Spring is finally here! Let's celebrate with a light, citrusy, crunchy shrimp & radish salad.

I'm looking forward to green grass, fresh air, ample sunlight and (eventually...) farmer's markets. Every winter, despite my best intentions, I cocoon myself indoors, only venturing out for necessities like work and groceries and the gym. You could say I fully embrace the "hygge" trend. Or you could say I don't like dealing with the cold or driving on ice so I revert to extreme introvert mode. Both would be true, depending on perspective.

Anyway, when the grass turns green and it's warm enough to keep the balcony door open all day, I crave everything bright and fresh. Bring on the big ass salads and grilling. Less hiding, more hiking. I wake up when the sun rises, unprovoked, energized and ready to soak in the day.

Okay, enough romanticizing. I love this season. Can you tell?

I made this springtime shrimp & radish salad to greet the new season. It's simple and bright. You can make the whole salad in just a few minutes, and it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Even though I keep calling this a spring salad, I'm sure it will be a good option for summer picnics and backyard barbecues. You can make it in advance and stir in the basil just before serving. As a matter of fact, I'd argue that this salad is better as leftovers—that way, the dressing has a chance to really get friendly with the shrimp and radishes.

When you're prepping this salad, don't throw away the radish greens. No, this recipe doesn't call for them (although you could easily toss them in), but throwing them away is a total waste! Use the greens for salads, smoothies, pesto, or bean-free hummus. Cutting down on waste, one bunch of radishes at a time!

Make It Your Own

Try adding fresh mint along with the basil
Want to make it more filling? Add hard-boiled eggs as a garnish
Use easter egg radishes for more color
Sub out some of the red radishes for additional watermelon radish

Shrimp & Radish Salad

📖 Recipe

Shrimp & Radish Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Side dish
Method: chopped

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Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ cup fresh orange juice (about 2 medium oranges)
1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen mayonnaise or homemade
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
2 pounds large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (4-ounce) watermelon radish
8 ounces (two bunches) red radishes
4 green onions
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

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Instructions

First, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, orange juice, mayonnaise, grated ginger, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Whisk until smooth.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the shrimp in ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes, flipping shrimp halfway through, until the shrimp are pink and no longer translucent. Remove from heat.
Trim the greens and ends from the radishes and wash thoroughly. Slice the red radishes very thinly (¼ inch or less). Quarter the watermelon radish and slice thin. Slice the green onion diagonally in 1 inch sections.
Add the watermelon radishes, red radishes, green onions, and half the basil to a large bowl. Add the shrimp. Pour the dressing overtop and toss to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with remaining basil just before serving.

Keywords: Shrimp Radish Salad