No matter the season, we will always make space for a fresh salad on the table. To make it more comforting for autumn, we added some Thai chicken to this salad. And make sure you make it soon while the last of summer’s watermelons are still on the shelves. This beautiful watermelon salad is healthy, wholesome, fresh and packed with flavour

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 30 mins, plus marinating time

INGREDIENTS
For the Thai chicken
100 ml olive oil
50 ml soy sauce
100 ml teriyaki sauce
50 ml Ponzu dressing
Juice of 1 lime
3 cloves garlic, bruised
1 tsp chopped red chilli
Small piece of ginger, grated
10g basil, roughly chopped
6 chicken breasts
50 ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
For the  watermelon salad
3 cups cubed watermelon
250g feta, broken into chunks
250g baby salad leaves, washed
½ cup sliced spring onion
½ cup finely sliced bamboo shoots
50g sesame seeds, toasted
For the dressing
Juice of 2 limes
100g basil, roughly chopped
100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Salt

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Combine 50 ml olive oil, soy and teriyaki sauces, Ponzu dressing, lime juice, garlic, chilli, ginger and basil to form a marinade.
3. Place the chicken breasts in the mixture for 1–2 hours, or overnight.
4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan over high heat and brown both sides of the chicken breasts.
5. Place the chicken on a baking tray, season and cook in the oven for 8–10 minutes. Remove from oven then slice each breast into 2 cm-thick pieces and set aside.
6. Place the watermelon, feta chunks, baby salad leaves, spring onion, bamboo shoots and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl, and combine.
7. Mix the lime juice and chopped basil together, slowly whisk in the olive oil, then season with salt to serve.
8. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
9. Place the salad on plates and top with the sliced chicken breasts.

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