Shrimp Spinach Salad

I absolutely love ordering a big salad when I’m out to dinner. Restaurant-style salads are packed with flavor and bursting with special ingredients that you might not think to add to a salad at home. Our shrimp and spinach salad is dressed with a bacon dressing made by mixing crisp bacon, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar—it elevates everything, from the grilled shrimp to the robust spinach leaves. (One salad tip from a pro? Fat is flavor: don’t be afraid of it!) With sweet red peppers and crunchy nuts, this delightful array of textures and flavors creates a hearty main dish salad for dinner, lunch, brunch or backyard barbecues.

Shrimp Spinach Salad Ingredients

• Shrimp: Look for fresh or frozen shrimp. Defrost frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. Buy prepared shrimp, or peel and devein them before cooking.
• Montreal steak seasoning: Spicy, earthy, savory steak seasoning tastes delicious with shrimp, too. It’s a bold choice that marks this as a restaurant-style salad.
• Bacon: Crisping chopped bacon serves two purposes. You’ll crumble the salty pieces over the salad and incorporate the bacon drippings into the homemade dressing, adding rich flavor and subtly warming the spinach.
• Shallot: To take the bite off the fresh shallot, saute it in the bacon fat before mixing the dressing.
• Cider vinegar: Slightly sweet cider vinegar is the base of the vinaigrette. You need its puckery acid to give the salad a zippy flavor.
• Olive oil: Omega-rich olive oil is our favorite healthy oil to use for dressing.
• Dijon mustard: Dijon adds some punch to the vinaigrette and helps emulsify the dressing to a creamier consistency. (Psst: Did you know you can make your own Dijon mustard?)
• Seasonings: Sugar balances out the acidity in the vinaigrette, and salt and pepper are classic seasonings.
• Fresh spinach: You can use regular spinach, baby spinach or a heartier green that can withstand the hot bacon dressing. Baby spinach will wilt more quickly and easily, which is fine if that’s what you prefer.
• Roasted sweet red peppers: Roasted peppers are tender and super-sweet. Use jarred peppers or make homemade roasted peppers.
• Sliced almonds: Add crunch (and a protein boost) with sliced almonds. Look for roasted, unsalted almonds to decrease the sodium.

Directions

Step 1: Grill the shrimp

Sprinkle the shrimp with steak seasoning. Thread the shrimp onto four metal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill the shrimp skewers, covered, over medium heat until the shrimp turn pink, two to three minutes per side. You can also broil the skewers in the oven, 4 inches from the heat source.

Editor’s Tip: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water before threading the shrimp to prevent them from burning on the grill.

Step 2: Fry the bacon

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon strips over medium heat until it’s crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set them to drain on paper towels.

Step 3: Saute the shallots

Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings. Add the shallot to the pan, and cook it, stirring, over medium heat until it’s tender, one to two minutes.

Step 4: Make the dressing

Stir in the cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat.

Step 4: Dress the spinach

In a large serving bowl, combine the spinach and dressing. Gently toss to coat. Add the toppings, layer by layer: first, the shrimp and pepper slices, then the bacon and almonds. Serve immediately.

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Shrimp Spinach Salad Variations

• Make it easy: Using bottled dressing (try a good-quality balsamic vinaigrette) and precooked shrimp will make this salad speedy enough to whip up for a busy weekday lunch. If you still want a warm salad, heat the shrimp in a grill pan and stir the dressing into the bacon pan.
• Try a wilted salad: Love tender, wilted spinach? After Step 4, toss the spinach in the dressing before removing it from the heat. Keep a close eye on it; spinach wilts in 15 to 20 seconds.
• Swap the shrimp: Oil-packed tuna, canned crab or cold leftover chicken are all tasty alternatives to the shrimp. You can also use chickpeas or white beans to make it a filling vegetarian salad.
• Add veggies: Any tender, fresh vegetable would be delicious here. Try adding bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, grated carrots or sugar snap peas.
• Go nuts: Add another type of nut, such as walnuts or pecans, or add a sprinkling of seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

How to Store Shrimp Spinach Salad

Store leftover composed shrimp spinach salad in the refrigerator. The spinach will be quite wilted due to the dressing, but it will still taste good the next day. If you have leftover undressed spinach, put it in a zip-top bag and store it in the crisper drawer. Store leftover grilled shrimp in an airtight container for three to four days. The dressing will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.

Can you make shrimp spinach salad ahead of time?

You can make elements of the shrimp salad ahead of time. Whisk the dressing together up to five days in advance. Keep it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, then shake it before pouring over the salad. You can season and skewer the shrimp beforehand; keep them covered and in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. You can also wash, chop and slice the vegetables, keeping them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.

Don’t combine the spinach, toppings or dressing in advance. If left to sit for a while, they will get soggy.

Shrimp Spinach Salad Tips

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

What’s the best way to clean and devein shrimp?

Cleaning shrimp is a process that gets easier the more you do it—and it rewards you with the freshest-tasting shrimp. First, remove the shrimp’s head and legs, then peel off the shell. You don’t generally have to devein the shrimp; if you can’t see a dark vein on the back of the shrimp, you won’t notice it at all. If you want to remove the vein, simply use a sharp knife to expose it and tug it with your fingers. Last, rinse the shrimp in cold water. Now they’re ready to season and grill.

How else can you cook shrimp for salad?

Don’t want to grill? You can cook shrimp in several ways. Make easy baked shrimp in the oven or air-fryer shrimp. For tender shrimp, poach them in salted water with half a lemon. You can also saute shrimp in a hot pan for three to four minutes per side, or until they turn pink and curl into a C shape.

What can you serve with shrimp and spinach salad?

This shrimp salad with spinach is hearty enough to serve as a main course at lunch or dinner. Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread or rolls. A bowl of soup is a classic pairing, too. Consider a simple tomato soup, creamy potato soup or a seafood bisque.