This crazy delicious Thai Chopped Salad with Lemongrass Ginger Shrimp is fresh and healthy! Paleo, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, and Whole30 compliant.
Lies I tell myself:
I LOVE push ups!
Want to know what I love more than push ups? Burpees!
Olives are delicious. I should eat them every day.
I don’t really want cheese.
Seriously, cheese is totally overrated.
I should do burpess instead of sitting on the couch with a brick of cheddar.
#thestruggleisreal
We’ve now reached that frighteningly optimistic time of year where resolutions and delusions buzz around our heads like crazed bumblebees…
“It’s January! I’m going to work out for 60 glorious minutes every single day for the rest of the year!”
“Time to cut out #ALLTHECARBS. I won’t so much as sniff a loaf of bread this year! Is butter a carb?”
“Maybe I’ll try my hand at being Breatharian? Surely I can exist on nothing but sunshine, rainbows, and crisp morning air.”
My resolution this year is to NOT have a resolution.
I can do that right?
I just don’t have the energy for it. I do have some goals in mind. I’d like to put more vegan and plant-based meals into rotation around here. On the other end of the spectrum, I’d also like to try my hand at more paleo and whole30-esque eats too.
The way I see it, the more clean, whole foods based eats I can introduce to my face the better. I want to break out of my comfort zone and try as many new thing as possible. Taco night and pizza night are still going to be in heavy rotation around here but that still leaves so much room for tasty new recipes to try!
Thai cuisine has always intrigued me simply because I don’t think I’ve ever met a Thai dish that I didn’t instantly love! It’s all so stinkin’ good!
This colorful chopped salad is no exception. Inspired by a chopped salad I tried a few months ago, this Thai Shrimp Salad
Thai Chopped Salad with Lemongrass Ginger Shrimp
This technicolor Thai salad is crazy amazing!
It’s so flavorful that it gives off more of a grain-bowl vibe (despite being totally grainless) and you won’t feel one teeny bit deprived by this sassy salad. The chopped salad is refreshingly light and crunchy while the lemongrass ginger shrimp add lots of tender Thai flavor to the dish.
Want to round out the meal to make it even more filling? Feel free to mix in some cauliflower rice! You can add it raw if you’re team rawliflower (pretend that’s a thing) or sauté it in a skillet first.
Whatever you do, give this tasty Thai chopped salad a try!
Thai Chopped Salad with Lemongrass Ginger Shrimp
Ingredients
- 10 oz shrimp (fresh or frozen/thawed)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- 2 cups cabbage (any color)
- 1 cup shredded/matchstick carrots
- 4 radishes
- 4 sweet mini peppers
- ⅓ english cucumber
- 1 TBSP oil for sautéing
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 TBSP lemongrass paste*
- 1 tsp minced/grated ginger or ginger paste*
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp sea salt plus extra to taste
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1 tsp Sambal Oelek
- 2 TBSP avocado oil
- 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
TASTY TOPPINGS
- chopped cashews
- shredded unsweetened coconut
- chopped mint leaves, parsley, or cilantro to taste
- lime wedges to garnish
Instructions
- Clean and peel shrimp, defrosting if needed. Lately we've been buying frozen, deveined, easy-peel shrimp. All I have to do is defrost, peel, and cook! You can also buy frozen raw shrimp already peeled if you'd like.
- Set prepped shrimp in the fridge, covered while you make your salad.
- Chop/shred your romaine and cabbage. Thin small pieces are best here since we're going for that chopped salad vibe! Grab your matchstick carrots and give them a rough chop as well. Trim the edges then slice radish into matchsticks and chop your cucumber in to bite-sized pieces. Slice sweet mini peppers, discarding the stem. Combine all your veggies in a large bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat with 1 TBSP of oil and sauté your shrimp. Season with turmeric and sea salt. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes until shrimp curl and become opaque. The cook time will depend on the heat setting you choose and the size of your shrimp, but regardless they’ll be perfectly cooked in a matter of minutes. Add garlic towards the end and cook until fragrant. Lastly, add ginger and lemongrass and stir to coat/season the shrimp. Once it's all hot and ready, remove from heat.
- Place your shrimp on a clean cutting board and chop into smaller pieces, much like you were coarsely chopping an onion. This is optional but will give you a little shrimpy goodness in every bite!
- For the dressing, whisk together Sambal Oelek chili paste with oil, vinegar,and a pinch of salt, to taste. You can also add fresh squeezed lime juice to the dressing if you have any handy - delish!
- Pour half the dressing over your salad and toss/stir until evenly distributed. Drizzle on extra as desired.
- Add your shrimp and garnish with fresh chopped herbs of your choice, cashews , and shredded coconut.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this Thai Chopped Salad with Lemongrass Ginger Shrimp, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations! I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Crazy for Thai flavors? Try my Spiralized Thai Salad next!
My friend Angie also has a recipe for Chicken Thai Peanut Butter Noodles that looks phenom!
behind the scenes
- currently listening to: HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T – Fall Out Boy
- currently reading: Before the Fall (affiliate link)
- currently watching: Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams
Wow, this salad sounds so great! I love the simplicity of the dressing!