Fire up the grill, because here’s an easy summer dinner recipe ready to impress…Grilled Shrimp Salad! This one is all about the season: flip flops and cicadas humming and the clinking of ice cubes in a tall glass of homemade lemonade. The first bite is a burst of flavor: smoky shrimp, savory feta and the tangy burst of a fresh tomato vinaigrette. Throw a few extra veggies on the grill, and you’ve got an impressive summer dinner in for all your patio meals.
Elements in this grilled shrimp salad
This grilled shrimp salad recipe is full of massive flavor. The main idea: you’ll grill shrimp on skewers and add some veggies alongside, also on skewers. Whip up a quick creamy dressing, then serve them all over greens. Here are the basic elements:
Shrimp, medium-sized (see below)Yellow bell pepperCherry tomatoesAvocado (optional)GreensFeta cheeseTomato Vinaigrette dressing
What to look for when buying shrimp
There’s lots of variation at the store when it comes to buying shrimp. Here’s what we prefer for this grilled shrimp salad recipe:
Medium to large shrimp: Try to find 26-30 per pound size, if you canTail on or peeled: Tail on looks the prettiest, and helps so it doesn’t dry out on the grill. You can use fully peeled if you like: just keep an eye on it Deveined: This is preferable to save a step of deveiningFresh or frozen: You can use either! Frozen can be as high quality as fresh if it’s frozen as soon as it’s caught. Make sure to thaw the shrimp while you’re preheating. Wild caught: Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
Tips for grilling with skewers!
This grilled shrimp salad recipe works with or without skewers. We like using skewers because it presents a nice visual and they’re easy to grill. But if you don’t have them, you can throw both the shrimp and veggies right onto the grill. Here’s what to know:
Soak wooden skewers. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them about 20 minutes so they don’t burn on the grill. You can do this while preheating!Thread the shrimp on and make them just touch. This helps to minimize spinning when you’re flipping them, and helps keep the shrimp in place.Alternate directions of the tails. This makes for a stunning visual: see below.
Make the homemade tomato vinaigrette
The stunning centerpiece of this grilled shrimp salad? The dressing! This homemade Tomato Vinaigrette takes 2 minutes to whip up in a blender and it’s bursting with ripe, summery tomato flavor. If you don’t have ripe tomatoes on hand, skip to the next section. But we highly recommend seeking them out for this recipe! All you need to do is blend these ingredients in a blender until creamy:
1 ripe tomatoOlive oilWhite wine vinegarDijon mustardSalt
It’s truly stunning! We hope you love it as much as we do. But if you prefer another dressing…
Other dressings for grilled shrimp salad
There are lots of other homemade dressing ideas for grilled shrimp salad. Of course, if you’re running low on time, use store-bought! There are lots of great options out there these days, many of which are organic. Opt for homemade, and we recommend these creamy dressing options:
Green Goddess dressing: Try Zesty Green Goddess Dressing (or for vegan, Creamy Cilantro Sauce)Chipotle dressing: Opt for Chipotle Ranch Dressing (or for vegan, Easy Chipotle Sauce)Caesar dressing: Go with Caesar Dressing Recipe (or for vegan, Vegan Caesar Dressing)
And that’s it! Let us know what you think of this summer dinner in the comments below.
More grilled dinner recipes
Love summer grilling? Here are some of our favorite grilled dinner ideas you might enjoy:
Throw it all in a tortilla for Grilled Shrimp TacosMake delicious Easy Grilled Tilapia with blistered tomatoesGo for classic Perfect Grilled SalmonOpt for a Portobello Mushroom Burger
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