A mélange of bright tastes and textures comes together in this colorful salad.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
½ teaspoon Thai sweet chili sauce (Blue Tiger is one brand)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad
4 cups chilled watermelon (rind and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch chunks)
½ cup sliced, unpeeled English cucumber, with slices cut into half-moons (or a peeled and seeded sliced regular cucumber with slices cut into half-moons)
½ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup lightly packed fresh Thai basil leaves (or basil leaves), torn in pieces
¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Sriracha or other hot sauce (as an accompaniment when serving)
Preparation:
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime and orange juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, chili sauce, and grated ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a serving bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber, and dressing. Fold in the mint and basil. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.
Serve the salad as soon as it’s mixed. Provide with sriracha or other hot sauce on the side for those who prefer their salad with a bit of heat.
–Adapted from a recipe by Tina Jeffers at scalingbackblog.com
Recipe tested by Ellen Ficklen; email questions to hello@watermelontimes.com