Today I am going to share the recipe of a shrimp salad with quinoa and honey vinaigrette salad dressing on Spice the Plate.

The shrimp is a very clean, fresh protein that doesn’t weigh you down in the summer like beef or pork would. Quinoa is not only delicious, but is also a nutrient-packed superfood that has become more and more available in local supermarkets within the last few years. To round off this dish, we are adding some fresh asparagus and some excellent in-season grape tomatoes.

It’s a healthy dish that’s perfect for the summer.

To begin, I first cooked about 1/4 cup quinoa following the instruction on the package and set aside to let it cool down.

After that, I need to cook the shrimp and asparagus before adding into the salad. I decided to pan-fry them with salt and pepper. 

But this is not the only way to cook the shrimp and asparagus. You could also grill them to add smoky flavor into the salad or blanch them (cook under boiling water a for short amount of time and rinse under cold water or immerse under ice water and drain) to best retain the nutritional value of the ingredients.

Last but not least, I made the vinaigrette dressing by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper until emulsified and mixed everything together, and top with fresh parsley and black pepper to serve.

A special thanks to www.well-beingsecrets.com for their excellent resource about the nutritional benefits of quinoa! If you’re trying (like me) to eat healthier, go check them out when you get a chance! 

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