Island Bliss—Shrimp Salad With Coconut Lime Dressing

SERVE S: 4 AS A STARTER, 2 AS A MAIN I PREP: 20 MINUTES + 1 HOUR REFRIGERATION I COOK: NONE 

This is a stellar combination of super fresh flavors and great textures combined with the silky richness of the lime coconut dressing. The combination of plump shrimp with sweet apple, crunchy cabbage, and vibrant herbs is unbeatable! I’ve also got a great tip for thickening the tangy lime coconut dressing so it clings to every vegetable (spoiler: chill in fridge!). Make this one for hot summer days or as a fantastic starter for Asian-themed menus.

INGREDIENTS 

RecipeTin Eats Dinner Nagi Maehashi

• 1 green apple

• 1/4 tsp lime juice

• 2 1/2 tightly packed cups finely shredded baby napa cabbage (See Note 1)

• 2 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal

• 5 oz (about 12) peeled and cooked shrimp, (See Note 2) halved horizontally

• 1/4 cup finely sliced mint

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus extra to serve 

COCONUT LIME DRESSING

(See Note 3)

• 7 1/2 tbsp full-fat coconut cream

• 1 1/4 tsp lime zest

• 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

• 3 1/2 tsp fish sauce

• 2 1/4 tsp superfine sugar

• 3/4 tsp finely grated ginger

• 1/2 tsp finely grated garlic

DIRECTIONS

Dressing—Measure out the coconut cream into a jar and refrigerate for 1 hour to thicken. (See Note 4) Do not leave for hours as it will get too thick! 

Add the remaining dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. 

Slice apple—Slice the apple into thin batons—you need 1/2 cup in total. (Cut the apple just before serving and toss with the lime juice.) 

Make salad—Place the cabbage, apple, and green onion in a bowl. Drizzle with three-fourths of the dressing and toss gently. Add the shrimp, mint, and cilantro and toss gently again. 

Serve—Pile the salad high into serving bowls and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Sprinkle with extra cilantro and serve immediately!

NOTES

1. Baby napa is the small, young version of standard napa cabbage. The leaves are slightly more tender, which works well in this salad. If you can’t find it, ordinary napa cabbage is fine. 

2. I use store-bought whole-cooked shrimp. These are naturally seasoned, so you don’t need to salt them. You can also cook your own raw shrimp: Toss the shrimp in 2 teaspoons of oil and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium–high heat for 1– 1 1/2 minutes on each side (depending on their size). Remove, cool, then use as per the recipe. 

3. The dressing is best made fresh to preserve the lime flavor. Salad components can be prepared ahead (except the apple, which is always best cut fresh) but keep them separate. 

4. Refrigerating the coconut cream thickens it so the dressing is nice and creamy, rather than runny. 

LEFTOVERS Once dressed, serve immediately. Leftover salad does not keep well.

Excerpted from RECIPETIN EATS DINNER: 150 Recipes for Fast Everyday Meals by Nagi Maehashi. Copyright (c) 2023. Used with permission of the publisher, Countryman Press. All rights reserved.

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