Poached Shrimp + Tomato Salad

It's mid August which means Toronto is bursting with summer produce. Our local farmer's market is, to me, almost like a candy store to a child. Tables are piled high with an abundance of fresh and colorful fruits and vegetables hitting their peak. I'm in heaven! In particular, tomatoes are having their long-awaited moment in the sun, literally and figuratively. :)

Which is why this recipe is just the perfect way to celebrate them! The sweet and juicy tomatoes play a well-deserved leading role in this salad, along with crunchy cucumbers, loads of parsley and plump quick-poached shrimp to make it a satisfying, stand-alone light meal or side salad.

I love me some macerated red onions in my salads, too. It's the easiest way to add a hit of punchy flavor with minimal effort. (Spoiler alert: all you do is soak thin-sliced onions in red wine vinegar for 20-30 minutes and voila, instant hit of tang for all your salads and sandwiches too). Sometimes I soak them overnight if it happens to be more convenient, and they soften just a bit more plus the onion flavor mellows out even further. I love them immediate-ish and overnight, equally!

This salad was initially an accidental byproduct of my weekly clear-the-fridge-before-Compost-Day adventure. It turned out to be a runaway hit with my family so I made it three times in a month to take full advantage of all those candy-like tomatoes. For the girls, who are not (yet) fans of parsley, I make a version using baby romaine lettuce instead of parsley and they enjoy it so much. As for my husband and I, load on the parsley please!

I hope you are all enjoying summer and manage to gorge on all the bounty your local farms are harvesting. I especially hope you grab some of those sweet, sweet tomatoes and make yourself this salad before the season comes to an end!

RECIPE HEAD NOTES - POACHED SHRIMP + TOMATO SALAD:

The vinaigrette can be made in advance and kept in the fridge in an airtight container for at least a week.
Macerated red onions can be made the night before (or as little as 20 minutes before serving).

Full and printable recipe:

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Poached Shrimp + Tomato Salad

{ gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, paleo }. Recipe serves 4 as side salad or 2-3 as a light meal.

INGREDIENTS

For the macerated onions:

1/2 (50g) small red onion, sliced very thin (use mandolin if you have one for best results)

4 tbsp red wine vinegar (or enough to almost cover the onions)

For the vinaigrette (makes about 1/4 cup):

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (use from the macerated onions above, once the onions are done)

2 tsp honey or maple syrup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp kosher salt, or to your taste

Fresh cracked black peppercorns, to your taste

For the Poached Shrimp:

1 lb (454g) large raw tiger shrimp, de-veined but preferably shell-on, thawed overnight in fridge

8 C water

2 tsp salt

Half a lemon (optional)

For the salad:

4 C (600g) small heirloom tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters

2 1/2 C (35g) fresh parsley (about small half of a bunch), rough chopped

1 1/2 C (150g) mini or regular cucumbers, thinly sliced

METHOD

For the macerated onions: Place sliced red onions into a small bowl and add the red wine vinegar. Add a bit more vinegar if needed so it nearly covers the top of the onions. Allow to macerate, uncovered at room temperature, for 20-30 minutes. (Note: This step can be done the night before simply if it is more convenient - the onion flavor mellows out further and they are softer compared to a quick maceration. Delicious either way.)

For the vinaigrette: Whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.

For the Poached Shrimp: Place water in a large pot. Add salt (and juice of half a lemon if using) and bring to a boil. Add thawed shrimp. Cover pot and remove from heat. Poach shrimp undisturbed for 5 minutes, or until they are pink and opaque, and feels firm when gently squeezed. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain. Peel (and devein if needed) and pat dry.

For the salad: Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing and serve immediately.