Thai Shrimp Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

October 29, 2018 by Nicole Collins

Guys, I can’t believe I’m just 2 days away from my first international adventure!

When we booked this trip back in March, it seemed like it would never get here. It was so distant!

But, time is flying, fo sho! Before we know it, it’ll be Christmas!

And, I am soooooooooo ready for Christmas. I’ve actually already decided that the day after I get home from my trip, I’m turning my house in to a winter wonderland and decorating for Christmas.

For anyone doing the math, yes that means I’ll be decorating for Christmas during the first week of November. Don’t judge me.

Because I’ve been so darn cold (at least that’s the excuse I’m going with), I have not been eating the healthiest that I could be. I’ve definitely been in comfort food mode, and I’ve honestly been getting a little too comfortable.

My scale told me so.

So, since I’m planning on being rolled back in to the U.S.A. because I’ll be so full of pizza, pasta, and wine; I figured I should probably pretend I’m quasi healthy again by eating a little lighter before I go. I’ve got to make room for all of the things I plan on eating, you know? I'm sure 2 days is enough time...

So, today we’re taking a turn for the healthy. But, we’re not sacrificing flavor one little bit. And, the colors in the salad…wowza. This is possibly one of the prettiest salads I’ve ever eaten. And, that’s reason enough to want to dig right in.

Today, we’re making Thai Shrimp Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing.

Let’s start with that dressing. Curry is one of those flavors that makes you feel warm from the inside out. So, that helps to make this salad still feel so comforting. We’re going to use green curry paste in this dressing which is a little milder than curry powder or red curry paste. We also mix the curry with some coconut milk, tahini, and a little lime juice to make our dressing creamy, earthy, and even a little sweet. It’s the perfect coating for all of the pretty shrimp and veggies we’re going to toss in our salad.

For our salad, I chose to use a red leaf lettuce. I just really love the color! But, green leaf lettuce certainly does the same job. Romaine would work too. Just no iceberg. Never iceberg.

We’re definitely going to taste the rainbow with this salad. We’ve got diced red pepper, shredded orange carrot, shelled green edamame, shredded purple cabbage, succulent pink shrimp, and crunchy cashews all getting piled on top of this salad. Then, it all gets drizzled in that green curry dressing to brighten it up even more!

This salad might seem light, but it will keep you perfectly full until your next meal. Since we’re using so many veggies, we can pile them on without any added guilt. Plus, the shrimp on top gives us some protein to help fill us up, as well.

This salad has so many different flavors and textures, and that’s the tell tale sign of a good salad to me. It’s got soft, and crunchy, and creamy, and spicy elements; and the Thai flare is a unique spin on your every day boring salad.

I’m more than fine coming out of hibernation mode for this salad, that’s for sure! When salad has this much flavor, you might even hear me saying “Carbs, who?”

Alright guys, I’ve got a special post planned for you on my departure date to get us all in the mood for what Italy has to offer. So, stay tuned!

For now, enjoy! And, let’s eat!

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Thai Shrimp Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

Serves: 4 Print

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 1 lb raw shrimp; tails off, peeled, and deveined (thawed, if frozen)

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp pepper

• 1 head red or green leaf lettuce, chopped (about 6 cups)

• 1 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded

• 1 cup shelled edamame, cooked

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)

• ¼ cup cashews

• olive oil cooking spray

For the Coconut Curry Dressing:

• ½ cup full fat coconut milk

• 1 ½ tbsp green curry paste

• juice of ½ lime

• 1 tbsp tahini paste

• 2 tsp brown sugar

• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Roast the shrimp: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Spray with olive oil cooking spray. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel, and place on the sheet pan. Spritz with olive oil cooking spray, and toss shrimp, ½ tsp salt and ¼ pepper together on the sheet pan. Spread shrimp in an even layer. Roast for 8-10 minutes until fully cooked and shrimp are opaque.

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Add all ingredients for dressing in a small food processor or blender. Process until fully combined. Taste for seasoning.

3. Assemble the salad: Divide lettuce between 4 bowls. Divide shrimp, edamame, red pepper, carrot, cabbage, and cashews evenly between each bowl. Top with dressing.

Recipe notes:

*Green curry paste is a little bit milder than red curry paste, but you're welcome to substitute red if that's what you have on hand.

*I normally like to use lite coconut milk, but we need the full fat version for this dressing. Otherwise, it'll be too thin.

*This is a GREAT make ahead meal. Portion out the salad ingredients except for the cashews in tupperware containers. Portion out the dressing and cashews in separate small containers. Grab, go, and enjoy!

*I always line my pans with aluminum foil before cooking anything in the oven so that I don't have to worry about it during clean up time. It's an optional step, but it makes life so much easier.