I love this grilled shrimp and vegetable salad for summer. It’s a really colorful and vibrant chopped salad, and the best part is that you can grill and chop everything ahead of time, then toss it with the simple vinaigrette when it’s time to serve.

This salad has a fun backstory: back when I was tasked with cooking for Prince William and Kate Middleton at a charity event in 2011 in Santa Barbara, this salad was on the menu. It was their first visit to California as a couple, so I wanted to make all the food really coastal and fresh to capture the style of the cuisine here. It was a hit, and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since.

You can swap out the shrimp with any protein, too! Grilled chicken, steak, salmon – anything would be delicious here.

Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Salad

Serves: 

4 people

Cooking Level: Beginner

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Inactive Time

Total Time

30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

For the Salad

• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 head romaine lettuce, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 ear of corn, husk and silk removed
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 6 colossal or 12 extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 head butter lettuce, torn
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced

For the Dressing

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups store-bought tortilla strips, such as Mission Restaurant-Style

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the romaine lettuce, corn, zucchini and shrimp with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the romaine lettuce, turning occasionally, until crisp-tender and browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Grill the corn and zucchini for 2 minutes on all sides until crisp-tender.
• Grill the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side until the meat is opaque and cooked through.
• Coarsely chop the grilled lettuce and place in a large salad bowl. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the corn and add to the salad bowl. Chop the zucchini into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the bowl. Cut the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the bowl. Add the butter lettuce, tomatoes and avocado to the bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and agave nectar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 948mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1596IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 4mg

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