Until two weekends ago, I’d never cooked shrimp. I didn’t grow up eating seafood. The first time I ate shrimp, I was on a field trip. I was in the third grade and ate what I thought was a chicken nugget. It turned out to be popcorn shrimp. Then in graduate school I had shrimp for the second time; a friend was obsessed with the “Bang-Bang Shrimp” at Bonefish Grill, and I tried hers one day. When I moved to DC, I started ordering sushi with shrimp tempura in it (because I wasn’t comfortable seeing little shrimps in my food), and I eventually moved on to coconut shrimp (which is now one of my favorite things).

I still don’t eat seafood like that, but I will continue to make this shrimp salad because it is amazing. There’s no other way to describe it. This recipe is amazing and it’s easy, which makes it all the more amazing (thanks to Pinch of Yum for sharing). I tweaked the original recipe a bit (you can find my version below) and made this salad for lunch one day. It’s the perfect healthy (but not boring) lunch for the office.

Shrimp Avocado Salad with
Ginger Miso Dressing

// INGREDIENTS

The Shrimp:

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, tails removed
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and black pepper to taste

The Salad:

• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 2 cups chopped baby kale
• 1/2 large avocado (or 1 Hass avocado)
• fresh chopped cilantro to garnish (optional)

The Dressing:

• 2 one-inch pieces of freshly peeled ginger
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice (more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons honey (more to taste)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

// INSTRUCTIONS

• MIx the shrimp with the chilli powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a large bowl (I usually do this overnight, but doing this for an hour or so should also be fine)
• Once the shrimp have been seasoned, heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the shrimp. Saute the shrimp for about three minutes on each side (the shrimp should no longer be clear and will turn a bit pink–they’re done when they’re golden in color)
• Chop the spinach and the kale into bite-sized pieces. Cut up the avocado (

here’s a quick tutorial). Arrange the greens and avocado into a plate or bowl with the shrimp

Puree all the dressing ingredients together in a food processor (or Magic Bullet or blender) until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately. Top with fresh cilantro if you want!

// NOTES

• To make this salad for a workday lunch, prepare the ingredients the night before and store them separately in the fridge. Assemble the salad once you get to work. There’s no need to re-heat the shrimp; it tastes great chilled!

Super easy and great for the office. You can also make this over the weekend and invite friends over. They’ll love you.

If you make this, let me know what you thought of the recipe!

XO

The post EAT DRINK | Shrimp Avocado Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing appeared first on The Feisty House | A Lifestyle Blog.