Healthy and Delicious...Summery Lemon Basil Shrimp Salad #salad #seafood #shrimp #healthymeals #summerfood

Summer is in full swing here in Texas... and we survived Hurricane Beryl this week with only minimal damage! My Summery Lemon Basil Shrimp Salad is quick-to-assemble dinner. This entree salad features a delicious chunky shrimp salad served on a bed of seasonal veggies and heart-healthy avocado. The end result is filling...without leaving you feeling stuff and bloated. To save time, the creamy shrimp salad can be prepared up to a day ahead and stored tightly covered in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the salad.

Summery Lemon Basil Shrimp Salad

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes 2 main dish servings):

For the shrimp salad:

• 8 oz boiled shrimp, chilled and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
• 1/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
• 1 TBS finely chopped parsley
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1 TBS chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. white pepper

For the salad base:

• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce  
• 2 TBS bottled vinaigrette dressing
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved vertically
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber cut into half moons
• 1 medium avocado, chopped
• 2 boiled eggs, each cut into four wedges

Directions:

Step 1: Make the dressing for the shrimp salad. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, basil, garlic salt, and pepper to small bowl. Stir until the ingredients are completely incorporated.

Step 2: Add the shrimp, celery, and scallions to a medium bowl. Pour the dressing on top of the shrimp and veggies. Stir to evenly coat with the dressing.

Step 3: Assemble the salad. Toss the chopped romaine with the vinaigrette in a mixing bowl. Arrange the romaine on a plate or serving platter, leaving a "hole" in the center to place the shrimp salad. After the lettuce is arranged on the plate, evenly arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and boiled egg quarters on top of the lettuce. Then carefully spoon the shrimp salad into the "hole" in the center of the plate.

Step 4: Serve this complete meal salad with a refreshing beverage -- iced peach tea is especially nice. This satisfying salad is tasty *and* pretty to look at!

This is one delicious salad! The tangy dressing and sweet shrimp are a fantastic flavor combination. The creamy avocado and crunchy veggies round everything out. No shrimp on hand? A small can of good-quality tuna also tastes great mixed with the lemon-basil dressing.