Make Vegan Poké Taste Like the Real Thing, Thanks to One Dietitian-Approved Simple Trick

Poké has been trendy for quite a while now. The dish—which is essentially a raw fish salad (and a longtime staple in Hawaiian cuisine)—often features tuna as its star ingredient, making the meal a little hard to replicate in a vegan diet. But never say never: All it takes to make a plant-based dupe is your go-to summer fruit and some heat.

When Lisa Hayim, RD, founder of The Well Necessities, set out to make the dish, she grabbed some ultra-hydrating watermelon. Because it already has a similar texture to tuna, the next steps are easy: Cover up the sweet flavor with something more savory, then toss it in the oven.

YES, that’s a simply satisfying VEGAN poke ?. Made from WATA-MELON ? And perfect for your outdoor BBQ this weekend!! It’s paired with the NEW NEW NEW gluten free crispbreads from @wasausa. I’ve crushed this recipe with the perfect HACK to make the watermelon consistency feel just like poke. Linked in bio to grab this 5-ingredient recipe, the hack, and learn about the new gluten free line from @wasausa. #SimplySatisfying #wasapartner #SimplyWasa #glutenfree #Wasaglutenfree

A post shared by LiLi Hayim MS, RD. DC + NY (@thewellnecessities) on Jul 19, 2018 at 11:57am PDT

After cubing two cups of the fruit, Hayim says to coat the pieces with a mixture of 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, and 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce, then spread them out in an oven-safe dish and bake them for 30 to 40 minutes at 400°F. "The key and secret here to making the texture compare to real tuna poké is to use the oven. It’s totally optional, and tastes delicious either way, but it becomes firmer when baked briefly," she writes in her blog post.

The oven is usually the last place you'd find the sweet summer fruit, but hey—when it comes to creating an epic poké bowl that will fool your meat-eating friends, it's a must-try.

Here's how to make a creamy vegan sour cream alternative in seconds, no blender needed. Or, use this meat-free recipe during your next taco night.