honey mustard shrimp, corn, and avocado salad
Brightening up the weekly outlook with a big fat bowl of green shit.
Summertime salads are a given. Our temperatures already push the mid-90s which means I’ll be a dead man walking by July 4th, so I might as well share as many of my favorite recipes before I dig my grave. Bluh.
I never loved romaine lettuce in prior years, I thought it was rather pointless at times. I’ve come around, though (radishes, however… Why the fuck do radishes exist?). A crunchy slab of romaine can be quite refreshing when paired with heartier components, like spicy shrimp, silky avocado, and a drizzle of honey mustard dressing. Sometimes you just don’t want arugula and its intense pepperiness, and kale doesn’t suit the occasion. In comes good ole romaine. Never doubting you again, buddy.
Fun fact: you can also grow your own romaine by submerging the butt in a big bowl of water. Change out the water every couple days and watch little roots form and leaves shoot out from the center. Pretty neat shit.
Little Shrimp, Big World
Cajun flavors are my favorite right now. Last week I shared some Crispy Cajun Buffalo Salmon Tacos that we adored, and now we’re spreading the Cajun love on some shrimp.
The shrimps are the only thing you need to cook, which only takes a few minutes. The rest of the prep time is just chopping and assembly.
My homemade Cajun seasoning consists of smoked paprika, thyme, garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. Very simple, basically an asston of various peppers.
Toss the shrimp in the aforementioned spices. Heat some oil in a skillet and cook 2-3 minutes per side. In the final bit, pour in a mix of honey and dijon mustard to infuse the shrimps. This creates a slightly sticky and flavorful layer over the hot spice coating.
Inside Job
Like I said, the rest of the recipe involves chopping and curating. The fun stuff.
Start with a big bowl of romaine lettuce. Add in some cherry tomatoes, corn (I love Trader Joes’ frozen roasted corn for this, but you can use canned or another frozen variety as you please), and avocado. Set the shrimp atop and sprinkle with plenty of feta.
Finally, the dressing. Nothing too fancy here, but a bit unique in the addition of mango jam as a sweetener and thickener. Fresh herbs and honey mustard highlight the vinaigrette otherwise. Whisk or shake it all up until well combined.
If serving right away, toss some of the greens in the dressing before adding the shrimp and feta. If not, or if you plan on leftovers, serve the dressing completely on the side and let individuals add as much or little as they please. Romaine will become a gloopy raggedy mess if you let it soak in a dressing for too long. Don’t know about you, but I’m already a gloopy raggedy mess myself, no need for my food to reflect that.
Honestly could go for an Earl Grey Lavender Vodka Lemonade with this. And definitely Triple Lemon Cupcakes for dessert. Just sayin.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
honey mustard shrimp, corn, and avocado salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 5-6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup canned or frozen corn (preferably fire roasted)
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
honey mustard dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp mango jam
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the smoked paprika, thyme, garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and a good pinch of salt.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium. Cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes. Whisk together the honey and dijon mustard and pour over the shrimp, tossing for an additional minute or two. Move the shrimp to a plate.
- In a bowl or jar, whisk or shake the ingredients for the dressing until emulsified. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Dump the lettuce into a large serving bowl. Toss with the roasted corn, avocado, tomatoes, and a couple spoonfuls of dressing. Arrange the shrimp and crumbled feta overtop. Divide into bowls and serve with the remaining dressing on the side.
