Grilled Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
For the cilantro vinaigrette
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
For the grilled vegetables
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
- 1/2 red onion, cut into quarters
- 1 jalapeno, halved (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
For grilled shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp (25-30 count), peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 4-6 ounces Cotija cheese
Instructions
- 1
Preheat grill - Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. If you are using gas, turn your burners on medium-high and allow to preheat. If you are using charcoal, prepare for direct heat grilling.
- 2
Make the vinaigrette - In a glass jar with a lid, combine the lime juice, minced cilantro, mustard, sugar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the lid and shake well to combine all of the ingredients. Set aside. The vinaigrette can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. It's best served at room temperature. If you have leftover dressing, it will keep fine in the fridge for a week.
- 3
Grill the vegetables - Drizzle the peppers and onions with olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and using tongs add to your preheated grill. Grill the vegetables for 4-5 minutes per side until they are well charred and tender. Using tongs, remove from the grill and let cool. Roughly chop the vegetables for the salad.
- 4
Prep and season the shrimp - In a large bowl, add the shrimp. Drizzle with olive oil and season with chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Then skewer the shrimp, dividing them between 4 skewers. If you use wooden/bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them well so they don't burn completely on the grill.
- 5
Grill the shrimp - Add shrimp skewers to grill (I recommend lightly oiling grill to prevent sticking) and grill for 2-3 minutes per side. The shrimp are done when they are pink and no longer translucent in the center. Remove shrimp from grill and serve them as soon as possible.
- 6
Assemble the salad and serve - Add the romaine lettuce into a large serving plate or bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of the vinaigrette. Top with chopped, grilled vegetables, grilled shrimp, sweet corn, avocado, cherry tomatoes, scallions, and crumbled Cotija cheese. Serve.
- 7
Storage - Leftover salad ingredients are best stored separately and without dressing. Shrimp will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you do have salad that is dressed, it will keep okay for 1 day in the fridge, but the texture will change.
