Fresh lettuce topped with garden vegetables and perfectly seasoned shrimp is just the beginning of this rich and filling Shrimp Cobb Salad. You’re going to love this twist on a classic!
A big Cobb Salad topped with Shrimp is the perfect meal for a summer evening! To make this salad with shrimp extra special, we’re adding fresh corn, cajun seasoning, and a delicious homemade balsamic salad dressing.
This Shrimp Cobb Salad is a bit different than a traditional Cobb Salad which calls for eggs, avocado, chicken, onion, bacon, and blue cheese. We’re swapping in cajun-seasoned shrimp for the chicken and adjusting the other ingredients to complement that flavor.
If you need more big, satisfying salads in your life, make sure you try my Seven Layer Salad, Tex Mex Salad, Shrimp Ceasar Salad and Greek Salad too!
Niçoise Salad is like the French version of a Cobb Salad, and you should learn that recipe next!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pescatarian – If you’re into seafood but not other types of meat, this salad is for you. There’s no bacon in this recipe (although you could certainly add some!)
- Satisfying – This is the type of salad that is a full and filling meal. Serve this for dinner or use it for packing the best lunches.
- Customizable – Feel free to adjust the ingredients in this salad as much or as little as you want to. Add in your favorite salad toppings, and leave out anything that doesn’t appeal to you.
Ingredients In Shrimp Cobb Salad
This amazing salad is created in three separate parts: shrimp, dressing, and the salad itself. There are quite a few ingredients in this salad, but I promise that the prep work is well worth it!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Shrimp: Simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning, the shrimp is pan seared in a skillet with the help of a bit of olive oil. Start with raw shrimp, thawed if it’s been frozen. Remove the peels. You can choose whether to remove the tails or not. Large or Jumbo shrimp is best for this salad.
- Romaine Lettuce: I love the crispness of romaine in a Cobb Salad! Feel free to use other types of lettuce if you prefer though.
- Red Onion: Thinly sliced onion adds a tasty bite to the salad.
- Cucumber: English or Persian cucumbers are my favorite. Slice the cucumbers thinly with the skins on.
- Avocado: A must for a true cobb salad! Remove the peel and dice the avocado right before serving to keep it from browning.
- Cherry Tomatoes: I used a mix of different colored tomatoes to add a bit of extra color to the mix. You could also use regular tomatoes, cut into cubes or wedges.
- Corn: This is an unusual addition to a traditional Cobb salad, but so delicious! I like to use fresh corn on the cob when it’s available, steamed and then kernels removed.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: Another requirement of a cobb salad, the eggs are my favorite part.
- Crumbled Cheese: You can choose to use blue cheese crumbles or crumbled feta. With shrimp, I felt like feta would be perfect here!
Easy Cobb Salad Dressing
- Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is always delicious, and it goes really well with the other flavors here.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Every good homemade salad dressing includes some of this.
- Dijon Mustard: This adds volume to the dressing and assists in emulsifying it.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic makes this dressing super tasty. Mince it finely before tossing it in.
- Salt and Pepper: Add as much as tastes good to you!
How To Make A Cobb Salad with Shrimp
- Cook the Shrimp: In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, add the shrimp, and season with Cajun Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Toss with a pair of tongs to distribute the seasoning, and cook until the shrimp is fully cooked and opaque. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Make the Dressing: You can make the dressing in a small jar, or a mixing bowl. Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing by either shaking them up in the jar or whisking them together. Set aside.
- Assemble the Salad: Use a large salad bowl or a deep platter to arrange the salad ingredients. Start with the lettuce, then lay out the rest of the ingredients in neat rows on top.
- Dress and Serve: Right before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.
Tip!
Be careful not to overcook the shrimp! Remove them from the heat and the pan as soon as they are opaque, otherwise they may continue to cook while you finish the salad.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the salad bowl is big enough. This salad has a large volume of ingredients, and you want to be able to toss the salad easily before serving it.
- Cheese for Cobb Salad. While blue cheese crumbles are traditional, I prefer the flavor of feta with shrimp. You can use any type of cheese that you enjoy. For feta and blue cheese, be sure to buy block cheese and crumble it yourself.
- Try different dressings. Ranch, creamy blue cheese, French, or Italian dressings can all be delicious on a Cobb salad. The dressing in this recipe is a tasty and quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Storing Tips
It’s best to make a cobb salad just before you plan to serve it. Lettuce-based salads with lots of toppings don’t always keep well if made ahead of time.
You can chop and prep the lettuce and toppings and keep them in the fridge for a day or two. When you’re ready to eat the salad, cook the shrimp, mix up the dressing, and start from there.
How to Wash and Dry Lettuce
The easiest way to wash and dry lettuce for salads is with a salad spinner! I don’t remember what I did without this thing. I have an inexpensive salad spinner from OXO that does a great job at spinning all of the water off of the leaves. It’s great for greens like spinach and kale too.
What To Serve With Shrimp Cobb Salad
This big salad with shrimp is already a fully balanced meal with veggies, protein, and healthy fats from avocado and olive oil. Add some homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks or some Air Fryer Croutons if you’d like to.
You can also turn Shimp Cobb Salad into a side dish, served in smaller portions with your favorite meals. Try it in the summer with grilled foods like Grilled Veggie Kabobs or Grilled Cornish Hens.
FAQs
I chose to use a simple balsamic dressing for this shrimp cobb salad, and it’s perfect! You can try any type of dressing that you enjoy though, I think that Ranch dressing would also be very good with the Cajun-spiced shrimp. You might also like my creamy balsamic dressing.
This style of salad with avocado and eggs is named after the first person who made it, a restaurant owner in California named Robert Cobb. He came up with the idea back in 1937!
You can! Any type of lettuce that you enjoy will be delicious here, including iceberg, romaine, or a mixture of your favorite lettuces and greens.
Seasoning the shrimp with cajun seasoning will make them a bit spicy! If you prefer less spice, cook the shrimp with just salt and pepper, and a bit of garlic powder.
You’re going to love the flavors in this Shrimp Cobb Salad! Consider bringing to the next BBQ you’re invited to. Your friends will love it too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Shrimp Cobb Salad
Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- Large Salad Bowl
- Stainless steel salad tongs, for serving
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 pound (450 g) raw shrimp large or jumbo, thawed, peeled, and deveined
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning see note 1
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Cobb Dressing
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- ½ small red onion sliced thinly
- ¾ cup sliced cucumber English or persian
- 1 avocado peeled and diced
- 10 ounces (280 g) cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- ¾ cup cooked fresh corn kernels
- 2 hard-boiled eggs peeled and quartered
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, add the shrimp and season with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Toss with a pair of tongs to distribute the seasoning, and cook until the shrimp is cooked through and opaque (about 4 minutes). Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Remove into a bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl or a jar, combine the dressing ingredients and set aside (if using a jar, seal and shake to combine).
- To a LARGE bowl, add the lettuce to the bottom, then lay out the rest of the ingredients in neat rows.
- Right before serving, dress the salad and gently toss to combine.
Notes:
- Cajun Seasoning: These shrimp will be mildly spicy. Up the spice to two teaspoons for extra spicy shrimp, or leave it out for a milder version.
- Yield: This salad will serve 4 as a main dish, or up to 8 as a side dish.
- It’s best to make a cobb salad just before you plan to serve it. You can chop and prep the lettuce and toppings and keep them in the fridge for a day or two. When you’re ready to eat the salad, cook the shrimp, mix up the dressing, and start from there.
- Make sure the bowl you use is big enough. You want enough room to add all of the ingredients and toss the salad before serving it. A platter is a good option as well.
- Try different dressings. Ranch, Creamy blue cheese, French, or Italian dressings can all be delicious on a Cobb salad. The dressing in this recipe is a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
- Cheese substitution. Feel free to use crumbled blue cheese instead of feta, or your favorite shredded cheese. It’s best to buy a block of cheese and crumble it yourself – the texture is better.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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