Mar 10

Mar 10 Mexican Shrimp Caesar Salad

Dinner, Fish, Gluten Free, Keto / Low Carb, Salads, Seafood

Spring has seemingly sprung and I am here for it, except for daylight savings, I HATE that. Back to happy thoughts, this salad is so fresh and you will crave it as much as I am. Seriously thinking of it constantly and planning on when I can make it again for dinner. It is a twist on the classic Caesar salad, with a little southwestern flair. Swapping the parmesan with crumbled Cotija and croutons with tortilla strips was an easy alternative. For the dressing, I used a bottle of Caesar dressing and some enchilada sauce to make a dressing that is straight up addictive, a little heat with that creaminess.

And shrimp was a no brainer, my whole family loves it and it cooks in literally a couple minutes, perfect for this mama. In fact, my youngest is basically obsessed with all types of seafood, we have not found an underwater dweller she isn’t ready to devour. In fact, she is begging for “shrimpies” to be back on the menu almost every day. She won’t eat the salad but I make a little burrito bowl for her with the components. This salad is pretty enough for a casual get together too, those pops of flavor and color will draw anyone in. In fact, as I was typing this, I kept thinking that Sherry from Young House Love would be all up in this salad, with her love of cheese and shrimp. So what shrimp lover will you make this for?

Mexican Shrimp Caesar Salad

1 lb shrimp, thawed and patted dry
2 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
1 Tablespoon oil
1 bag Romaine lettuce (9oz)
2 cups shredded cabbage mix
1/2 cup tortilla strips
2 Tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese
1 cup prepared Caesar dressing
1/3 cup red enchilada sauce
limes to garnish

- In a large skillet, heat the oil to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with Taco Seasoning on both sides. Carefully add the shrimp to the pan, do not over crowd, and sear for about 2 minutes on each side. Once browned and cooked, set aside on a plate.

- Start building the salad with a layer of romaine, mix with the cabbage mix. Then crumble the cheese over, layered with the tortilla strips. Lastly, place the shrimp all over, serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over.

- To mix the dressing, just combine the dressing and enchilada sauce in a jar and pour over the salad

I love how fast shrimp cooks up, it is literally minutes. Plus if you are using frozen shrimp, they thaw in no time at all, which is clutch for busy peeps like me where your brain forgets to place them in the fridge the night before. Just run them under water in a collander (I honestly have no idea how to spell that word) until they are thawed.