Southwestern Shrimp Taco Salad {Recipe}

One of my favorite things about visiting my family is being in my dad’s kitchen. There is always something good in the works and on this trip it’s been homemade sourdough bread, homemade yogurt (tutorial coming soon!) and an awesome taco salad.

Southwestern Shrimp Taco Salad

Last night we cooked a Southwestern Shrimp Taco Salad that my dad has been making for a few months now and wanted me to try.

The salad features a mix of grilled corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and green onions in a cumin-lime dressing over a bed of mixed greens. It’s topped with grilled shrimp and served with tortilla chips.

My dad manned the grill while I prepped the salad.

You could definitely use canned or boiled corn in place of the grilled corn but the grilling adds so much flavor and a pretty char.

The shrimp could also be prepared on the stovetop if you don’t feel like firing up the grill or don’t have access to one. They cook super quickly.

The bean and veggie mixture is tossed with a lime juice, cumin, olive oil, garlic, hot sauce and maple syrup dressing and is equally as good used as a dip for the chips as it is for the salad topping.

All together…veggie and bean mixture over mixed greens topped with shrimp, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of feta. This was such a delicious salad that was fun to eat. Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you off. It comes together quickly and is easy to prepare.

Feel free to adjust this salad to your taste. Cilantro hater? Leave it out. Don’t love green onions? Leave them out. Love cheese? Add your favorite.

Put this on your dinner menu soon!

Southwestern Shrimp Taco Salad
(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Southwestern Shrimp Taco Salad {Recipe}

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Jen Eddins
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 Servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• FOR THE DRESSING
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons chipotle hot sauce
• FOR THE SALD
• 3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 ears shucked corn
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• Lettuce of your choice (spring mix, chopped romaine, etc)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. FOR THE DRESSING
   In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, maple syrup and hot sauce. Whisk to combine well. Place the shrimp in a small bowl and toss in 1 tablespoon of the cumin-lime dressing to coat shrimp. Reserve the remaining dressing and set aside.
2. FOR THE SALAD
   Prepare the grill to medium-high heat. (If you’re grilling.) 
3. If grilling corn and shrimp, coat corn with cooking spray and either place shrimp on kebabs or skip this step if you’re using a grill pan. (If you’re going to cook the corn and shrimp inside, bring a pot of water to a boil for the corn and preheat a skillet for the shrimp.)
4. Grill corn and shrimp, turning corn frequently and turning shrimp once. This should take around 5 minutes for the shrimp and 8-10 minutes for the corn. (If you’re cooking corn and shrimp inside, boil the corn for about 10 minute or until tender and sauté the shrimp over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes.) 
5. Cut kernels from ears of corn and then combine corn, green onions, cilantro, black beans, tomatoes, avocado and remaining dressing in a large bowl.

---

Notes

EXTRAS
1/2 cup cheese (shredded cheddar, feta, queso fresco, monterey jack, etc – OPTIONAL)
Baked blue corn chips
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Lime wedges (optional)

TO SERVE
Divide lettuce among bowls and top with veggie and bean mixture. Top with shrimp and cheese of choice, if desired (you can totally leave out the cheese…there’s plenty going on here already but everything is better with cheese!). Add a dollop of sour cream and serve with corn chips.