Whenever I make a salad for dinner my husband will say, “we’re having salad and…?” It’s sort of become a joke between us, but it’s hard for him to break that mentality that salads can only be sides or something to start a meal. I do have to add some crusty bread to round out the meal and appease my husbands request for something more substantial, but that is no problem for me. We are carb lovers around here.
It’s a hot week around the country, and this salad is the perfect solution to not turning on your oven for dinner. Just use precooked shrimp to make it even easier!
Shrimp, Honeydew and Feta Salad, adapted from Fine Cooking
- 1-1/2 lb. extra-jumbo (16 to 20 per lb.) shrimp, peeled (tails left on, if you like) and deveined
- Kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbs. finely chopped shallots
- 1 medium lime, finely grated to yield 1 tsp. zest, squeezed to yield 4 tsp. juice
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1 medium (3 to 4 lb.) honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4 cups)
- 8 oz. feta, crumbled (about 1-1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint
Season the shrimp lightly with salt and cayenne.
In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the shrimp and cook on one side until pink, about 1 minute. Flip and add the shallots, lime zest, and 1 tsp. of the lime juice. Turn the heat to medium and cook until just opaque throughout, about 1 minute more.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the frisée and the melon in the vinaigrette. Divide equally among 4 dinner plates, top with the shrimp, feta, and mint and serve.
