Just a little PSA, before you start in on the whole “I’m not a salad person”-thing … this is a bread salad. Sooo..you’re welcome. haha
Because, really, there’s no better salad, in my opinion, than one filled with bread…and bacon…. and shrimp….and yeah, there are greens… but I promise you’ll like them, too.
This recipe was born out of wanting to make a less-expensive lobster roll… subbing, shrimp for lobstah… this salad combines all those elements… but you get to eat it with a fork. If you felt like being fancy, lobster would be great here, too.
Grilled Shrimp BLT Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 of a French-style baguette, cubed
- A drizzle of spray of olive oil
- 1/2 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 pound of large-extra large shrimp, raw and deveined (double check ’em, even if they are labeled deveined… sometimes they miss the gunk … no bueno)
- 1-2 Tablespoons of BBQ spice rub of your choice (I adore Dinosaur BBQ’s “Cajun Foreplay” spice rub)
- 6 slices of bacon
- 3 cups baby arugula
- Salt & pepper
Dressing
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (use your favorite brand)
- 1-2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tsp Fresh Tarragon, chopped
- 6 small scallions, light green and whites chopped
- Salt & pepper
Directions
Step 1Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place strips of bacon, flat, on a foil-lined pan. Once pre-heated, cook bacon in the oven for 15-20 minutes until strips are crisp but not crumbly. Once done, set on paper towel to drain and then chop into big pieces. Meanwhile, preheat your grill or grill pan.
Step 2
Slice your grape tomatoes and place in a large boil. Salt your tomatoes and let them sit to release some of their juice. In the meantime, take your cubed baguette and toss with some oil. Place bread onto the grill until it gets a bit of a char, but is not overly toasted. Once charred, take the warm bread cubes and toss with sliced tomatoes and their juice. Let sit.
Step 3
Season your shrimp with your spice rub and toss with olive oil. Place on your grill and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes (turning shrimp halfway) until shrimp is opaque and cooked through. Let shrimp rest.
Step 4
Assemble your dressing — please note, this will make more dressing than you will need for this recipe. Whisk together mayo, apple cider vinegar, tarragon, scallions, salt and pepper. If dressing seems thick, think out with a touch more vinegar. Using a tablespoon of finished dressing at a time, lightly coat arugula with the dressing.
Step 5
Combine all the elements and serve!
jil cooks 