Recipe: Grilled Cajun Shrimp Salad
This lighter take on a shrimp po'boy keeps all the big, bold flavors in a salad with grilled shrimp, avocado, pickled carrots, and lettuce in a creamy rémoulade dressing.
Serves3 to 4
Prep15 minutes
Cook8 minutes
Shrimp po’boys are a Southern classic, and this main-course salad pays homage to the tasty and popular fried shrimp sandwich. Instead of a roll, crunchy butter lettuce, avocado, and quick pickled carrots are tossed in a creamy rémoulade-inspired dressing made with Nakano® Seasoned Rice Vinegar to serve as the salad base. Smoky grilled shrimp dusted in Cajun or Creole spice is a lighter take on the traditional deep-fried shrimp, but is every bit as satisfying and flavorful.
Grilled Cajun Shrimp Salad
This lighter take on a shrimp po'boy keeps all the big, bold flavors in a salad with grilled shrimp, avocado, pickled carrots, and lettuce in a creamy rémoulade dressing.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 8 minutes
Serves 3 to 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
medium carrot (about 4 ounces)
- 3/4 cup
plus 2 teaspoons Nakano® Seasoned Rice Vinegar, divided
- 12 ounces
butter, Bibb, or Boston lettuce (1 large or 2 medium heads)
- 1 to 1 1/4 pounds
extra-jumbo uncooked shrimp (16 to 20 shrimp per pound), peeled and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon
vegetable oil, plus more for the grill
- 1 1/4 teaspoons
Cajun or Creole seasoning, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1
medium avocado
- 1/2 cup
reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon
sweet relish
- 2 teaspoons
Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon
prepared horseradish sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon
hot sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)
Instructions
Peel 1 medium carrot and halve lengthwise. Cut crosswise into thin half-moons. Bring 3/4 cup of the Nakano® Seasoned Rice Vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the carrots, and let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad and dressing.
Heat an outdoor grill for direct, medium-high heat (about 400ºF). (Alternatively, cook on a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat.) Meanwhile, cut or tear 12 ounces butter lettuce into bite-sized pieces, place in a large bowl, and refrigerate. Pat 1 to 1 1/4 pounds extra-jumbo peeled shrimp dry with paper towels, then place in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, season with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun or Creole seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and toss to combine.
Place the remaining 2 teaspoons Nakano® Seasoned Rice Vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning, 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sweet relish, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon each prepared horseradish sauce and hot sauce if desired in a small bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When the grill is ready, scrub the grill grates clean. Oil the grill grates with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil. Place the shrimp on the grill in a single layer, cover, and cook until grill marks appear on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the shrimp, cover, and cook until just firm, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a clean plate.
Drain the carrots, dice 1 medium avocado, and add both to the bowl of lettuce. Drizzle in about 2/3 of the dressing and toss to combine. Divide the salad among plates, top with the shrimp, and drizzle with more dressing.