Just in time for summer, this tropical Thai grilled shrimp salad recipe makes dinner fun, beautiful, and easy as a summer breeze! Grilled shrimp are always delicious, but when paired with grilled pineapple and tossed up with fresh greens and a cool coconut salad dressing, they're spectacular. Medium to large shrimp are marinated together with wedges of fresh pineapple, then grilled for about 10 minutes. Serve with a glass of your favorite white wine, and this grilled shrimp salad turns into a truly gourmet treat. ENJOY!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- SERVES 2 (as a main course or entree)
- 10-14 large shrimp, preferably fresh, shelled and de-veined (leave tails on)
- 1 fresh pineapple, chopped into pineapple spears for easy grilling (see instructions)
- salad greens (enough for 2 large salads)
- optional: handful of fresh coriander and 1 minced red chili for garnish
- MARINADE:
- 1/4 cup sherry
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian/Chinese food stores)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic OR bottled pureed garlic
- TROPICAL SALAD DRESSING:
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or substitute olive oil)
- 2+1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 minced red chili, OR 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3 tsp. brown sugar (more or less to taste)
Preparation:
For instructions on how to select and cut a pineapple, see my: How to Prepare Fresh Pineapple.
- First, cut your fresh pineapple into long spears (this makes grilling easier) and place in a flat-bottomed bowl. To see what this looks like, go to: Pineapple Spears Ready to Marinate.
- Stir all marinade ingredients together in a small bowl or cup.
- Add the shrimp to the dish of pineapple, then pour the marinade over. Turn the pineapple and shrimp in the marinade to ensure all surfaces have been covered. Allow to marinade in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or until you're ready to cook (up to 30 minutes).
- Prepare the salad dressing by stirring together all the salad dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Taste-test the dressing for spiciness and sweetness, adding more cayenne/chili or more sugar as desired. If too sweet or too salty, add a little more lime juice.Tip: To thicken the dressing, place in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat.
- Have ready two large dinner plates of salad greens.
- Lightly brush a hot grill with vegetable oil. Then grill the shrimp and pineapple spears over a hot grill for 10 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and plump, and pineapple is bright yellow and has softened slightly (they will be done around the same time). Baste with a little leftover marinade the first couple of times you turn them.
- When pineapple is cooked, slice it up into bite-size chunks.
- To serve, top each plate with grilled shrimp and pineapple pieces. Drizzle over the dressing in generous amounts. Garnish with fresh coriander and minced fresh chili, if desired. ENJOY!
