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 fried shallots finish it off.

A platter of salad on a green tiled surface.

Basil, Melon & Shrimp Salad

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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.