Green Shrimp Salad

This salad is really fast and easy to make on a weeknight.  Don't be fooled by the name.  The shrimp is not actually green but pretty much everything else in this salad is.  It is full of green vegetables and a little bit of pesto.  This recipe can easily be made for more than one person but all my pictures are of one serving of this salad.

 3 oz frozen shrimp (about 7 shrimp)
2-3 tablespoons of pesto (divided)
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
2-4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Pepper
 Half an avocado
1/4 ish of a cucumber
About 2 cups of salad mix or lettuce


I never remember to defrost my shrimp overnight in the refrigerator so I always just put them in a bowl with water to defrost them.  I usually change the water a couple of times and they are defrosted in about 5-10 minutes.

When the shrimp are defrosted if your shrimp have tails on them now would be the time to remove them.

Mix about a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of pesto and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in a bowl with the shrimp along with a little bit of pepper.  Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes or so while you cut up the vegetables for the salad.

Slice up the cucumber and then cut those pieces into quarters.  Cut the avocado into little cubes and scoop it out of the skin.

Place all the veggies including the salad mix on a plate to wait for the shrimp.

To make the dressing mix about a tablespoon of olive oil with a tablespoon or two balsamic vinegar together.  Stir in about a tablespoon of the pesto and taste it.  Adjust the ingredients until you are satisfied with the taste and consistency of your dressing.

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side.

Place the cooked shrimp on top of the veggies and drizzle the dressing over the top. If you like pepper on your salad now is when you would add fresh ground pepper.  Enjoy!

For more fun recipes I am linking up with Andrea for her Recipe Club!