Crisp salad greens, grilled shrimp, sweet raspberries, creamy avocado and tender hearts of palm make for a hit summer salad. You can even grill the shrimp ahead, chill and use for lunch the next day, which is how this recipe came to be. The raspberry vinaigrette doubles as marinade for the shrimp and dressing for the salad.
1 ½tablespoonsfresh chopped cilantro or parsleyoptional
Instructions
Prepare shrimp
If shrimp are not already cleaned, peel and devein them, rinse gently under a trickle of cold water and set aside on paper towels to dry.
Make marinade
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Reserve ½ a cup of the vinaigrette in a small bowl to use for dressing the salad.
Marinate shrimp
Add the cleaned shrimp to the rest of the marinade and toss to coat. Allow them to marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes. While shrimp are marinating, prepare the grill, grill pan or broiler. Quarter the avocado, slice the hearts of palm crosswise. Place salad greens in four bowls.
Grill shrimp
Cook the shrimp, turning once, just until they are pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the shrimp to the salad bowl along with the berries, avocado quarter, and hearts of palm. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley if desired. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette per person and serve.
Notes
Depending on the natural sweetness of your vinegar you may need to add a little more oil. Taste it and adjust for your preference. If it needs sweetness, add a little honey. The traditional ratio for a vinaigrette is 3:1, oil to vinegar, and adjust from there for your preferred taste. For shrimp, I use the 16-20 size. If you can't get them, smaller shrimp work just fine and are more budget friendly. Figure 16 ounces to serve 4 for lunch and 4-6 ounces for a dinner size or for bigger appetites.