Shrimp is one of my favorite seafood proteins. It has a sweet, unique flavor, a gorgeous color when cooked, and is the most versatile seafood ingredient available.

For this recipe, I kept the flavors on the shrimp simple with a touch of salt, and garlic powder, plus a bit more black pepper to pull in the spicy flavors from the pad thai dressing. So what you taste is a perfect ratio of sweet, spicy, crunchy and salty.

Another added plus to this recipe, it’s a great option for a weeknight dinner. You can prepare the dressing and the salad ingredients in advance, and then toss the salad together and cook the shrimp in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons spicy garlic chili sauce
Juice from one lime
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:
3 cups red leaf lettuce, sliced into ribbons
3 carrots, peeled and grated
3 radishes, grated
2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced into ribbons
2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced into ribbons
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced into ribbons

For the Shrimp:
16 large shrimp, peeled, tails removed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
Vegetable spray

Optional Garnish:
Chopped peanuts

Directions:

For the dressing:
1) Combine all ingredients into a blender and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Blend the dressing until smooth and adjust seasoning if needed.

For the Salad:
1) Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss the salad until all ingredients are coated with the dressing.

For the Shrimp:
1) Position an oven rack 2-inches below the broiler, pre-heat your oven to broil and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2) Line the shrimp out on the baking sheet about an inch apart.

3) Lightly spray the shrimp with the vegetable spray and season them with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.

4) Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil the shrimp 4 to 6 minutes until they’re pink and cooked through.

5) Remove the pan from the oven and allow the shrimp to cool for a few minutes.

To serve the dish, spoon the salad onto plates and top with the shrimp. Garnish with chopped peanuts and black pepper.