Healthy Eating...Featuring Chopped Shrimp Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette #salads #healthy2022 #gulfshrip #healthyliving

Where has the Summer gone to? It seems like it was just Memorial Day…and now Labor Day is literally around the corner. But? It's still hot here in Texas, so we're looking for light meals that fill us up without leaving us feeling stuffed. My Chopped Shrimp Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette is refreshing on a warm evening…but it’s filling enough to satisfy hearty appetites. The trick to preparing this salad as quickly as possible is to start with peeled and deveined shrimp. With that and a bit of multitasking, this flavorful salad is ready to serve in about 30 minutes. It features chopped grilled shrimp, avocado, crumbled goat cheese, crisp veggies, and a couple of crunchy components. Don’t be intimidated by the homemade dressing – it only uses a few simple ingredients and comes together quickly. 

Chopped Shrimp Salad 
with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes 2-3 servings):

• 1 9-10 oz bag chopped romaine
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and cut into half moon slices
• 12 grape tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 medium avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch green onion, sliced
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 3/4 cup packaged wonton strips
• ¾ cup sliced almonds
• 1 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined -- tails removed 
• 2 TBS Cajun seasoning blend
• 1 TBS olive oil

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 TBS fresh lime juice
• 1.5 TBS honey
• 1 tsp. dried cilantro
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Step 1: Evenly coat a cast-iron grill pan with the olive oil. Heat grill pan over med-high heat for five minutes. Sprinkle zucchini slices with half of the Cajun spice. Grill zucchini pieces until they're cooked and have grill marks on both sides. On my grill pan, this took about 5 minutes per side. While the zucchini cooks, sprinkle remaining Cajun seasoning on the shrimp and toss to evenly coat.

Step 2: After the zucchini has cooked, set aside. Reduce heat to medium and sear shrimp until they're cooked through. This takes about 5 minutes, flipping the shrimp halfway through the cooking time. Remove cooked shrimp to a cutting board and chop into bite-sized pieces. While the shrimp cook, this gives you time to slice the green onions, grape tomatoes, and avocado.

Step 3: Make the dressing by adding olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, honey, and salt & pepper to a small cup. Whisk until honey is completely incorporated.

Step 4: To assemble the salad, add chopped romaine to the bottom of a large, shallow serving bowl; drizzle with half of the vinaigrette. Place chopped shrimp in the middle, in a circular pattern. Arrange the almonds, wonton crisps, avocado, tomatoes, green onions, goat cheese, and zucchini around the perimeter of the bowl. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette on top of the salad. Just before serving, toss to thoroughly combine all ingredients.

This salad is an explosion of flavors and textures...making every bite slightly different. The creamy goat cheese and avocado, crunchy almonds and wonton strips...and the sweet and spicy shrimp...combine to make a fabulous main dish salad. I had never added zucchini to a salad before, but their earthy flavor worked really nicely with the tomatoes and green onions. The dressing was perfect: light and sweetly tart. I love this salad!

The good news? This versatile salad can be altered to fit a wide range of dietary needs! If your family is allergic to – or doesn’t eat – seafood, sub in cubes of grilled chicken. To make it vegetarian-friendly, use cubed tofu or roasted chickpeas. If you're like me and watching your carbs? Leave off the wonton crisps...and use Walden Farms Honey Balsamic dressing in place of the homemade vinaigrette.