Caribbean Shrimp Salad

Summer is here in full force. It was a scorcher today. Our temperature here was 95* F or 35*C. I didn’t really feel like cooking or eating anything heavy. It was definitely salad weather. So I made a delicious Caribbean shrimp salad with an orange vinaigrette to help cool us down.

Caribbean Shrimp Salad

This cool refreshing salad will definitely help when the temperatures are soaring. It is filled with all kinds of fresh veggies and the slightly spicy orange vinaigrette will give you that tropical Caribbean vibe no matter where you are. I made the dressing first because I also used that as my marinade for the shrimp. I marinated the shrimp for about 30-45 minutes before cooking them. I sauteed them, but they would also be great grilled too.

Orange Vinaigrette

1-2 TBSP honey

1 cup orange juice

3/4 cup olive oil

2 TBSP orange olive oil, optional

2 TBSP orange vinegar, optional

fresh black pepper to taste

1 red chili pepper, diced fine

2-3 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade

Whisk everything together and set aside until ready to use. I used about 2/3 cup to marinade my shrimp.

The Salad

2 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

1/3 cucumber, sliced thin

1 tomato, diced

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

1-2 TBSP green onions, sliced

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

1/4 avocado, sliced, optional

cheese of your choice, optional

roasted pepita seeds, optional

Of course Larry’s salad had cheese and mine had the avocado slices and the pepita seeds.

Once the salads were made, I put enough dressing on them to make them come to life without drowning them in dressing. I served them with some toasted bread and chilled white wine on the side. It was a deliciously perfect way to cool down on these dog days of summer.

Lighten up a bit, especially when the hot weather weighs you down. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.