tablespoon ume plum vinegar (optional)

Kosher salt

2

scallions, white and pale-green parts, thinly sliced

1

cup cilantro leaves with tender stems

Ingredient Info

Ume plum vinegar can be found at Japanese markets, natural foods stores, and some supermarkets.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place watermelon in a large resealable plastic bag. Purée rice vinegar, oil, soy sauce, lime juice, tahini, agave nectar, and plum vinegar in a blender until smooth. Pour over watermelon, seal bag, and chill at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

    Step 2

    Heat a large skillet over medium. Remove watermelon from marinade; set marinade aside. Cook watermelon, tossing often, until lightly caramelized and dried out, 6–8 minutes.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 12–15 minutes.

    Step 4

    Chill watermelon and sauce separately at least 1 hour.

    Step 5

    To serve, toss watermelon with sauce; taste and season with salt as needed. Top with scallions and cilantro.

    Step 6

    Do Ahead: Watermelon and sauce can be made 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 170 Fat (g) 12 Saturated Fat (g) 1.5 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Carbohydrates (g) 17 Dietary Fiber (g) 1 Total Sugars (g) 11 Protein (g) 3 Sodium (mg) 510
Explore Bon AppétitSaladWatermelonMelonFruitTahiniSummerStarterDairy-FreeVegetarianVeganHealthyishDinner
Sign In or Subscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Sesame-and-Soy Watermelon Poke?

Leave a Review

Reviews (5)

Back to Top

  • WOW WOW W.O.W. Honestly was blown away and am still in disbelief... I used this as my "tuna" in the BA Tuna Poke recipe (kept everything else in that recipe exactly the same/ just omitted tuna) and this was KILLER! The flavor is amazing and I'm still wrapping my brain around it- seriously mind-bending. Made the extra trip for the plum vinegar - it was really cheap and I think I'll find other uses for it. As a regular fish eater / poke lover I have to say this seriously hit the spot, the texture (see small change I did) was spot on- crazy. When the dish came together it was hitting all the same notes for me - it didn't feel like a "replacement" or anything - I didn't miss the fish, and it felt like very legit (and SUPER flavorful!) poke! Who knew watermelon had these tricks up her sleeve?! **The only change was that I really liked the squishier (there's gotta be a better word for that...) texture it was starting to get after sautéing in the pan, but I wanted to take it a lot further and get rid of any residual crunch, so (inspired by a similar recipe) I laid the cubes out on a sheet tray and threw them in the oven at ~400 degrees for about an hour (stirring every like 10 mins or so) - then it REALLY got tuna-y. Still kept the marinade, reduced - did everything else the recipe called for. My boyfriend doesn't eat fish (but used to) and the texture was blowing his mind too - he told me it felt exactly like he was eating salmon. I felt like this was a gamble but I trust y'all at BA and this really didn't disappoint! Glad I took the leap and went for it!

    • kmarxmarx

    • chicago, il

    • 6/10/2019