Chimichurri & Corn Grilled Shrimp Salad
Grilled Shrimp Salad features succulent grilled shrimp generously slathered with flavorful chimichurri sauce, served over a leafy green salad bursting with buttery corn, sweet summer peppers, and slices of rich avocado. This shrimp salad recipe is fast to prepare, full of fresh flavors, and healthy to boot!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Large Shrimp 16-20 count per pound – peeled and deveined*
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 4-6 small Summer Peppers assorted colors
- 1 Avocado – thinly sliced
- 1 Head Bibb Lettuce or butter Lettuce
- 3 ears Corn – husked
Chimichurri:
- 1 Cup Parsley Leaves
- 1 Cup Cilantro Leaves
- 2 cloves Garlic – minced
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 TBS Lemon Juice
- 1 TBS Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ Cup Olive Oil plus more for grilling
- ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
Optional Garnishes: Lemon Wedges, Fresh Parsley, Fresh Cilantro, Micro Greens
Instructions
- OPTIONAL, Prepare the shrimp for skewers*: In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, baking soda and ½ tablespoon sea salt. Toss to coat. Thread the shrimp onto skewers* and making sure the shrimp are pushed up and nestled against each other. Lay the skewers across the top of a shallow baking dish so they are suspended. Transfer the dish to the refrigerator and allow to rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- OR, simply thread the unprepared shrimp onto skewers, making sure the shrimp are pushed up and nestled against each other.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chimichurri: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the oregano, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil and process until just combined. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and pinch of black pepper to taste. Pour the chimichurri into two small bowls (dividing it in half). Set both aside and allow the flavors to marry.
- Prepare the pepper skewers*:In a small bowl, toss the peppers with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Thread the peppers onto the skewers.
- Prepare the corn:Rub the ears of corn with olive oil and season generously with sea salt and pepper.
- Preheat the grill to medium high.Add the corn and peppers to the grill. Cook the corn for a total of 10 minutes, turning often, or until the corn is charred all over. Grill the peppers for a total of 5-7 minutes, turning once. Let the corn and peppers cool slightly.
- Increase the grill to high heat.Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and pat dry. Brush with olive oil and season generously with salt and peer. Grill the shrimp, turning once, for a total of 4-5 minutes, or until just cooked through and shrimp are opaque. Remove shrimp to a clean plate and brush generously with half of the chimichurri.
- Cut the kernels of corn off the cob and place in a medium sized bowl. Dice the peppers and add them to the bowl. Add in half of the reserved chimichurri and toss to coat.
- To Serve:Arrange the lettuce on a platter or individual plates and top with chimichurri coated corn and peppers, avocado and shrimp. Season with sea salt and pepper. Either drizzle with the remaining chimichurri, or serve it on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
1. The large (16/20 count) shrimp, and while you can go larger, I wouldn’t go any smaller. Small shrimp on the grill are easy to overcook, and they will become chewy.
2. The first step in the recipe – tossing the shrimp with baking soda and salt, then allowing them to air dry in the fridge – is completely optional, but HIGHLY recommended if you have the time. This step ensures juicer and plumper cooked shrimp. The end result is definitely worth the tiny bit of effort.
3. You can absolutely use frozen shrimp in this recipe. Just make sure you thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. Or, if you are in a pinch, you can thaw the shrimp under cool, running water.
4. If you are using wooden skewers versus metal skewers, make sure you soak the skewers in water for AT LEAST 30 minutes prior to threading the shrimp and peppers.
5. To keep the shrimp and peppers from spinning on the skewers, use TWO sets of skewers for each row of shrimp and for the peppers. (I removed the second set of skewers for my photos, so what you see pictured here is just one set)
6. If you are totally averse to cilantro, you can use just parsley in the chimichurri. However, if you are eliminating the cilantro, but you are up for a small foodie challenge, add a couple dashes of ground coriander to the chimichurri with the dried oregano. The coriander will provide a mild warm, spicy flavor that is typical of fresh cilantro.
7. The chimichurri can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Just make sure you give the chimichurri and good whisk before using.
Nutrition
Calories: 506kcal Carbohydrates: 7g Protein: 36g Fat: 36g Saturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 428mg Sodium: 1417mg Potassium: 580mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 2955IU Vitamin C: 37.9mg Calcium: 293mg Iron: 5.6mg