This Thai Shrimp Salad is tangy, spicy & amazingly delicious. Serve it over spiralized cucumber for a light & refreshing dinner.
For my bridal shower I got something that I’ve been wanting for such a long time – a spiralizer attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. I’ve been having so much fun with it!!!
Of course the first thing that I made with it was zoodles. Spirals of zucchini that I tossed with a pot of hot turkey bolognese sauce. I love how they resemble noodles but are just so much healthier… meaning that I can justify eating way more of them. I mean… we’re talking a huge bowl of zoodles that I served up to myself.
And then I made zoodles again… and again…
But I wanted to change things up a bit. So, I went to the closest thing I could find to a zucchini – a cucumber. And then I spiralized it.
Spiralized cucumber is perfect for adding to pasta salads in place of the pasta – think Greek with feta, olives and tomato. Or, you could make a cool and creamy cucumber salad with tangy Greek yogurt and some fresh dill.
But in this case, I went with a variation on my favorite Thai Beef Salad – swapping the beef for shrimp and those salad greens for spiralized cucumber. I also spiralized some gorgeous multi-colored carrots that I had on hand and threw them into the mix too.
As pretty as those spirals are, the star of this salad is that intense, tangy dressing that it’s tossed with.
Citrus, lemongrass, mint and cilantro dance around with a bit of lime juice, spicy jalapenos, and a pinch of brown sugar to lend some sweetness and balance it all out. But there’s one ingredient I haven’t mentioned yet… the fish sauce.
As I warned you before, don’t be scared of fish sauce. It can smell quite pungent out of the bottle, but once it gets mixed with the other ingredients you won’t even know it’s there. It just gives a nutty, salty, umami characteristic to the dish. That hint of something extra that just takes this salad over the top.
Fish sauce has definitely gained popularity over the past decade, I think as more and more people are exploring with cooking asian dishes at home. Because of that, you should be able to find it easily in the international foods aisle of your supermarket. Or, try one of these fish sauce substitutes.
I like to taste the dressing as I go, making sure to hit that perfect spicy-sweet note. I’ll add more or less jalapeno keeping in mind that jalapenos can vary so much in heat depending on factors like the season or their size. I’ll also add in more lime juice, sugar or fish sauce. Give it a taste and adjust – you’re looking for the perfect balance of spicy, salty and sweet in this Thai shrimp salad.
Then – just toss that dressing with some cooked shrimp and you’ve got dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
You can serve those dressed shrimp over cucumber zoodles like I did, or swap them out for some lettuce or rice.
Want to add a bit of crunch? Try sprinkling on some toasted rice powder at the end. It’s delicious!
If you loved this Thai shrimp salad recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings.
Wine Pairings for Thai Shrimp Salad:
- Rieslings pair great with spicy dishes. Mouthwatering acidity, intense fruit, and a hint of sweetness compliment this salad amazingly well.
- A Viogner or dry Rosé would also be great with this dish.
More healthy seafood recipes:
Tip: Here’s how to tell when shrimp are done.
Full Recipe
Thai Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 jalapeno halved
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 Tablespoons minced lemongrass (remove the tough outer leaves and slice the tender white core)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons brown sugar
Shrimp:
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound uncooked shrimp (tail on)
- 1 medium shallot (thinly sliced)
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 3 Tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
Instructions
DRESSING:
- Mince the garlic and one of the chile halves and place in a small bowl. Slice the remaining chile half into thin rings and add it to the bowl, along with the lime juice, fish sauce, lemongrass and brown sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings with additional lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, if needed. Stir well and set aside.
SHRIMP:
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sautee the shrimp until it is cooked through and fully pink.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, shallot, mint and cilantro. Stir the dressing and pour it on top. Toss gently. Serve on top of spiralized cucumber and carrots.
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