Time to chill out

Quick, clever and irresistible no-cook dishes to keep you (and your kitchen) cool in the warmer months

- ANNA GLOVER

Watermelon and prawn salad with chilli mint dressing

A vibrant, refreshing salad that screams summer. Make it vegetarian by using soy sauce instead of fish sauce, and omitting the prawns. It's even better the next day when the noodles have sat in the dressing for longer and absorbed more of the sweet, spicy and sour dressing.

20 MINUTES | SERVES 4 EASY LC

rice vermicelli noodles 4 nests (about 150g)

bird’s-eye chillies 1-2, finely sliced, plus more to serve

limes 3, juiced, plus lime wedges to serve

brown sugar 1 tbsp

fish sauce or soy sauce 1-2 tbsp

mint a handful of leaves, shredded, plus extra leaves to serve

cucumber ½, deseeded and sliced at an angle

avocado 1, sliced

cooked peeled king prawns 200g

watermelon ½ small, cut into bite-sized wedges

salted roasted peanuts or cashews a small handful, chopped

1 Put the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with a kettleful of just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 8-10 minutes or until tender, while you make the dressing. Whisk together the chillies, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Taste for seasoning, adding more soy or fish sauce, sugar or lime to balance the dressing so it is sweet, salty, sour and spicy.

2 Drain the noodles well in a sieve, return to the bowl, then pour over most of the dressing. Add the mint and give everything a good toss to coat in the dressing. Transfer to a big platter or four plates. Top with the cucumber, avocado, prawns, watermelon and nuts. Spoon over the remaining dressing and scatter with mint leaves and more chilli to serve.