I don’t know about you guys, but eating healthy in the summer is so hard. When we think of the time of the year where we indulge, I think most of us automatically think of the holiday season. From Halloween candy, to Thanksgiving, to Christmas, to New Years, it’s obvious that this time of the year is hard to stay on track. I am from Michigan, so the cold weather up here does not help either.Â
BUT summer seems to be worse for me. I love, love, love summer and hanging out outside with snacks, BBQ food, and of course cold drinks. This leads to me inevitably packing on a few pounds. Not the best timing when I am wearing a bathing suit and less clothes in the heat!Â
As they say…shit happens. I am not going to let it change my summer fun, but I do want to feel healthier. So this week for lunches, I thought I would bring back the greens and nutrition. My body is screaming for it lol.Â
Luckily, I love salads so it isn’t too hard to make the transition, but I wanted to spice things up a bit since I am used to the fun foods of the summer.Â
If you take a casual look at my other recipes on this blog, I am sure it wouldn’t take long to notice that a lot of them are Italian or Italian inspired. I have made my Noni’s Italian Meatballs, Bruschetta Pasta Salad, Roasted Red Pepper Pasta…you get the point.Â
That is why it should be no surprise that this salad is going to be Italian inspired too. I can’t help it! I like what I like! lol
One of my favorite Italian dishes is a caprese salad. Caprese salads are tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil topped with a balsamic vinaigrette.Â
Caprese salads are more of an appetizer in my book, and I think we can all agree they don’t have enough nutrition or sustenance to be considered a full meal. However, I was inspired to use these ingredients to make a fresh, light salad for the week.Â
One of my silly goals I set for myself at the beginning of each week is to buy a container of spinach or spring mix and finish it by the end of the week. Trust me…the amount that this actually happens is minimal, but I go in spurts lol. When I actually accomplish this, I feel great and always think, “Oh, I will for sure keep this up. I feel so good.” LOL and then life happens. I bought a big container of spinach this week to hopefully go into one of my “spurts” starting now.Â
The spinach will be the base of this salad. I think any greens would work, but it felt more authentic with the caprese/Italian vibe that we got going for this recipe.Â
This really is a very simple recipe that you can have ready in just 15 or so minutes. The only thing that needed to be cooked is the shrimp. When I think Italy or the Mediterranean, I think seafood and the sea, hence why I decided to use shrimp as my protein in this salad.Â
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I do think some shredded chicken would also be delicious, but we have a vibe going!Â
I prefer to buy shrimp that is deveined and have the shells removed already, so usually frozen is what I buy. I started with defrosting the shrimp. You should not defrost shrimp in the microwave. Just empty the frozen shrimp into a strainer that you would use for pasta (like this one) and run cold water over them for 5 minutes. You will be able to feel to the touch if they are defrosted or not.Â
After the shrimp is dethawed, add Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Seasoning. I don’t get a chance to go Trader Joe’s often but I love their seasonings. They have so many creative kinds. When I bought this Chili Lime Seasoning the cashier actually told me that everyone loves putting it on watermelon and I HAD to try it. Not going to lie…I am skeptical lol…let me know if any of you do this. She made it seem like they had a cult following.Â
Next, I heated up a frying pan on medium heat with some olive oil and sautéed these until a little crispy. Usually about 8 minutes. Because these will have some water from defrosting, you will need to cook until all of that evaporates.Â
Next I chopped up the tomatoes. I used cherry tomatoes, which is not the traditional caprese tomoto, but it was what I had on hand and for salads, I think they work better.Â
After that, it is really just assembling. For a single serving salad, I used two handfuls of spinach and topped with 1/2 cup of shrimp, 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes, 6 mozzarella balls, and topped with balsamic glaze.Â
When I was ready to eat, I mixed it up and added some olive oil. If you had croutons on hand to add, I think those would be delicious with it as well. I love crunchy toppings on a salad.Â
This salad would work well in a salad jar too. Last week I brought my Fiesta Taco Salad Jars to work for meal prep. This week I will bring this.Â
You need to start with layering the wetter ingredients on the bottom, so they don’t may the rest of the salad soggy. Below is the order that you should fill the jar:Â
Staring at the bottom:Â
- Olive oil
- Tomatoes
- Mozzarella balls
- Shrimp
- Spinach
- Optional: Croutons
I would suggest bringing the balsamic glaze with you to add once you pour the salad out on the plate.Â
Caprese Salad with Spinach and Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 handful Spinach or your favorite greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 Mozzarella balls
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
- 1/2 cup Shrimp (deveined, no tail)
- 1 drizzle Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
- 1 tbsp Chili Lime Seasoning I used Trader Joe's
Instructions
- Place frozen shrimp in a strainer and run under cold water until dethawed. Usually around 5 minutes.
- Once thawed, seasoning with 1 tbsp of Trader Joe's Chili Lime Seasoning and mix
- Heat up a skillet on medium heat and add shrimp. Cook for about 8 minutes or until all the water has cooked off
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half
- Place spinach in bowl
- Top with shrimp, tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and any other topping you wish
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top
- Add olive oil and mix
- Serve immediately
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
0 Comments