Spicy chipotle shrimp Caesar salad

With grilled shrimp & corn, pickled red onions, cotija, avocado – the works

Hi, friends. Around this time of year, my cravings for salad begin to merge with my desire — no, my need — to be outside, grilling something for dinner. The former because I want something refreshing and a bit on the lighter side, and the latter because the smell of the barbecue is just so eau de summer to me.

Which is why this week, I knew we needed a grilled salad.

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We’re not grilling our greens here, but instead topping fresh, crisp, crunchy romaine with grilled shrimp and corn, plus lots of delicious extras — quick-pickled red onions, cotija cheese, and avocado to name a few. You know, things that really take it to the next level.

And the kicker? The dressing, of course. A tangy-meets-spicy, mayo-less chipotle Caesar dressing that’s made with yogurt. Sounds a little weird, I know, but it gives it so much creaminess while also adding a cooling component to counteract the chipotle peppers. Plus, so much tanginess!

Denis took a couple bites and said he felt like he was having a salad at a restaurant (didn’t hurt that I cracked open a bottle of wine at 1 p.m. on a Thursday to accompany it). But, I still take it as a huge compliment — and proof that you should definitely make this. Like, tonight.

Wide, shallow serving bowl of dreams by Falcon Enamelware. Cutie tomato salad servers from World Market.

Before we begin

• Let’s talk shrimp! You want big ones. There’s truly nothing I hate more than when I go to a restaurant, order something with shrimp, and end up paying like $30 for three pathetic tiny shrimps. So when I make them at home, I go for the big boys and I make sure the portions are generous. This recipe calls for six shrimp per serving, and for two salads that was about a pound. Opt for large shrimp that will give you around 12 shrimps per pound.

• Speaking of shrimp, there’s nothing I hate more than cleaning them myself. I buy skin-on shrimp that are already cleaned and I really encourage you to do the same. If you have to clean them yourself, this YouTube video shows you how.

• To make this easier, you can opt for frozen fire-roasted corn instead of grilling corn on the cob. You could also blitz your favorite store-bought Caesar dressing with chipotle peppers to make a semi-homemade version of the dressing, and pick up some jarred pickled red onions while you’re at it.

• We’ll also be making quick-pickled red onions to top our salad. These are the first thing you make and by the time the rest of the salad is assemble, they’ll be good to go. Alternately, you can make them a day (or two! or seven!) ahead of time if you prefer.

• This recipe serves two very generous portions (like a restaurant salad, ya know?). You could easily bulk up the lettuce and toppings and keep the shrimp the same (it is about a pound total of shrimp, after all) to serve more.

• You don’t *need* skewers to grill the shrimp, but I find it helpful. If you use wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least half an hour before using.

• Order of events:

  • Make quick-pickled red onions

  • Marinate shrimp

  • Throw corn on the grill

  • Make your dressing and prep your salad ingredients in between moving corn around

  • Grill shrimp

  • Assemble and voilà!

The recipe

Serves: 2

Ready in: About 40 minutes