The mistake most people make in cooking shrimp recipes is overcooking. Then the shrimp turns rubbery. With this shrimp salad, it's easy to avoid overcooking because you roast the shrimp with just a touch of olive oil, resulting in succulent, perfectly-cooked shrimp.
Shrimp Salad with Orzo
- 1 lb. orzo pasta
- 6 oz. fresh baby spinach, washed
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 English (seedless) cucumber, diced
- 2 lbs. raw shrimp (18-24 per pound), peeled and deveined
- 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Toss with spinach, red onion and cucumber. Set aside.
Toss shrimp with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and spread out on a jelly roll pan in a single layer. Roast for exactly 5 minutes -- set a timer. This will avoid overcooking.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Pour over orzo mixture. When shrimp come out of the oven add to salad. Toss well. Top with crumbled goat cheese.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Per serving: 467 calories, 16 g fat (5 g saturated), 181 mg cholesterol, 48 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 27 g protein, 48% Vitamin A, 25% Vitamin C, 13% calcium, 20% iron
