Here’s a list of good things: shrimp, caramelized onion, jalapeno, citrus, avocado, and corn. Take any two or three of these and you could concoct a good dish. Use them all in this salad and you have a sensational main dish. Light, refreshing and just a tad sharp to the tongue, this dish is not ordinary salad.
In less than an hour, you can have a dazzling salad, complex to the eye and ravishing to your mouth.
Shrimp and Caramelized Onion Salad with Citrus-Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
For the vinaigrette:
- Juice of 1 each: orange, lemon, and lime
- 1 teaspoon each minced orange, lemon, and lime zest
- 2clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad itself:
- 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, romaine, butter leaf)
- 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin rings
- 1 Haas avocado, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 1 large, uncooked ear of corn, shaved, or ½ cup frozen kernels
- ⅓ pound good-quality white Cheddar cheese, crumbled
Preparation:
In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat the oil and cook the onions until they are soft and tender, about 20 minutes; set aside to cool thoroughly.
To make the vinaigrette, in a bowl, combine the fruit juices and add the zests, garlic, jalapeno, salt, and several good cranks of pepper. Mix well with a wire whisk. Slowly add the oil, whisking gently but constantly; adjust the seasonings.
Place the greens on a large platter or 4 individual plates. Place the tomatoes, the pepper rings, and avocado slices in a large bowl. Add enough of the Citrus-Jalapeno Vinaigrette to coat the vegetables.
In a large sauté pan filled with about ½ inch of lightly salted water simmer the shrimp for 1 ½ minutes. Pull the shrimp. Add the corn kernels and cook for up to 30 minutes, getting to the point of blackening. Add the shrimp back to the pan to reheat briefly, then transfer the corn and shrimp to the bowl with the vegetables and vinaigrette. Toss well to evenly coat the ingredients. Drain and arrange the mixture on the bed of greens. Sprinkle with the cheese and the caramelized onions and serve immediately, passing around remaining vinaigrette at the table.
Source: The Onion Book by Jan Roberts-Dominguez
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4 for1/50th second at ISO‑800