Grilled Shrimp Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com.

Now that the days are long and the temps are high the outdoor grill seems to be the logical cooking choice. It seems wrong to cool the house down with air only to heat it up by turning on the oven.   I’ve been craving light and healthy foods but after long days working and playing I still want something hearty. In this week’s Cooking with Heinen’s post, I’m sharing one of my favorite meals for these hot days. Grilled Shrimp Salad With Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.

Now anyone can grill shrimp and dump them on a salad but here we’re grilling everything, even the lettuce!  This salad will be on the menu at least once a week over the summer.  I just change up the protein to keep it fresh for my gang.  If you are a vegetarian and want to omit the protein this salad is delicious even without the shrimp.  I love the smokey flavor and slightly softer texture you get when you grill hearts of Romain.  I use a gas grill but trust me, it is even better over an open wood fire.

Grilled Shrimp Salad With Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

FOR THE SHRIMP:

• 1 ¼ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons olive oil,
• ½ teaspoon salt

FOR THE SALAD:

• 3 hearts local greens (Sliced down the center with end intact)
• 2 ears of corn, husked
• 2 bell peppers (yellow, red, orange whatever you like)
• one sweet or red onion sweet
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 large avocado, diced (optional)
• 2 ½ cups of chopped grape tomatoes

HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE:

• 1 tablespoon yellow or Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• ⅓ cup olive oil

Method:

1. SHRIMP: Add the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and salt in a bowl. Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Let marinade for 10-15 minutes while you chop all the veggies and prepare the dressing. Place 4-6 shrimp on wooden skewers before grilling.
2. VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of honey with a pinch of salt. Continue whisking as you stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust with an additional tablespoon of honey if you prefer your dressing a little sweeter.
3. GRILLING: Preheat the grill and spray with cooking spray if desired. Grill time will vary for the ingredients so start with the corn. Spray the corn with cooking spray, season with a pinch of salt and roast, turning every 4-5 minutes for about 15-18 minutes total. Add the whole bell pepper and onion next and grill for 1 minute or longer if you’d like it to char a bit. Add the shrimp skewers near the end of cooking time, they’ll take about 2-3 minutes per side. Spray the romaine hearts with cooking spray and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt, grill for about 2-3 minute on each side.
4. ASSEMBLE: Add the chopped cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes to a large salad bowl. Chop and add the local greens. Chop the corn kernels off the corn. Dice the bell pepper. Add all the ingredients to the bowl and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.