Grilled Summer Shrimp Salad Recipe

Summer is the perfect time to break out the grill and prepare your dinner outside, invite friends over, or simply enjoy the outdoors with your family. And while many people probably only use their grill for burgers and hot dogs, there's no limit to the dishes you can prepare on the grill, from fruits and veggies to even salads. Grilling is a great way to add some charred, smokey flavor to a dish, and if you use your imagination, you'll never run out of things to grill.

Recipe developer Sher Castellano came up with this recipe for a grilled shrimp salad, combining grilled shrimp with a fresh, tangy dressing to deliver a light and refreshing summer meal, perfect for entertaining or a small family dinner. With its simple ingredients, easy preparation, and delicious flavor, this grilled summer shrimp salad is a dish you'll keep coming back to all season long.

To make this grilled summer shrimp salad, you'll need about 20 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined. You can leave the tails on or take them off, according to your preference. You'll also need lettuce, fresh parsley, cherry tomatoes, raw sweet corn, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and mayonnaise.

Prepare your produce by shredding the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, cutting the tomatoes in half, and slicing the corn from the cob. You'll also want to finely mince your parsley, so it can be used both in the marinade and as a garnish.

If you want to infuse even more grilled flavor into the dish, try substituting a grilled wedge of iceberg lettuce for the torn lettuce. You can also grill the corn before removing it from the cob.

Before you're ready to start grilling, you want to infuse your shrimp with maximum flavor, since it's the star of the salad. The best way to do that is with a marinade. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, parsley, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.

Next it's time to skewer your shrimp. You can do this any way you like, using however many skewers you prefer. "I divided the shrimp onto two skewers," Castellano notes, "But there's no hard and fast rule on how someone can do this. It really depends on the size of the shrimp and the length of the skewers. They shouldn't be packed too tightly. [Leave] a little bit of room between each shrimp."

Once your shrimp are skewered, place them in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the shrimp, and chill for at least one hour (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator.

After your shrimp come out of the fridge, it's time to grill them. Heat your grill on high, and wait for it to get hot. The secret to perfect grill marks and just the right amount of char flavor is to be patient and not add your food before the grill has come to temperature. Place your skewers on the grill, and cook the shrimp for about two minutes per side. The shrimp should be pink and curled, and have some light char on each side. Once your shrimp is cooked, remove it from the grill, and set it aside.

While your shrimp cools, it's time to prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, vinegar, and mayonnaise. The dressing should be creamy and slightly thick, with all of the ingredients fully incorporated. Taste the dressing before adding it to your salad, adjusting the seasoning as necessary, since it's much easier to do it at this stage than later on. (Your tastebuds will soon find out why this creamy dressing is the ultimate complement to your grilled shrimp!)

Now that your dressing is made, it's officially time to create your grilled summer shrimp salad. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, and corn with the dressing until the salad components are well combined and evenly coated by the dressing. Divide the salad into two individual bowls, making sure each is large enough to handle a generous portion. Remove the shrimp from the skewers, then top each bowl with half of the grilled shrimp. Garnish the salads with fresh parsley. All that's left to do is grab some plates, serve, and enjoy this delicious recipe!