This is a tasty salad that I made with Number One Daughter for a ladies’ brunch at her house on a hot day in Texas.   We found similar recipes on line that suggested ginger dressing, which was too strong a flavor profile and created a confusing taste juxtaposition with the other more traditional brunch dishes served. (Wow, that is one stuffy sounding sentence.  I should write for the NY Times.) Instead, we opted for mangoes and lemon to lighten it.   Easy to make and very refreshing, this salad would also be good sprinkled with some sunflower seeds.  Enjoy!

Serves 4-6 as a main dish, more as a side

Salad 

1 head Boston lettuce or Romaine  (about 4 C of lettuce)
12 oz fresh snap peas
1 lb raw shrimp (small size, but not mini salad size), peeled and deveined
4 green onions, diced
1/2 mango, diced
1/2 C finely sliced red, orange or yellow sweet peppers (1 inch matchsticks)

Tear or cut up lettuce into large pieces. Set aside in a bowl.

Heat 2 quarts water to  boiling in large saucepan.  Boil snap peas for 1-2 minutes, drain, then chill in ice water.  Set aside to cool.

In a separate saucepan heat more water to boiling and add shrimp.  Boil for 1 minute or  until done (don’t overcook).  Drain shrimp and chill in separate ice bath.  Set aside to cool.*

*Note on boiling peas and shrimp:  boil them separately in different water.  You don’t want  your peas shrimpy or your shrimp pea-y.  

When you are ready to compose salad, pat dry shrimp and peas and toss all ingredients in the bowl with the lettuce.  Best to compose right before serving so that the mango doesn’t water down the salad.  Serve with Creamy Lemon Mango Vinaigrette (below) on the side.

Creamy Lemon Mango Vinaigrette 

3 large lemons
2 T raw apple cider vinegar
2 T diced cilantro
1/2 mango diced fine or pureed
1 t pureed garlic
2-3 T honey to taste

1/4 C walnut oil
1/2 C olive oil

3 drops of lemon or orange essential oil (optional)

salt  to taste

Into a blender, put the zest of one whole lemon and the juice of three lemons (about 1/2-3/4 C of juice).  Add vinegar, cilantro, mango, garlic and sugar.  Blend completely.  With blender running, slowly add the oils.  Taste and add salt (and essential oils) to your liking.  Adjust with more lemon, vinegar, sugar or oil.  I like my dressing very tangy in order to make an impact on the salad.

Stay briny,

–Stacey