A clean eating shrimp salad with cooked shrimp, quinoa, blanched broccoli and roasted asparagus! Prepare everything ahead of time and throw it into a bowl for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.
During the week I’m always running around like a crazy woman and come home ravenous. Because of this I usually gravitate toward easy meals that I can throw together with things I have already prepped. <– Normally I make a big batch of plain quinoa and chop up fresh veggies over the weekend for this purpose.
This shrimp salad totally fits the bill! It’s got quinoa, cooked shrimp, blanched broccoli and roasted asparagus — all of which can be prepared ahead of time and thrown into a bowl come dinner time.
Blanching and roasting are two of my favorite ways to prepare veggies. I really like blanched broccoli because it’s more palatable than raw broccoli, but still crisp and flavorful — not mushy and overcooked. And all roasted veggies are amazing in my book. They add such a robust flavor component to salads. Often times roasting veggies can take around 30-40 minutes, but the asparagus in this recipe is broiled so it takes less than 10 minutes! This is great for those days when waiting 40 minutes to eat feels impossible.
Clean Eating Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
- 14 large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 cups raw broccoli, cut into bite size peices
- 1/2 pound of asparagus + 1 teaspoon olive oil and sea salt & pepper for roasting
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 tomato, sliced into bite size pieces
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked and chilled
- 4 cups spring mix
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil (optional)
- ground pepper
Instructions
- Blanch the raw broccoli:Bring a pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, fill with half ice and water. Cut up the broccoli while you wait for the water to boil. Carefully, add in broccoli and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. The broccoli will become tender and bright in color. Scoop out broccoli with a slotted spoon quickly and immediately move into the ice water, keeping it in there for for about 30 seconds. Drain in a colander and set aside.
- Roast the asparagus: Set oven to broil. Trim the tough ends of the asparagus and place it on a prepared pan. Sprinkle the asparagus with olive oil and toss around the pan to coat. Sprinkle with a the sea salt and ground pepper. Place in the oven and broil for 4-7 minutes. Don't overcook. Set aside.
- Now, the easy part - start compiling your salad: Add 2 cups of spring mix to each salad plate/bowl and top with the broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper, tomato, avocado, and quinoa. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, if using. Sprinkle with ground pepper and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
You’ll probably have some broccoli and asparagus left over if you use the amounts suggested in the recipe. Just store them in the fridge for later use.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can easily tweak it by using your favorite vegetables and protein. I’m sure grilled salmon or tofu would work great instead of the shrimp.
I was being strict with my clean eating goals last week and only used a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and fresh ground pepper as a topping, but you could certainly use any dressing you like and I’m sure a little cheese would be a nice addition as well.
Normally I buy my balsamic vinegar at Trader Joe’s because it’s tasty and cheap, but lately I’ve been using the Terra Verde Balsamic Vinegar.
I bought a bottle at Texas Hill Country Olive Company, one of the places we visited while in Austin a couple weeks ago. I actually fell in love with their pineapple balsamic vinegar, but it was sold out so I went with the traditional. It’s definitely some of the best balsamic I’ve ever had – it’s thicker than most balsamic vinegars and has a rich, sweet flavor. I love this one, but I still keep checking their website hoping the pineapple will be available soon.
Have a lovely Tuesday friends and let me know what you think if you try the salad!
Question of the day — What’s your go-to clean eating meal for weeknights?
The recipe sounds wonderful! Also I am absolutely hooked on their olive oils and vinegars. The traditional balsamic is outstanding! Did you pick those up during your trip to Austin?
Looks awesome!! I love how I feel after eating a clean and healthy salad.
I just made an entire sheet pan of roasted veggies last night b/c I was getting so sick of preparing veggies for every meal throughout the day. I’m hoping to get at least 2-3 days out of them! Preparation is key when it comes to clean eating. It’s a lot easier to eat well when you have good options ready and in front of you!
This looks so yummy! I am on such a shrimp kick right now- definitely putting this on the list for this weekend 🙂
My hubby and I are huge fans of stir fries, because the combinations are seriously UNLIMITED. We just pick up a couple bags of mixed frozen veggies or grab what looks fresh from the produce aisles, along with whatever kind of meat we feel like having, and a few of our favorite seasonings/sauces.
Oh, and if not in a stir-fry: Blanched veggies are the bestest 🙂
Pineapple balsamic sounds awesome!! I agree about having things ready in the fridge – I am so much more apt to eat healthy if there is something I can throw together quickly! The salad looks awesome!
Such a great idea having roasted veggies and cooked quinoa (or other grains) on hand. I love to mix leftovers like roasted sweet potatoes or a little wild rice into dinner or lunch salads to make them a little heartier and filling.
This shrimp salad looks lovely – and very healthy, too. I have some shrimp in the freezer so might have to give this a go this weekend 🙂
We tend to eat pretty clean generally, and cook our dinner every night rather than relying on something frozen or packaged. I am used to waiting for a good meal! Anytime my boyfriend is out, though, I go for something like primal Pad Thai or something with shrimp (hence why I keep some in the freezer) since he isn’t a big fan. Yum!
I totally agree, freshly cooked foods beat frozen and packaged meals any day! I’m intrigued by your primal Pad Thai. Do you have a recipe?
Yum! I’ve been eating quinoa bowls non-stop! This looks so delicious. I’m glad I finally had a chance to visit. I’ve been just swamped with work and school. Argh. I wish I had more time right now. But as always, your post brought a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing!
I also always keep cooked quinoa on hand for easy lunches at home or on the go, and also to cut down on bread. I definitely have to start roasting veggies more often, looks really good!
this salad looks really. really. really. really tasty Brittany! And you are quite the food stylist. seriously.
Thought I would pop in and I am glad I did! Lovely blog. Your recipe is lovely and well rounded and a perfect spring meal! Well done!
Congrats on Top 9! This one looks like a winner ;).
yummm! I love quick and easy and this looks de-liciousss! I always have some cooked quinoa laying around too 🙂 Its so perfect for throwing together a fast and healthy meal!
Congratulations on your foodbuzz top 9, today!
Thank you CJ!
Congratulations on Top9! Scrumptious looking salad!
Yummm!!! I need to try balsamic on my veggies the way I do on my salad! I actually just bought some yesterday!
Can’t wait for our run tomorrow!!! 🙂
I don’t even remember what I was looking for when I came across your blog. I’ve enjoyed it but I just had to comment on how much I have enjoyed this salad! This quickly became one of my favourite meals!
Steve
This salad looks absolutely amazing!