Spicy Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Spicy Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing is a delicious easy lettuce wrap with Thai fresh herbs and spices.
Servings: 4
Calories: 98kcal
Ingredients
- 1.5 shrimp
large (washed, shelled and deveined) - 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili peppers
fresh chopped (optional) - 1 teaspoon ginger freshly minced
- 2 cloves garlic
peeled and minced - ½ cup green bell pepper chopped finely
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper
chopped finely - ½ cup red bell pepper
chopped finely - 1 tablespoon shallots chopped finely (can exchange with 2 spring onions or 1 tablespoon regular onions)
- ½ cup cucumber
chopped - 1 carrots up into thin strips with a mandolin or chopped finely
- 1 cup mung beans
(bean sprouts)
Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar -
- 2 teaspoon sugar
or sugar alternative - palm sugar or brown sugar (if diabetic exchange with 2 packets of sweet and low or other favorite sugar alternative) - 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2-3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 clove garlic - 1 clove finely minced peeled and chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ cup cilantro
roughly chopped - ¼ teaspoon chili peppers chopped fresh (optional- if you like it spicy- leave out if not)
- 1 head butter cup lettuce leaves washed and dried separated from the stalk
Instructions
- In a medium wok or frying pan over medium-high heat, add canola oil, ginger, chili (if desired) and peeled and deveined shrimp and fry for about 2-3 minutes (depending on the size of your shrimp), add garlic and fry until aromatic. Do not overcook shrimp. Set shrimp aside.
- In a bowl add chopped green, yellow and red bell pepper, shallots and carrots and bean sprouts. Toss to mix. Set aside.
- Make cilantro lime dressing. In a small bowl, add rice wine vinegar and brown sugar (or sugar alternative) and stir until sugar dissolves. Add fresh lime juice, fish sauce, minced garlic, white pepper, sesame oil, cilantro and fresh chili peppers (if desired) and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. If you like it more sour than add more lime, if you want it more salty than add more fish sauce, if you want it more sweet than add more sugar or sugar alternative. If you want it more hot, than by all means bring out more of those Thai chill peppers out...
- Chop up shrimp into smaller pieces (not required but it makes it easier to eat when on a lettuce leaf and I was trying to get my shrimp to go a little further with 2 hungry teenagers in the house) Otherwise leave the shrimp whole. Add shrimp and cilantro lime dressing to the mixed vegetables and toss.
- Place your washed and dried lettuce leaves on a serving platter. I used butter cup lettuce leaves as that is what I had on hand but feel free to use whatever you like (iceberg, romaine, endive, etc.) Scoop a large heaping tablespoon of delicious spicy shrimp salad on each lettuce leaf.
- Serve Spicy Shrimp Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing as a starter for 4 people or as a main dish for one not so hungry teenager.
Notes
I have to add in my 2 little cents if you are new to using fresh chili peppers. Do not touch anything on your face or anywhere for that matter on your body once you have started to cut up chilis. Some people even wear gloves, I don't go that far but I most certainly open the windows a crack when frying up chilis. Trust me on this one, you will thank me later.
You can also use whatever fresh vegetable you have in your refrigerator or even add fresh fruit, like pineapple, papaya or mango if you like. It was just clean out the refrigerator crisper day, so this is what I had around. I also emphasize the use of fresh herbs in this dish as it really brings this salad to a whole new level. If you do not have cilantro, try mint or parsley.
If you have an allergy to shellfish you can also use grilled chicken or grilled flank steak. If you are vegan some grilled firm tofu would be a nice exchange.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 741mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3780IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg