I made this salad tonight for dinner! It is soooo the epitome of summer.
The salty sourness of the dressing is PERFECTLY balanced by the sweetness of the watermelon.
The crunch of the radishes and the peppery arugula add such a nice kick! The feta brings a nice bite & texture to the party and the rest is history.
I will make this at least a few more times before summer is over!
It’s health on a plate! Thanks to Jamie Oliver, I got a HUGE dose of fruits & veggies today. And it’s husband approved, so what could be better?
And look at all of those herbs! Your mouth will thank you. The aftertaste is overwhelmingly good. I am tempted NOT to have dessert tonight because I still have that minty-ness lingering… You think I can hold out? We’ll see……
Thai Watermelon Salad
(recipe Jamie Oliver’s Family Dinners)
Salad:
1/4 of a watermelon
2 handfuls of fresh cilantro leaves
2 handfuls of arugula
2 handfuls of fresh mint leaves
1 small bunch of radishes, finely sliced
a handful of peanuts or sunflower seeds (i used sunflower)
4oz feta cheese
Dressing:
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
juice of 3 or 4 limes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove the skin from the watermelon and cut the flesh into small cubes, removing as many seeds as you can.
When you pick the cilantro leaves, remove the stringier part of the stalks but keep the finer ones, as they are nice to eat. Place in a bowl with the rocket, mint, watermelon and radishes. Put the ginger, chilli, soy sauce, olive oil and sesame oil into a smaller bowl and add just enough lime juice to cut through the oil–the number of limes you use will depend on how juicy they are. Season to taste and make sure the dressing is well balanced.
Place your peanuts or sunflower seeds in the oven or in a pan and warm through, then roughly pound them up in a pestle and mortar or in a metal bowl using the end of a rolling pin. Dress the salad really quickly. (You can use more dressing if you wish, but any left over is great to keep in the fridge to use the next day). Divide between the plates, sprinkle over the hot peanuts or sunflower seeds and crumble the feta cheese over the top.
