Tequila Lime Shrimp & Quinoa Salad with Chipotle Dressing
If you haven’t noticed already, we are big fans of spicy food in our house. One of our favorite ingredients to incorporate into dishes is chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. There is a delicious dressing that I got from one of my favorite cookbooks that incorporates chipotle peppers and orange juice into a dressing, which inspired this dish.
I made this out of things that were already in my fridge and pantry, so you can customize this salad bowl with your favorite ingredients or what you have on hand. If you prefer brown rice over quinoa, or if you want to omit the cabbage, etc. The main item you’ll need to have on hand is a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
There’s a long list of ingredients, but don’t be overwhelmed. It’s a fairly simple dish to put together and is packed with great flavor from the dressing, seasoned beans and corn and the shrimp. If you like heat, you’ll love the flavors! It gets even better leftover the next day 🙂
Here are step-by-step instructions. Easy-to-print recipe and steps are below.
What you’ll need: quinoa, orange juice, extra virgin olive oil, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, shrimp, jalapeño, lime, tequila, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cabbage, romaine, corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes and avocado.
First, cook the quinoa. I use 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water and a dash of salt, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.
Once the quinoa is cooked through, add the corn and black beans and stir to combine.
In a food processor, combine the orange juice, 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and chipotle peppers and blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
Combine the jalapeño slices, lime zest and juice, tequila, cumin, chili powder and cayenne in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Add the shrimp and marinate for five minutes.
While the shrimp marinates, prepare the bowls. I like to shred the cabbage and romaine in my food processor.
Add the shredded cabbage and romaine at the bottom of the dish. Spoon some of the chipotle dressing on top.
Top with the quinoa, corn and black bean mixture.
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and all of the marinade to the skillet, and cook until the shrimp is cooked through and has soaked up all of the liquid. The shrimp should have a nice, flavorful coating once the marinade cooks down.
Divide the shrimp among the bowls. Add the sliced tomatoes and avocado. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some more dressing on top, and serve any extra dressing on the side. Serve while the shrimp is hot and enjoy!
Tequila Lime Shrimp & Quinoa Salad with Chipotle Dressing
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 lb. of uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1 teaspoon of tequila
- 1/2 Tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
- 1 15oz can of corn, drained
- 1 15oz can of black beans, drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Steps
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. (I use 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water and a dash of salt, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.)
- Once the quinoa is cooked through, add the corn and black beans and stir to combine.
- In a food processor, combine the orange juice, 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and chipotle peppers and blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
- Combine the jalapeño slices, lime zest and juice, tequila, cumin, chili powder and cayenne in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Add the shrimp and marinate for five minutes.
- While the shrimp marinates, prepare the bowls. Add the shredded cabbage and romaine at the bottom of the dish. Spoon some of the chipotle dressing on top.
- Top with the quinoa, corn and black bean mixture.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Add the shrimp and all of the marinade to the skillet, and cook until the shrimp is cooked through and has soaked up all of the liquid. The shrimp should have a nice, flavorful coating once the marinade cooks down.
- Divide the shrimp among the bowls. Add the sliced tomatoes and avocado. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle some more dressing on top, and serve any extra dressing on the side.
- Serve while the shrimp is hot and enjoy!