Shrimps, bean sprouts and watermelon salad

It is not, strictly speaking, a Vietnamese dish. I must say though that this shrimp and watermelon salad was inspired by the popular Vietnamese pomelo salad which can be prepared with shrimp or chicken. And the dressing we used is as Vietnamese as Vietnamese can be. Mixed fish sauce.

After attending a cooking class in Ho Chi Minh City where we learned to make Vietnamese mixed fish sauce properly, we were literally using the mixture in ways far beyond dipping cooked food in.

I had braised lamb shanks in it before (amazing results!), but using it as a salad dressing has always been among our favorite ways to enjoy it. For example:

Asian cold noodle salad

Blanched ramen, cooked shrimps, lightly fried eryngii mushrooms, pickled vegetables and soy sauce quail eggs are drizzled with Vietnamese mixed fish sauce to make this Asian cold noodle salad.

Get the recipe →Asian cold noodle salad

Although the title of this recipe says it’s a salad with shrimps, bean sprouts and watermelon, those three aren’t the only components of the salad. Romaine lettuce, mandarin orange segments and cubes of feta complete the mix.

Shrimps, bean sprouts and watermelon salad

Connie Veneracion

It is imperative that you serve the salad immediately. The watermelon will start expelling its juice the moment it gets in contact with the citrus juice in the dressing. So, right after tossing everything together, serve at once.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian Fusion

Servings 5 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 20 medium shrimps - peeled and deveined
• ▢ salt
• ▢ pepper
• ▢ 6 cups seedless watermelon cubes
• ▢ 1 cup mandarin orange segments - (available in jars and cans)
• ▢ 4 generous handfuls mung bean sprouts - rinsed and drained well
• ▢ 1 small head Romaine lettuce - torn into bite-zise pieces, rinsed and passed through the salad spinner
• ▢ 1 cup cubed feta

For the dressing

• ▢ ¼ cup mixed fish sauce

Instructions

 

Cook the shrimps

• In a frying pan, boil enough water to reach a depth of one inch. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Spread the shrimps in the boiling water and cook for two to two and a half minutes per side.
• Scoop out the shrimps and dry on a bed of paper towels. Cool.

Toss the fruits and vegetables

• In a large mixing bowl, toss together the watermelon cubes, mandarin orange segments, bean sprouts, lettuce and feta.
• Add the shrimps. Toss to distribute.
• Drizzle in the mixed fish sauce and toss a few more times.
• Serve immediately.

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Keyword Salad