Wow, what a salad! Bright, fresh, and so very flavorful, this Shrimp and Orzo Salad has the perfect combination of protein, blanched vegetables in a savory lemon tarragon dressing. If you’re looking for the perfect main meal salad, this one will not disappoint. It’s also great as a side dish that would pair well with many different entrée’s. The secret to this dish is to not overcook the vegetables or the shrimp. Only a couple of minutes in hot water to blanch the veggies, a few minutes for the shrimp, and then shock them in ice water to stop the cooking process and retain the bright colors! The addition of the snap peas, asparagus (try to find the small, thin spears), the peas (frozen, not canned) and the spinach cut in ultra thin strips (chiffonade) makes this salad so tasty with a surprise in every bite! It’s perfect salad for a holiday buffet and a favorite in January when salads will help us get back on a healthy track. Enjoy!
| Servings |
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons of fresh juice (from 1 large lemon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 8 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and diagonally sliced into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 4 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen English peas (thawed if frozen)
- 12 ounces medium peeled, deveined raw shrimp
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
Ingredients For the Dressing:
For the Salad:
| Rate this recipe! |
- Make the dressing. In a bowl, vigorously whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Refigerate until ready to use. Cook the Orzo: In a saucepot, add the orzo. Cover with water two inches above the orzo. Bring to a boil and simmer until cooked, about 25-30 minutes. Drain, (do not rinse) and set aside to cool. Cook the vegetables: While orzo is cooking, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high. Add asparagus and sugar snap peas to boiling water. Cook until bright green and tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add English peas, and stir until softened, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to an ice bath, reserving boiling water in saucepan. Cook the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the boiling water. Cook until opaque, about 3 minutes, and then drain. Transfer shrimp to ice bath with vegetables. Let stand until chilled, about 3 minutes and then drain. In a large serving bowl, mix the shrimp and orzo salad together. Add the vegetables and gently toss to combine. Add chives, parsley, and tarragon. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
