Kale and Quinoa Salad with Blackened Shrimp and Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time! Blackened shrimp is such a flavorful and healthy source of protein that is so easy to cook! The sweet and tangy homemade lemon vinaigrette comes together in minutes and is made with ingredients that you’ll have in your fridge and pantry.

Ingredient Notes:

Kale: I love buying the bagged kale from Trader Joe’s which is washed coarsely shredded and ready to use. It’s so easy!

Quinoa: The tri-color quinoa from Trader Joe’s is my favorite cause it adds extra color to the bowl, but any quinoa will work just great.

Shrimp: I always recommend buying cooked shrimp, it makes life so much easier.  It thaws in about 5 minutes and is ready to be used however you want.  Also, buy the ones with the tail-off.  Again, so much easier.

How to make Kale and Quinoa Salad with Blackened Shrimp

Despite this recipe having quite a few ingredients, they are all ones regularly found in your kitchen and this extremely yummy salad comes together really quickly.  It’s also great for meal prep if you leave the dressing off and because it’s a salad, it doesn’t need to be heated.

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.  Thaw the shrimp by placing it in a large bowl and running cold water over it for about 5 minutes.  Coat the shrimp in olive oil and seasonings and cook in a skillet for 5 minutes.  Chop the veggies so they are bite-sized.  Place kale, quinoa, veggies and blackened shrimp in a large bowl.  Drizzle with the yummy homemade lemon vinaigrette and enjoy.  It’s so good!

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Blackened Shrimp and Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Salad:

• 8 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 red peppers, diced
• 2 orange peppers, diced
• 1 lb frozen shrimp, cooked and tail off

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Blackened Shrimp:

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 3 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook 1 cup of quinoa according to package directions
2. To thaw shrimp, pour into a large bowl and run cold water continuously into the bowl for about 5 minutes
3. Chop kale into bite size pieces, removing the stems as you go
4. Dice red and orange bell peppers
5. Combine the blackened shrimp seasonings in a small bowl
6. When the shrimp is thawed, place shrimp, a tbsp of olive oil and the seasonings in a large mixing bowl and stir to coat shrimp evenly with seasoning
7. Pour shrimp into a skillet over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often
8. Combine dressing ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine
9. Place kale, quinoa and peppers in a bowl, top with blackened shrimp and drizzle with dressing