Watermelon Ahi Tuna Salad

The combination of juicy watermelon, marinated zesty ahi tuna, and fresh cucumber in this Watermelon Ahi Tuna Salad makes for the perfect light and refreshing summer salad or meal starter!

I am so excited to share a few fabulous recipes, along with a recap, from our Hampton’s blogger retreat I co-hosted last month! I shared the Frosè last week, and this week I am sharing this amaing salad. We hired Chef Renee Blackman,  A seasoned talent with experience in the culinary industry,

Photo by Raul Velasco of Alejandro Photography

For one of our dinners, we decided to stay in and we hired Chef Renee Blackman, a super talented chef who was also on Food Network’s CHOPPED! We knew she was the right fit and could make a creative, Instagram-worthy meal for us!

Photo by Raul Velasco of Alejandro Photography

Chef Renee made us the most amazing meal, including this salad, and I knew I had to recreate it for all of you!

Check out this amazing video she made of our special evening!

I made a few swaps to the recipe so it would be a perfect fit for all of you, plus I fried up those shallots with a new tip I learned to ensure they fry perfectly without burning!

Watermelon Ahi Tuna Salad

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Chili marinade:

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 2 1/4 teaspoon fresh lime juice, about 1/2 lime
• 1 small poblano pepper, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons chili paste (add this in at the end, after blending mixture)

Everything else:

• 1 lb. sushi-grade tuna
• 1 shallot, finely sliced

Instructions

1. Using a very sharp knife, trim away any skin from the tuna fillet. Cut the tuna into 1/4-inch cubes and place in a bowl. Add the chili marinade ingredients, minus the chili paste, to the blender and emulsify. Mix in the chili paste into the marinade then pour onto tuna and add salt to taste at the very end.
2. Use a mandolin (or a vegetable peeler) slice the cucumbers to be paper thin in the end result. When the cucumbers are sliced, roll them up and set to the side.
3. Slice the shallots then and then fry them. To fry the shallots: Place 1/4 cup of avocado oil or oil of choice into a small saucepan. While the oil is cold, add in the sliced shallots. Bring to frying temperature (375ºF) and fry until golden. Watch often to avoid burning. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towel until ready to serve. *The key is not heating the oil beforehand.
4. While the tuna is marinating, cut the watermelon into half-inch cubes (2 cups) and lightly season with salt t o the watermelon to bleed.
5. Assemble: Add the tuna and place a few watermelon cubes, garnish with shallots and cucumber rolls, top with cilantro and micro greens.

Notes

Adapted from Chef Renee Blackman

Nutrition

• Calories: 247
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 75mg
• Fat: 3g
• Saturated Fat: 0.7g
• Carbohydrates: 12.8g
• Fiber: 0.9g
• Protein: 41g
• Cholesterol: 77mg