Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

We’ve had an exceptionally mild winter in DC this year (which, as someone with a very low tolerance for cold, I’ve actually enjoyed). At the beginning of March, temperatures suddenly shot up in the sixties and seventies, and it’s been feeling like spring ever since. With trees bursting into bloom and tulips out in full force right outside my front door, I just can’t bring myself to keep eating the same hearty soups and stews I’ve been relying on all winter. So when the recipe for this Vietnamese shrimp salad found its way into my inbox, I immediately set about cooking it. Crisp carrot, cucumber, and daikon radish tossed with fresh herbs and a ginger-lime dressing, then topped with shrimp and peanuts makes for the perfect refreshing dish for spring. Most of the work here is with chopping the vegetables and herbs, and once that’s done, the salad comes together really quickly. This made for a great weekend lunch all by itself, but it could also work as an appetizer.

Vietnamese Shrimp Salad (adapted from Chris Newsome, chef at Ollie Irene, Mountain Brook, AL)
Yield: 6 appetizers or 3 entrees

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1″ piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 small bird’s eye chili pepper, minced*
• 1 lb shell-on shrimp
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 1/2 medium daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 4 – 5 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, light green and white parts, thinly sliced
• 9 Thai basil leaves, chiffonaded or coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, chiffonaded or coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

*For a less spicy version, replace with a small jalapeno or omit.

Method:

1. In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, combine 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1″ piece fresh ginger, grated, and 1 Tbsp granulated sugar. Heat over the stove or in the microwave until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves.
2. Refrigerate the ginger-vinegar dressing until cool, then stir in 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice and 1 small bird’s eye chili pepper, minced.
3. Meanwhile, fill a medium saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Add 1 lb shell-on shrimp, and poach until cooked through, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then drain in a colander, and set aside to cool.
4. Once the shrimp are cool enough to handle, remove the shells and devein the shrimp.
5. In a large serving bowl, toss together 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks, 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks, 1/2 medium daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks, 4 – 5 shallots, thinly sliced, 4 scallions, light green and white parts, thinly sliced, 9 Thai basil leaves, chiffonaded or coarsely chopped, 1/4 cup mint, chiffonaded or coarsely chopped, and 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped.
6. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, then add the shrimp, and toss to coat.
7. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped, and serve.