There’s no such thing as growing too many kinds of basil. Licorice-y Thai basil is especially good in this Southeast Asian-inspired salad, but feel free to use any variety here. Treat the leaves like salad greens and give them a good toss to impart their flavour to the dressing and make them more tender. Our crispy shallots finish it off.
Basil, Melon & Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp finely chopped palm sugar or packed light-brown sugar
- 1 to 2 Thai chilies thinly sliced
Salad
- ½ small honeydew melon peeled and seeds removed
- ½ English cucumber
- 250 g large peeled cooked shrimp patted dry
- 3 cups loosely packed assorted basil leaves like Thai, purple or dark opal
- ¼ cup crispy shallots homemade or store-bought
Instructions
Dressing
- In large salad bowl, stir together fish sauce, water, lime juice, palm sugar and chilies until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Salad
- Cut melon into bite-size chunks and add to salad bowl. Halve cucumber lengthwise and place cut-side down on cutting board; press down with the side of a chef’s knife to lightly crush. Chop into bite-size pieces and add to bowl with shrimp and basil. Gently toss to combine.
- To serve, sprinkle crispy shallots over top.
