Southeast Asian Shrimp And Grapefruit Salad
Updated Oct. 17, 2023
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1 to 1½pounds shrimp
- Salt
- 3tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce) or soy sauce
- 1tablespoon sugar
- Juice of 2 limes
- 6cups lettuce or mesclun, washed and dried
- 2grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, tough white pith removed, each section cut in half
- ¼cup chopped mint
- ¼cup chopped cilantro
- Minced chilies or dried red pepper flakes, optional
- ½cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
305 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 967 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put shrimp in a saucepan with salted water to cover; bring to a boil, then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque in center. (Alternatively, grill or saute, sprinkling shrimp with salt as they cook.) Cool in refrigerator or under cold running water, then peel (and devein if you like). Cut shrimp in half if they're large.
- Step 2
Combine nam pla or soy sauce with 2 tablespoons water, sugar and lime juice, and blend or whisk until smooth.
- Step 3
Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates; top each portion with a few grapefruit pieces, some shrimp, and the mint and cilantro; drizzle with the dressing, then sprinkle with a little of the minced chilies and chopped peanuts if you like, or pass them at the table.
Private Notes
Comments
After reading that the sauce can be too watery, I chose to toss the shrimp in a bit of cornstarch and then saute instead of boiling. Then, I added the sauce while the shrimp was still in the pan and stirred for about 1 minute which was enough to thicken the sauce and beautifully coat the shrimp. Delicious.
I found the sauce to be very watery, and hence drippy, but the taste was great. I used arugula because it's what I had on hand, and it added a nice sharpness to the dish. I had also thrown all the ingredients into one big bowl family-style, but then we found that one person didn't get any grapefruit, while another had way too much, so it's better to assemble the salad on individual plates as specified in the recipe.
Fish sauces are not all the same, eg some with sugar added, some not. I use Red Boat, which has no sugar, so upped the sugar here by a bit (rounded spoon). Also, used 1/2 Soy and 1/2 fish sauce, to moderate the funk for my intended audience. Added some grapefruit juice and oil, as suggested. Came out great!
Next time will sauté the shrimp instead of boiling to add a little oil to the salad. Also will follow the lead of others and do a combo of fish and soy sauce instead of straight fish sauce. Otherwise, delicious. Don’t leave out the peanuts (unless you’re allergic).
This was a really easy recipe, however I oddly found the shrimp to be a little weird with the salad. I’m not sure why, since the ingredients sound like they would go together well. The salad on its own is great, maybe serve it on the side with sautéed shrimp? I added a touch of sesame oil and sriracha to the dressing, and subbed some diced bell pepper for the jalapeño.
An easy, refreshing entree salad that's perfect on a hot summer day. I used a combination of fish sauce, and light soy sauce (a little heavier on the fish sauce), and it was just right for our tastes.