Recipe: Buffalo Shrimp Dinner Salad

This salad recipe uses shrimp to keep your meal light, yet still satiate your hunger at the same time. The spicy buffalo sauce sets it apart from other shrimp salads, and our delicious dressing pushes it to the next level. And at only 196 calories per serving (dressing included!), you'll want to make this quick dinner every day.

Pro tips:

• Make the shrimp first and set aside to cool a bit before adding them to the salad. Adding hot shrimp to cold lettuce will cause the lettuce to wilt.
• If you're in it for the noms rather than presentation, just toss all the ingredients together and chow down. For a more composed salad, try layering the shrimp on top of the salad and drizzling the dressing over it. It just depends on the presentation you're trying to accomplish!
• If you're a spicy food fiend, just add more cayenne pepper to the spice rub to increase the heat element; on the other hand, decreasing the amount of cayenne pepper will tone the spiciness down a bit.

Recipe: Buffalo Shrimp Dinner Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Less than 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 3 cups salad, 7-8 shrimp, 1 tablespoon dressing

Ingredients

Buffalo Spice Rub:

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

• 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined (30-32 shrimp)

Salad:

• 12 cups Romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch pieces (3 hearts)

• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias

• ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

• ¼ cup reduced-fat blue cheese crumbles

Skinny Buffalo Ranch Dressing:

• ½ cup ranch yogurt dressing

• 2 tablespoons hot sauce

Other:

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In a gallon-sized resealable bag, combine the spice rub ingredients, and give the bag a quick shake.

2. Add the shrimp to the bag and shake them around to evenly coat all sides of the shrimp.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil.

4. Transfer the shrimp to the skillet. Cook the shrimp 30 seconds to 1 minute, then flip them to cook an additional 30 seconds on the other side, until pink. Set aside on a plate.

5. In a large mixing bow, toss together the lettuce, celery, onion, and blue cheese.

6. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss them into the salad with tongs.

7. Add the set-aside shrimp, and gently toss to combine.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (3 cups salad, 7-8 shrimp, 1 tablespoon dressing)
Calories: 196
Calories from fat: 65
Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 152mg
Sodium: 1107mg
Carbohydrates: 12g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar 6g
Protein: 20g
Smart Points: 4

3.1 The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com has been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.