Romaine Watercress Salad with Shrimp

Romaine Watercress Salad with Shrimp is the perfect easy and absolutely delicious dinner or lunch.

Romaine Watercress Salad with Shrimp has tons of delicious flavor.

With the watercress salad, you cook the shrimp in a divine mixture of lemon juice and herbs and placed on a bed of Watercress and Romaine lettuces.  It keeps very good company with not only the lettuces but the avocado, and tri-colored cherry tomatoes. This ones perfect for a busy weeknight meal or as a lunch for the office the next day.

Before we get to the recipe, let’s go over a couple of very important things you need to know about buying and storing fresh shrimp.

Buying Fresh Shrimp for the Watercress Salad

First, let’s talk about what the better way to buy shrimp is…fresh or frozen?  According to this article from Bonappetit  it’s actually better to buy frozen shrimp than fresh.  Check the article out to find out why!  

What information can you get from reading the label on the shrimp you’ve bought?

Reading the label on the shrimp you want to buy has lots of useful information on it. It will tell you :

• The country of origin
• Where the shrimp was processed or distributed
•  The product type, whether it was wild caught or farmed raised.
• The count number on the shrimp which tells you how many shrimp it took to make a pound. Shrimp are always sold in pounds. For instance if the label says 16/20, that’s how many shrimp it took to make a pound. 

This information came from Louisiana Direct Seafood.

What Do I Do With The Shrimp I Bought When I Get It Home?

Fresh shrimp should be refrigerated immediately after getting it home from the store and eaten within four days of you purchasing it. Fresh shrimp can be frozen up to five months.

The safest way to thaw frozen shrimp is to remove it from the package you bought it in and place it in a covered container. Place the container with the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator over night to thaw or up to 24 hours.

OK, it’s time to make this delicious recipe! Let’s gather the ingredients for delicious watercress salad and make it together!

Romaine Watercress Salad with Shrimp Ingredients:

• 1 Teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 11/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp
• 1 cup trimmed watercress
• 4 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup tri-colored cherry tomatoes

Romaine Watercress Salad with Shrimp Recipe Steps

Step One

We start the recipe by placing the first 8 ingredients in the recipe (lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh basil, paprika, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper and minced garlic) into a medium bowl.  Add 3 Tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl and whisk all the ingredients together until they are well combined.

Step Two

Heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook the shrimp for two minutes. Add the mixture we made in the bowl to the pan. Cook the shrimp another 2 or three minutes until cooked through. The shrimp is cooked through when they turn pink in color with bright red tails. Remove the cooked shrimp from the skillet to a plate.

Step Three

Place the romaine lettuce and trimmed watercress in a large bowl. Add the diced avocado, and tri-colored cherry tomatoes. Add the cooked shrimp to the bowl and toss the ingredients together. Divide the salad between 4 dinner plates and serve.

This delicious salad is WHAT”S FOR DINNER?!  And you’re going to love it!

Finished the Watercress Salad and Looking For More Recipes From Bunny’s Warm Oven, Try These!

Walnut Arugula Pesto…Roasted Brown Butter Carrots…Roasted Red Grapes…Marinated Cheese Peppers and Olives…Stromboli Dough

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Romaine Watercress Salad with Shrimp

Prep Time17 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dinner salad, shrimp, shrimp salad

Servings: 4

Author: Mary Malone

Ingredients

• 1 Teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 cups torn Romaine lettuce
• 1 cup Watercress, trimmed
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup Tri Colored Cherry Tomatos

Instructions

• Combine the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh basil, paprika, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper and minced garlic in a medium bowl. Whisk in 3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Set the bowl aside.

  Place the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp to the skillet. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes. Add the ingredients we whisked together in the bowl - to the pan. Cook the shrimp another 2 or three minutes until cooked through. The shrimp is cooked through when they turn pink in color with bright red tails. Remove the cooked shrimp from the skillet to a plate.

  Place the romaine lettuce and trimmed watercress in a large bowl. Add the diced avocado, and tri colored cherry tomatoes to the bowl. Add the cooked shrimp to the bowl and toss the ingredients together. Divide the salad between 4 dinner plates and serve.

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