Poached Shrimp Salad with Sundried Tomatoes

Heading into Summertime there is no better dinner to whip up than this amazing Poached Shrimp Salad with Sundried Tomatoes. The freshness of the beautifully cooked Shrimp pair perfectly with those rich, sweet Sundried Tomatoes. The overall dish is hearty and fulfilling, yet light enough to be a perfect meal for the warm weather. It’s a super easy dish to make too, and the whole thing will be ready in under 20 minutes, giving you more time to spend enjoying the sunshine!

This dish is inspired by a Spanish recipe from the Catalan region. That part of the world is no stranger to Sunshine, so it makes sense why such a vibrant, tasty dish hails from there. Speaking from first hand experience I can tell you the Shrimp in that part of the world is some of the best you can find anywhere. So, while you may not be dining on Mediterranean Langoustines with this recipe, using store bought Shrimp is going to still work out great!

How to make a Poached Shrimp Salad with Sundried Tomatoes

The key to this dish, like most, is obtaining good quality ingredients. The Shrimp is the star of the show, so naturally you’ll want to find the best quality you can. I recommend trying to get your hands on Seafood from a local market (especially if you live near the water), or alternatively a specialist Seafood provider. They’ll be able to guide you to the best quality Shrimp available

For this dish we remove the Shells before the Shrimp is cooked, so you can buy the Shrimp already de-shelled. It will make life a bit easier at home with less preparation time, so we recommend this. If you get your hands on whole Shrimp, here’s a great video on how to easily remove the Shells and Vein from Shrimp

Seasonality is key when it comes to good quality Sundried Tomatoes

As with all produce, seasonality is key when it comes to extracting the best flavor. For Tomatoes, there’s no better time to buy them than the Summertime when they’re at the peak of their seasonality. They’ll be ripest, with a rich and vibrant flavor. They’re also cheapest during the Summertime as supply is abundance, making it the perfect to cook with them!

Sundried Tomatoes can typically be bought from delis in grocery stores. Their flavor consists of a rich, concentrated Tomato flavor that is much sweeter than their raw counterparts. The sweetness of the Sundried Tomatoes adds a delicious contrast to the freshness of the Shrimp in this Salad. You’ll just need to roughly chop them up and add them straight into the Salad

Poaching the Shrimp

A great method for cooking Shrimp is poaching it. This method ensures a perfectly cooked Shrimp that doesn’t start to break apart which sometimes happens when you expose it to the harshness of straight boiling

To poach Shrimp is so easy too! Bring a pot of water to the boil that has been seasoned with Salt. Add the Shrimp and immediately remove the pot from the heat and cover it. Let the Pot sit while covered to poach the Shrimp. Depending on the size of the Shrimp this will take between 4 – 7 minutes

You’ll know once the Shrimp is done as it will turn a beautiful light pink color. Once cooked, immediately remove the Shrimp from the poaching liquid and run it under cold water. This will stop the cooking process and ensure perfectly cooked Shrimp

What is unique about this dish is the dressing for the Salad is Pickled Onions!

It may sound weird but hear us out on this one. Typically, when you add a dressing to a Salad it’s a combination of Acid and Fat, usually Olive Oil and a Vinegar are used. In this recipe the Acid comes from perfectly pickled Onions. We then combine them with Olive Oil and some freshly grated ripe Tomato to create a beautiful dressing that pairs perfectly with the Shrimp

These wonderful Pickled onions are used as a dressing to flavor the Poached Shrimp Salad with Sundried Tomatoes. They so versatile, and work with so many different dishes

We love Pickled Onions here at Dinnertime Somewhere. Often, Pickled Onions are made using a combination of Sugar and Vinegar, but we prefer using Lemon Juice. The pickling is less harsh, and you’re eating a healthier dish without all that extra Sugar being added to the dish

All you need to do is finely slice up a Red Onion (which is the best type of Onion for pickling I find) and then place them into a bowl or (preferably) a sealable plastic container. Then add a generous amount of Lemon Juice (3 Lemons is usually the sweet spot) and about 1 tsp. of Salt. Mix it well then seal and refrigerate

The Lemon Juice and Salt will slowly pickle the Onions. They’ll be good to go after about 4 hours, but we recommend leaving them overnight for a better result. To learn more about how to Pickle Onions check out this article

Preparing the dish for plating

We build the Poached Shrimp Salad with Sundried Tomatoes by first grating a whole fresh Tomato into a serve bowl. Discard the skin and then add in Olive Oil and about 2 heaped tbsp. of the Pickled Onions. Try to get some of the pickling liquid in there too

Mix it all together and taste for seasoning. You may need to add a pinch more Salt, so check it at this point. Once you’re happy with the dish, add the remaining ingredients of Sundried Tomatoes, the Shrimp (which has been cut up into chunks), along with some Celery

To finish the dish, tear off a few Basil leaves and sprinkle them over the top of the Salad. The dish is served alongside some crispy Romaine Lettuce leaves. You can either serve them on the side for a fancy presentation, or cut them up and mix them into the Salad

Poached Shrimp Salad with Sundried Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Red Onion, peeled and finely sliced
• Juice of 3 Lemons
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 6 Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Large Ripe Tomato
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• ¼ cup Sundried Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 Celery Stalk, finely sliced
• ¼ cup Basil Leaves
• 4 Romaine Lettuce Leaves
  
  

Instructions

1. To make the Pickled Onions, add the slices of Red Onion to a bowl then add 1 tsp. of Salt and the Juice of 2 Lemons. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours (best to leave overnight if possible)
2. When ready to cook, bring a pot of water to the boil that has been seasoned well with Salt. Add Shrimp, cover, and remove from the heat. Poach for 5 – 6 minutes until the Shrimp and pink and cooked
3. Strain Shrimp and cool in ice water (or under cold running tap water) then cut into chunks
4. Grate the Fresh Tomato into a large serving bowl, discarding the skin. Add Olive Oil, Shrimp, 2 heaped tbsp. of Pickled Onions, Sundried Tomatoes, and Celery and mix well
5. Finish the dish by tearing off some Basil leaves and sprinkling over the top. Serve with Romaine Lettuce on the side or chopped up into the Salad
   
   

This beautiful Poached Shrimp Salad with Sundried Tomatoes gives a delicious taste of the Spanish Sunshine to your kitchen. It’s best enjoyed during the Summer when the Tomatoes are at their best, but you can cook this tasty dish all year round

For more tasty Salads such as this one, check out these amazing dishes:

• Strawberry Romaine Salad with Green Apple
• Tomato and Lentil Salad with Basil and Goats Cheese
• Spicy Thai Beef Salad
• Easy Asian Cucumber Salad
  
  

Happy Cooking!