Chipotle Shrimp Salad

When I’m feeling like a light, healthy dinner, big salads are my go-to plan. This week, I was particularly in the mood for shrimp, and really went all out by picking up some fresh, local (and very expensive) shrimp at our neighborhood market. I figured the meal had to be pretty phenomenal to relieve my guilt for dropping $20 on 10 shrimp- yup, I REALLY wanted shrimp, and okay, I didn’t look at the price very closely… Mark gave this one a whopping 10 out of 10 on the KellyInTheKitch scale- a first time perfecto! The homemade marinade and salad dressing were well worth the time spent slicing and dicing!

Chipotle Shrimp Salad

10 large shrimp

Marinade

4 teaspoons olive oil

Zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice                                               

1 teaspoon sauce from can of chipotles en adobo sauce (I never use a whole can, and keep leftovers in the freezer)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dressing

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Zest of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, minced

Salad

4 cups chopped lettuce

2 tomatoes, chopped

4 scallions, sliced thin

4 tablespoons olives, sliced

4 tablespoons corn

1/2 avocado, chopped

4 tablespoons Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, keeping them on ice while working.
2. Combine and whisk all marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Let the shrimp marinade for at least 20 minutes.
3. While the shrimp is marinating, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside and refrigerate.
4. Prepare the salad by chopping the lettuce, and adding all salad ingredients evenly between the two salads.
5. Prepare the shrimp on the grill or on a grill pan in the oven (I threw mine on my heavy Le Cruset grill pan in the oven). If using a grill, grill for about 2-3 minutes on each side; if grilling in the oven, broil in a heavy pan for about 4 minutes on each side. I poured the marinade over the shrimp before broiling for extra flavor. For either method, the shrimp should be just opaque in the middle when done.
6. Add the grilled shrimp to the salads, and evenly pour salad dressing on top.

Recipe serves two.

Normally, I have a few suggestions for ways that the recipe could be altered or improved, but this one was pretty perfect! The dressing was fabulous and would be great on a taco salad or Mexican chicken salad. Served with my favorite corn muffins (check back for the recipe!), this was a satisfying and healthy meal!