A good, hearty cold salad on a hot summer day is the perfect remedy for the heat. Fills you up without weighing you down. And it’s so refreshing coming off the lake or the beach or the pool. It’s also nice to have something like this in the fridge to snack on over a weekend. Shrimp and pasta paired with a zesty lemon, dill and yogurt dressing is summer in a bowl. Don’t skip the mint – it adds a hint of sweet mystery. Celery adds crunch and shallots a subtle wisp of onion. All in all, this is a fantastic recipe to have in your pocket all summer long. Pair this with a Green Bean Salad with Fennel and Feta or a Marinated Squash Salad and you have quite a spread.
I like to use medium sized shrimp, which will be nice and tender, but then cut them in half so they are easy to fork up in a bite with all the elements. This method of dropping in boiling water, then turning off the heat works every time, and plunging them in an ice bath stops the cooking and means no rubbery, overcooked shrimp. I like to use seashell pasta – I mean, why not – but any small pasta, like elbows or rotini will work. The tangy yogurt dressing is a little lighter than a mayonnaise-based version, but still a creamy delight. You can cook the pasta and shrimp a day ahead and refrigerate, and make the dressing ahead too, then tossed it all together it will hold for a day. I like to serve this on an attractive bed of butter lettuce, but it is gorgeous on its own.
Ingredients
- For the Salad
12 ounces seashell pasta (or another small shape)
1-pound medium shrimp (40 – 60 count), peeled and deveined
1 lemon
3-4 dill stalks
4 stalks celery
1 large shallot
1 bunch chives
- For the Dressing
1 clove garlic
¼ cup fresh dill fronds
5 -6 fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon flaky salt
Zest and juice of one lemon (4 Tablespoons juice)
1 cup whole Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
generous grinds of black pepper
Directions
- For the Salad
- Fill a large bowl half way with ice and water and set near the stove. Bring a large pot of very well salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions, until al dente. Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pasta to the ice water. Leave the pot of water boiling. When you’ve removed all the pasta, squeeze in the juice from the lemon, then drop the lemon halves in the water and drop in the dill stalks. Add the shrimp and when the water returns to a boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot tightly. Set a timer for six minutes. Meanwhile, drain the pasta in a colander and run cold water over it to wash away the starch, this will keep it from getting gummy in the finished salad. Refill the bowl with ice and water and when the 6 minutes are up, scoop the shrimp into the ice water and leave until completely cold. Scoop the cold shrimp into the colander with the pasta and shake it around to release any excess water. You can refrigerate the pasta and shrimp for as much as a day if you want.
- Finely dice the celery and the shallot – I like them really small, so you get a little bit of each element in every bite. Add them to the shrimp and shells and toss well to combine (you may need to gently separate some of the shells). If you like, cut the shrimp in half with scissors – again, I like this so you get a forkful of all the good stuff. Snip in the chives with scissors and toss everything together to distribute evenly.
- For the Dressing
- Put the garlic, dill, mint, lemon zest and salt in a small food processor and pulse to chop finely. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil and pepper and blend until smooth and combined. Add 2 Tablespoons of water and blend again. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir to coat all the elements. Taste and add salt if needed. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to let the flavors blend, but covered it will keep for 24 hours.
Could you use mayonnaise (obviously Duke’s!) in lieu of yogurt? If so, assuming the same amount?
You could, but I wouldn’t use as much as I think it would overpower the lemon and dill. Sour cream is another option.