This shrimp chopped salad is bursting with color and flavor thanks to lots of fresh produce and a citrus cilantro vinaigrette. Ingredients may be chopped ahead of time to make this salad a simple one to throw together for a light weeknight dinner or delicious summertime cookout side dish! Thank you to Food Lion for teaming up with me for this recipe!
Chopped salads are the best salads. I’ve been saying it for years and it’s a statement I’m pretty sure I’ll stand by forever and ever. There’s something about a fresh chopped salad I love and I’m pretty sure it centers around the fact that so many flavors burst in your mouth with every bite.
Now that the weather is warming up, soups and stews will often be replaced by salads and sandwiches and this shrimp chopped salad with a citrus cilantro vinaigrette simply screams summer. Sunshine and salads all day long!
I was recently invited to shop at a local Food Lion grocery store to check out their fresh produce. As former Floridians, we didn’t have a Food Lion nearby when Ryan and I lived in Ocala. Since I’m kind of a grocery store nerd and love checking out new-to-me stores, Chase and I hit up Food Lion to shop for our groceries earlier this week. I had no trouble filling my cart with fresh food for the week ahead, including lots of beautiful organic greens, fruit, whole grains and plenty of natural and organic food selections. Plus all of the ingredients I needed to make this chopped salad!
So many colors!
Food Lion recently launched a “How Refreshing” campaign centered around raising their standards without raising their prices. It includes expansion of their natural, organic and gluten-free product offerings. Food Lion also has a “fresh guarantee” and will give customers double their money back if they ever leave the store unsatisfied after purchasing any of the items from their produce, meat, deli, and bakery departments. Now for the salad! As the name implies, this salad does require a fair amount of chopping, but the extra effort is more than worth it because every single bite of this produce-packed salad is bursting with vibrant flavor.
And there’s something to be said for making your own salad dressing. I love knowing exactly what is in my salad dressing, especially since many of the commercial brands are filled with crazy ingredients, and this one is just about as simple as they come. And if you’re a cilantro lover like me, you must make this one soon! (Side note: It’s also fabulous as a marinade for chicken breasts!)
Shrimp Chopped Salad with Citrus Cilantro Vinaigrette
Makes four side salads
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 ear sweet corn, kernels removed from cob (raw kernels)
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced and chopped fennel
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
- 1 dozen cooked shrimp, deveined with tails removed pound cooked shrimp
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium orange
- 1 lime
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss.
- To make the vinaigrette, place cilantro, olive oil and the juice of one orange and the juice of one lime in a small food processor or a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth. Some small flakes of cilantro may remain, but the vinaigrette should be smooth when poured onto the salad.
- Pour vinaigrette onto salad and toss to coat everything in the vinaigrette. Divide salad into four salad bowls and enjoy!
This salad works well as a light summertime entrée, or serve it as a side dish at a family cookout! And if you’re not a shrimp or seafood lover, simply replace the shrimp with chicken or omit it altogether.
Enjoy! I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! For more great recipes visit the Food Lion Recipe Hub.
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Kim B says
I love to pair fresh tomatoes and basil to make a wonderful bruschetta!
maria cantu says
I love making fruit salad.
Rebecca says
Our favorite summer meal is grilled chicken and grilled zucchini with sweet potato fries!
Rebecca says
https://mobile.twitter.com/Michael64263870/status/723245047437766656
Henria O. says
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/sazzyfrazzy/status/723244279749988352
sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com
Will G says
I love making fajitas with fresh ingredients.
Will G says
https://twitter.com/willgriesmer/status/723332140914597888
Erika says
I like using fresh grape tomatoes and spinach in pasta. Delicious and easy. 🙂
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
rachel says
A big roast chicken with roasted veggies — yum!
Amy Tong says
Love your salad. I always cook with fresh ingredients, they are the best. My family loves veggies stir fry and asparagus soup. 🙂 Thanks for sharing yours.
amy [at] utry [dot] it
Amy Tong says
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/723683979186962432
amy [at] utry [dot] it
Jeffrey says
I like mixing rice with fresh ingredients. As a distance runner I’m always looking to boost my carb intake but at the same time eat clean. I like rice because it doesn’t necessarily take away from the fresh flavors I mix it with plus it adds a contrasting texture.
Jeffrey says
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/723904133154115585.
Amanda L says
Love putting berries in my salads during the summer!
Cassie says
Shrimp and avocado = LIFE. That’s all I have to say. They just taste SO good together, and in a fresh salad they’re even better!
OFG says
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/725424389899034629
OFG says
Salad! Salad! Any kind of salad!
Tessa says
I love making a chunky pico de gallo to pair with an entree as a side or to served alongside chips as a dip… I typically include tomato, red onion, cilantro, jalapeños, corn, avocado & lime.
Rachel says
I love to make pico de gallo to go with grilled shrimp.
Rachel says
https://twitter.com/RachelGriesmer/status/725509863699263488
Lisa Brown says
I like to pair seafood and pasta with fresh ingredients.
Lisa Brown says
tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/726018813880242176
Elena says
I like to make fruit salad
Elena says
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/726062623788130304
mita says
I like making vegetable fried rice with fresh ingredients.
mita says
Tweet- https://twitter.com/mitadav/status/726076819812814848
CR Williams says
I love to eat a fresh side salad with my lasagna.
CR Williams says
https://twitter.com/mommysweetiepie/status/726223608037539841
Susan Christy says
I like freshly made Salsa, salads, & grilled veggies
Stefanie Gladden says
I love to make chicken kabobs with fresh veggies and of course fresh salsa and salad!
Stephanie B. says
I love to make a snack plate with fresh vegetables, hummus, fruit, maybe some peanut butter, and crackers. Easy and delicious!
Kathleen Chen says
Now that spring is in full spring, I’m taking advantage of all the fresh and beautiful produce and pairing them with any type of fish on the grill!
Margaret Smith says
My favorite is salads and stir fry meals. Thanks so much.
Margaret Smith says
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/peg42/status/728723057553121284
Thanks again.
Tina M says
I love to make fresh chicken salsa.
Tina M says
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/728763799034052608
Elizabeth pergande says
I love to make fresh guacamole and bake my own tortillas for chips
Elizabeth pergande says
https://twitter.com/eliza_elliott/status/728965267393413120
Cynthia C says
Some of my favorite ways to use fresh produce is a stir fry with either shrimp, salmon or chicken.
Cynthia C says
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/729290648705208320
Gina M says
I love pairing fresh ingredients with homemade bread or a glass of wine!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
Gina M says
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/730075947240673280
Will G says
I love pairing fresh ingredients with fajitas.
Will G says
https://twitter.com/willgriesmer/status/730173581540331520
Carolsue says
All kinds of things. To me, fresh ingredients in a salad ar essential. I usually use lettuce or kale, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and things like that.
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Carolsue says
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/730639251260375041
Robin says
Fruit salad with in-season fruits!
Rachel says
I like to pair stir fry with fresh veggies.
Rachel says
https://twitter.com/RachelGriesmer/status/731652586453901313
LAMusing says
I love using frsh tomatoes in my sauces and for bruschetta.