Southwest Grilled Shrimp Salad

Last Year's Post:  Chicken with Fresh Cherry Salsa
Two Years Ago:   Farro, Kale and Smoked Mozzarella Salad

I found a bag of seriously gigantic frozen shrimp at Costco the other day and have been amusing myself with finding recipes worthy of their magnificence ever since. This particular recipe is a study in contrasting colors, textures, and flavors that shows off the beautiful grilled shrimp while simultaneously being very light and healthy - a perfect summer meal.

You can vary the heat level by the type of spice blend you choose and also by whether you add the spice to the corn and zucchini in addition to the shrimp.  Living in Arizona, I have a jar of hatch chile spice blend that's pretty potent so I went easy on the corn and zucchini but a little bit heavier on the shrimp.

I could just eat everything on this plate and call it a meal, couldn't you?

If you really like heat, you could always add some sliced jalapenos to the salad as well.  The sweetness of the corn and creaminess of the avocado are a good balance for the heat.

All you do is make a light lime-cumin dressing, quickly grill the veggies and shrimp, then toss everything together.  Easy, quick, healthy and delicious.

printable recipe

Southwest Grilled Shrimp Salad

Serves 4

1 ear corn, husked

2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise

10 colossal or 14 extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Southwest seasoning blend

1 small head of butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized bits

1 avocado

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Juice of ½ lemon

Dressing:

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients by whisking in a small bowl or shaking in a jar; set aside. 

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill.  Brush the corn, zucchini and shrimp with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Season with southwest seasoning to taste.  Grill the corn and zucchini for 2 minutes on all sides until grill-marked and crisp-tender.  Grill the shrimp until the meat is opaque and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Let cool slightly.

Cut the corn kernels from the cob, and chop the zucchini into ½” pieces.  Chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces, discarding the tails.

Halve and pit the avocado, then score each half with a small knife into a cross-hatch pattern.  Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into a small bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning.  (It should be in chunks.)

Place the lettuce in a large serving bowl or individual salad bowls.  Top with corn, zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, and shrimp.  Drizzle with dressing and toss before serving.