hot honey blackened shrimp caesar salad
Coming in hot (honey) with a Tuesday evening Hot Honey Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad. Big juicy shrimp rubbed with a simple homemade blackening seasoning and seared in a pool of hot honey sauce. Quick enough for a weeknight, pretty enough for a date night.
The dressing is nothing to sneeze at either. Please don’t sneeze in it, though. Might spoil the whole affair for your dinner guests.
Memorial Day is close and while Florida is perpetual summer – except for some reason so far we’ve had disproportionately nice weather – most mark the date as the start to grillin’ season and backyard barbecue season and the season of drinking beer by the pool. I don’t appreciate this season since I spend most of it avoiding the outdoors when I’m running, but I do appreciate the emphasis on relatively simple, fresh-flavored fare.
This salad is primo for such yearnings.
The dressing is spoon-licking wonderful. It contains the ingredient medley typical of Caesar dressing: anchovy paste, parmesan, lemon, parsley, dijon, and garlic, but is amped up with a couple spoonfuls of tahini for extra creaminess and a nutty essence that underlines and elevates the savory blackening seasoning on the shrimp.
The shrimp itself receives a massage of traditional blackening spices. The key here, however, is to sear it directly in the hot honey. This assures the sauce thickens onto the cooked shrimp and none of the sweet heat is lost. The sticky sauce also gives the shrimp a richer, darker coloring and a crispy exterior utterly delightful in this salad.
I chose kale as my green mattress, in part since you can infuse the whole salad with a bit of the dressing by massaging a couple spoonfuls to soften the kale. Do this, else you’ll experience very tough and bitter leaves, and you don’t want anyone to feast on chunks of my implied personality.
Further decorations: roasted corn (homemade or, as I typically do, frozen), sliced avocado, and some extra parmesan if you wish. Caesar salads garb themselves in leisurely adornments, so I kept it pretty minimal here. If you have some day old brioche, toast it up for some croutons. You’ll never hear me poo-poo on extra carbs.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More delectable salads to try:
Lemon Pepper Smoked Salmon Wrapped Asparagus Salad with Turmeric Tahini Dressing
Crispy Everything Spice Buffalo Tofu Salad with Avocado Ranch
Baja Tempeh Taco Salad with Chili Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp + 1/4 tsp garlic powder, divided
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp + 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp honey
- 5-6 cups kale
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup frozen roasted corn (I use Trader Joe's)
tahini Caesar dressing
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Make the Tahini Caesar Dressing. In the bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients and whip until creamy. Taste for salt and pepper. Spoon into an airtight jar or container and set aside.
- Toss the shrimp in 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and a dash of salt.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in honey, 1 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp paprika, and 1/4 tsp garlic. Add shrimp and sear 2 minutes on one side, then flip and sear 2 minutes on the second. Allow to simmer in the hot honey another 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate and spoon any extra hot honey overtop.
- To assemble the salad: massage kale in about 1 tbsp of the Tahini Caesar dressing until softened. Distribute slices of avocado evenly around the greens, then sprinkle roasted corn. Top with shrimp. Drizzle each individual portion with as much dressing as you please and additional shaved parmesan, as desired.
