Shrimp Taco Salad

I know most people don’t hear the term showstopper and think “salad,” but this one is my summer party showstopper. It’s the salad I make when I want to put one dish on the table and really impress people. It’s a Big Salad™ full of color, texture, and herby honey-lime shrimp.

When I make this salad at home (and I do, a few times every summer and a few more year-round), I like to make a grated tomato dressing for the lettuce base and drizzle jalapeño ranch over top. I’ve simplified things (a little!) by skipping that step, but you can get the same effect by tossing the salad base with a few spoonfuls of pico de gallo if you like. 

Don’t worry, though: There is still plenty of flavor. Sautéed zucchini and corn add some caramelized summer flavor. Cool, buttery avocado, salty crumbled queso fresco, and a handful of crushed plantain or tortilla chips add great textural and taste variety. Dollops of refried beans add just the right amount of warmth and savory richness.

Being a big salad, the key is to get an even distribution of all the goods. Use a big, shallow serving bowl or platter. Or, spread everything out on a sheet pan for maximum coverage. Either way, the crowd goes wild when you set this on the table!

• A salad to impress! When you put this on the table, get ready for people to ooh and aah. You truly don’t need anything else.
• Don’t sleep on the beans. Dollops of warm refried beans might not seem like they belong here, but they add so much substance and complexity to the salad.

• Shrimp. Use some bigger shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), as they are the star of the show.
• Zucchini. Sautéed zucchini or summer squash add freshness and textural variety. When they’re out of season, omit them or substitute with sliced onions and bell peppers.
• Corn. Use fresh corn when it’s in season, but you can swap it for thawed frozen corn year-round.
• Refried beans (optional). Dollops of warm refried beans make this salad more substantial and more fun.
• Jalapeño ranch dressing. Use ranch seasoning and pickled jalapeños (and their brine) to flavor an easy, creamy dressing.
• Chips. Crush salted plantain chips or tortilla chips over the salad for some crunch.

Look, I know this is not the simplest salad to make. It’s not hard, but it has a lot going on. That’s a good thing for your taste buds, although I know from personal experience sometimes you just can’t. In that case, I like to look at the picture and scan through the ingredients and think about what I’d really miss. If I don’t care about the tomatoes, I skip them. If I’d be sad to eat the salad without little pops of seared corn, I keep them in! It’s really that simple: Keep what you’d be sad to skip, and skip what you wouldn’t miss.

If you keep the dressing the same, most Big Salads are just a starting off point that you can adjust as you see fit. This salad also feeds a lot of people (six, or a very hungry four). You can absolutely halve the ingredients for fewer people. Or, only dress and assemble the portions you’re serving right now and save the rest for later.

• Toss the lettuce base mixture in pico de gallo and drizzle the ranch over top.
• Use your fave bottle of store-bought ranch dressing and stir in the pickled jalapeños and brine.
• Swap romaine for little gem lettuce.
• Use 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn instead of fresh when it’s not in season.
• Add or swap in radish slices, carrot matchsticks, or any other vegetable you like. Try sautéed cubed eggplant, onions, or sliced bell peppers in place of zucchini.
• Sprinkle with roasted pepitas instead of or in addition to crushed chips.
• Use shredded Monterey Jack cheese instead of queso fresco.

Salad Person is my column dedicated to making better, more delicious salads at home that you’re actually excited to eat. Each month, I’ll provide tips and techniques so you can enjoy them as much as I do — which is a lot! Follow along and find the recipes here.