Thai Shrimp Salad
What it took for 2 huge awesome salads:
* 6 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 Tbs. soy sauce
* 1 tsp fish sauce
* 1 tsp sambal oelek (or more if you dig a little kick!)
* 1 Tbs. brown sugar
* 3 Tbs. lime juice
* 1 Tbs. minced red pepper (sweet or hot, your call)
* 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 cup sugar snap peas, blanched and cooled in an ice bath
* 2 bundles vermicelli noodles, boiled and rinsed under cool water (you can use the same water you boiled the snap peas in)
* 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
* 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers
* cilantro, mint leaves and crushed peanuts for garnish
* pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground peanuts
Make your dressing! In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 Tbs. oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, sambal oelek, sugar, lime juice and the minced red pepper. Taste that. Ridiculous.
Now, heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and sear on one side for 2 minutes. Flip and sear another minute.
Then you just build! Throw some romaine in the bottom of a couple of salad bowls. Then add some vermicelli noodles, the snow peas, peppers, tomatoes, shrimp, cilantro, mint, and some good crushed peanuts. Shake up (or whisk) your dressing one last time and then drizzle it over the salads.
