Spicy Shrimp Salad

This easy spicy salad appetizer should be made several hours ahead of time to allow the flavors to develop and absorb into the shrimp. This salad can also be stretched into a light dinner salad, just serve with crusty bread.

Serves: 4 as an appetizer or 2 to 3 for a light dinner

Ingredients:

For dressing:

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce*

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For salad:

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons capers

For garnish:

Fresh mint or Parsley

* Sweet Chili sauce can be found in most supermarkets in the Asian aisle or in Asian specialty markets.

Instructions:

In a large ceramic or glass bowl, add all the ingredients for the dressing except the olive oil. Whisk together until well combined. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking to incorporate.

Add the salad ingredients to the dressing, toss gently so that the dressing has covered all salad ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I remove the tails from the shrimp when I'm preparing the salad - while the tails are nice for presentation, they are fiddly for you guests to remove.

When you are ready to serve, split the salad between four plates. Garnish with some parsley or mint leaves and serve.

For information about cooking your own shrimp, check out our article on  Cooking Shrimp.

Variation:

This salad makes the perfect base for a light dinner salad for two to three people. Prepare the recipe as above, but just before serving, layer each plate with your favorite lettuce and then add the shrimp salad on top. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread.