This vibrant summer salad works equally great as a side dish or light lunch. It also travels well, should the urge to eat al fresco strike. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for a few days.
Meal in the making
To make this salad more of a complete meal, add whatever protein you have on hand. Shredded roast chicken, sautéed prawns, or grilled tofu all make wonderful additions.
Super sambal
Sambal is an Indonesian condiment that is made up of fresh and dried ground spices and herbs. Just like chutney in India or salsa in Mexico, there are countless variations of sambals all across Indonesia. In North America, we typically find a sambal called sambal oelek on our grocery shelves.
- 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp liquid clover honey
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp sambal oelek or 1 finely chopped bird’s eye chili
- 1 cup Tbsp + 1/3loosely packed mint leaves divided
- 1 cup snow peas ends trimmed
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 5 1/2 oz rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 14 oz watermelon cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves or regular basil leaves
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp roughly chopped toasted peanuts optional
- 1 lime cut into wedges for serving
- In small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, fish sauce, honey, water, and sambal oelek or chopped chili until well combined. Finely chop 1 Tbsp mint leaves and stir into dressing. Set aside while preparing salad, or transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Bring large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. While water is coming to a boil, prepare ice bath by placing a couple of handfuls of ice into large bowl and covering with cold water. Set aside.
- Blanch snow peas in boiling water for 10 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer to ice bath for 1 minute before placing on clean kitchen towel to drain. Repeat blanching and ice water bath treatment with bean sprouts, taking care to blanch bean sprouts in boiling water for only 5 seconds. Place bean sprouts to drain on clean kitchen towel alongside snow peas.
- Cook rice noodles according to package instructions and place in large bowl. Add about half the reserved dressing and toss to combine.
- Cut snow peas into bite-sized pieces and add to bowl with noodles along with bean sprouts, cherry tomato halves, watermelon pieces, torn basil leaves, green onion, and remaining 1/3 cup torn mint leaves. Drizzle with remaining dressing before gently tossing all together. Pile onto serving plates and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, if using, and lime wedges.
Per serving: 215 calories; 6 g protein; 2 g total fat (0 g sat. fat); 45 g total carbohydrates (11 g sugars, 4 g fiber); 590 mg sodium
