Tropical Shrimp Salad

I’ve been a subscriber to Louisiana Cookin’ magazine for years. This tropical shrimp salad is a great example of why I’ve been a loyal reader for so long. This salad was incredible. A wonderful combination of fruits and shrimp, with a light creamy dressing that has a hint of vanilla. It was the perfect dish on a hot summer’s day. Make sure you chill the salad ahead of time and serve it as cold as possible.

Tropical Shrimp Salad

I made this tropical shrimp salad a main dish by using large shrimp and large melon balls. You can also serve this as a side or a great pitch-in dish by using smaller shrimp and melon balls. This salad is also absolutely fantastic without the shrimp. If you do use smaller, cheaper shrimp, cut your fruits a little smaller to match. You want everything to be about the same size.

I used a Greek vanilla yogurt but regular ole plain yogurt works just fine too. There’s no way you can go wrong with this salad.

I recently discovered Blue Plate mayonnaise, which I think is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

Also try my Peruvian Palta Rellena.

Tropical Shrimp Salad
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4 from 1 vote

Tropical Shrimp Salad

This salad was incredible. A wonderful combination of fruits and shrimp, with a light creamy dressing that has a hint of vanilla. It was the perfect dish on a hot summer’s day.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword salad, shrimp
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 238kcal

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 ½ pounds shrimp large, cooked and peeled
  • 2 cups pineapple chopped
  • 1 ⅓ cups honeydew melon cut into balls
  • 1 ⅓ cups watermelon cut into balls
  • 1 ⅓ cups cantaloupe cut into balls
  • 1 medium cucumber peeled, seeded, sliced
  • ¼ cup green onion chopped, plus more for garnish

For the dressing

Instructions

For the salad

  • Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl and stir gently.

For the dressing

  • Whisk together all ingredients and pour over the shrimp and fruit mixture.
  • Stir gently.
  • Serve garnished with chopped green onions and dill.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 288mg | Sodium: 1322mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1526IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Creamy Pasta Salad

Whenever my wife and I go antiquing we like to pack a light lunch for the trip. Taking our lunch instead of eating out means that way we maximize our antiquing time. But just because lunch is hauled in a cooler doesn’t mean that it’s going to be boring. I made a few fantastic Italian cold-cut wraps and this absolutely delicious creamy pasta salad for our last trip. We both could’ve eaten the salad all afternoon long, but that would’ve meant little time for looking for antiques! Perfectly creamy, with a little crunch from the onion, peas and pickles. Oh, and cheese.

Creamy Pasta Salad

For a great twist on this creamy pasta salad substitute chopped green or black olives for the diced pickles. Another great change is to use smoked cheddar cheese instead of extra sharp cheddar.

This salad is even better (I wouldn’t have thought it could be any better!) the next day. Just cover and put the refrigerator overnight. Give it a quick stir before serving.

I recently discovered Blue Plate mayonnaise, which I think is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

Also our try our amazing old fashioned macaroni salad.

Creamy Pasta Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Pasta Salad

Perfectly creamy, with a little crunch from the onion, peas and pickles. Oh, and cheese.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy, pasta salad
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 338kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta per package instructions. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to cool.
  • Add the peas, cheese, pickles, onion and pimento and fold to combine.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, cream, mustard and sugar. Fold into the pasta mixture.
  • Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 685mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 478IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Avocado Ranch Dressing

I love when avocados are in season here. They’re perfect on a salad, be it sliced, chopped or in the dressing itself. This avocado Ranch dressing is quite easy to make. It packs a nice subtle avocado flavor, with the wonderful creamy herb flavor of Ranch. It has a very mild spiciness to it too. You can make it spicier if you like, or leave out the hot sauce entirely. I like my dressing pretty thick, so that’s how I made it. But if you prefer yours a little thinner, just add some more milk.

Avocado Ranch Dressing


Avocado Ranch dressing isn’t just for salads either. It’s perfect as a dip, or use it as a substitute for sour cream on tacos or nachos. It’s also great as a sandwich spread. Just make it a little thicker then spread on bread. Add your favorite sandwich meat and boom, excellent!

Feel free to use different kinds of hot sauce besides the ‘usual’. Go smoky, or super hot, or lime-infused… whatever works for you!

For a little more kick, try my jalapeno ranch dressing.

Avocado Ranch Dressing
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Avocado Ranch Dressing

This avocado Ranch dressing is quite easy to make. It packs a nice subtle avocado flavor, with the wonderful creamy herb flavor of Ranch.
Course Salad Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade salad dressing
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 cups
Calories 531kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Scoop out the avocado and place into a blender or food processor.
  • Add remaining ingredients except salt and process until smooth.
  • Taste, add salt as needed, and pulse a few more times to mix.
  • Refrigerate for one hour before serving.
  • Note: If the dressing gets too thick, stir in a bit more milk before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 753mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 410IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Oriental Chicken Salad

This oriental chicken salad is by far our favorite meal-sized salad. I can never eat just one little ole serving. It’s addictingly good. The dressing is just the right combination of acid and sweet. Instead of croutons there are crunchy yummy tried Ramen noodles. They make for the perfect topping over the just-as-crunchy cabbage.

Oriental Chicken Salad

I love the dressing for this oriental chicken salad so much that I always double the recipe for it. The Ramen noodles stay crunchy in the dressing so you don’t get down to the bottom of the plate only to discover sad, soggy ‘croutons’. Don’t be afraid to double the amount of Ramen either.

Also try my southern fried chicken salad.

Oriental Chicken Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Oriental Chicken Salad

This oriental chicken salad is by far our favorite meal-sized salad. I can never eat just one little ole serving. It’s addictingly good. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword Asian, chicken salad
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 948kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 2 packages Ramen noodles spice mix discarded
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 cups chicken cooked, chopped
  • 1 head green cabbage shredded
  • 1 bunch green onion chopped
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

For the dressing

Instructions

For the dressing

  • Whisk together all ingredients

For the salad

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Crunch the noodles into the skillet and brown, 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the almonds and cook another minute. Remove from heat.
  • Place the remaining salad ingredients into a large bowl.
  • Add the Ramen noodles and toss.
  • Drizzle with the dressing, toss, and serve.

Notes

The dressing is crazy good. Double the amount and you won’t be sorry.

Nutrition

Calories: 948kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 75g | Saturated Fat: 48g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 2100mg | Potassium: 706mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 351IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spiralized Radish Salad Version 2.0

A spiral slicer is a great fun toy, specially when it comes to radishes. I’ve made another radish salad, which I really love. I thought I’d try something different with the big bag of radishes I picked up at the farmer’s market last weekend and make a spiralized radish salad. Oregano is really what makes this salad fantastic. I used dry, but if you have fresh, substitute 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh oregano for the dried. Make sure to chop it pretty fine, not leaving any big pieces.

Spiralized Radish Salad Version 2.0

This salad holds up well in the fridge so you can easily make it the night before you need to serve it. Just toss it a bit before serving so that the dressing covers the radishes. Unlike many salads, this one holds it’s crunch thanks to, well, crunchy radishes of course! Since radishes are firm, that also means that spiralizing them is much easier. In fact, I think they’re rather fun. I’ve also found myself just snacking on spiral radishes. I keep them in the fridge until I’m ready to eat them.

If you’re not a fan of caraway seed you can leave it out and still enjoy a fantastic side dish.

Also try my spiralized radish salad version 1.0.

Spiralized Radish Salad Version 2.0
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Spiralized Radish Salad Version 2.0

I thought I’d try something different with the big bag of radishes I picked up at the farmer’s market last weekend and make a spiralized radish salad. Oregano is really what makes this salad fantastic.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword radishes, salad, spiral
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 14kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together all but the radishes.
  • Rinse the radishes.
  • Cut the ends off and make a cut 1/2 way thru the radish, length-wise.
  • Insert the radish in tho the slicer.with the largest end toward the blades.
  • Slice the radishes and then add to the vinaigrette.
  • Toss to coat.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Toss lightly before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 14kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This is it. My absolute favorite black-eyed pea salad. I could eat it all day. I could slurp up the dressing with a straw. And I could dream about it. And I have. It has everything I love in every (big) bite. A bit of heat. Hints of Creole mustard and red wine vinegar. Crunchy fresh vegetables. There’s nothing boring about this black-eyed pea salad.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

As with all great pea or bean salads, this one gets even better the next day. And the day after that. So make a double batch because you’ll want to have this salad on hand as long as you possibly can.

If you weren’t raised on black-eyed peas or love them as much as I do, you could substitute kidney beans instead and you’ll be just as happy as I was using black-eyed peas.

Also try my broccoli cauliflower salad.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad
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Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This is it. My absolute favorite black-eyed pea salad. I could eat it all day. I could slurp up the dressing with a straw. And I could dream about it. 
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword peas, salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 111kcal

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 10 ounce black-eyed peas rinsed, drained
  • ½ red bell pepper finely chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper finely chopped
  • ½ medium red onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ¾ cup parsley chopped
  • 1 medium jalapeno seeded, minced

For the dressing

Instructions

For the salad

  • Place all ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Add the dressing ingredients. Toss to coat.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Toss again before serving.

For the dressing

  • Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1033IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spiralized Churchill Downs Butterbean and Radish Salad

Sometimes you just come across a recipe that really hits you as something you absolutely must make immediately. This spiralized Churchill Downs butterbean and radish salad was just that for me. I had to make it immediately. But I had to change it up a bit and spiralize the radishes because, well, I love spiral radishes. A little crunch and a hint of citrus and you have a great tasty salad.

Spiralized Churchill Downs Butterbean and Radish Salad

This spiralized Churchill Downs butterbean (er, lima bean) and radish salad also travels really well. It’s the perfect salad for a pitch-in, and it’s something different. I bet you haven’t seen too many butterbean salads. I haven’t seen any that’s for sure. Maybe it’s the pitch-ins I go to…. People will definitely perk up when they see a big ole bowl of this salad, that’s for sure.

I used to live in Lima, Peru. Which isn’t how we pronounce lima beans. I’ve always found that to be sooooo confusing. I mean, there’s Lima, Ohio, right? Why isn’t it pronounced like Lima, Peru? Lima beans came from Peru. Who’s in charge of fixing this?

Try my spiralized potato salad with green goddess dressing and my easy spiral zucchini salad too!

Spiralized Churchill Downs Butterbean and Radish Salad
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4 from 1 vote

Spiralized Churchill Downs Butterbean and Radish Salad

Sometimes you just come across a recipe that really hits you as something you absolutely must make immediately. This Churchill Downs butterbean and radish salad was just that for me. I had to make it immediately. But I had to change it up a bit and spiralize the radishes because, well, I love spiral radishes. A little crunch and a hint of citrus and you have a great tasty salad.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword salad, spiral
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 62kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lima beans frozen, not fresh or canned
  • ½ pound radish sliced thin
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ – 2 teaspoons cumin I used a 1/4 teaspoon
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped
  • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil.
  • Add the beans and blanch for 3 minutes.
  • Transfer beans to an ice bath and let cool for 5 minutes. Drain well.
  • In a large mixing bowl mix the beans and radishes.
  • Add oil, lemon juice and cumin.
  • Combine until well mixed.
  • Add parsley and cilantro.
  • Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 92IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoked Shrimp Cobb Salad

Farm-fresh vegetables and fruits scream Cobb salad to me. Add a few smoked shrimp and a great (spicy!) creamy dressing and I’m a happy guy. Any toppings will do, and the more variety, the better. You can make a smoked shrimp Cobb salad any way you want to suit your tastes. Just don’t forget the star of the show, the smoked shrimp!

Smoked Shrimp Cobb Salad

The spicy shrimp and cool, but still spicy dressing really go well with the coolness of the vegetables and the pop of the cherry tomatoes. There’s no point in having a boring smoked shrimp Cobb salad.

I think artichoke hearts (and hearts of palm for that matter) should be a required ingredient in every Cobb salad. And shrimp. The shrimp don’t have to be smoked, of course, but that smoky flavor really changes up a salad.

My favorite salads when I eat out are the Buffalo chicken salad at Max and Erma’s, their Santa Fe chicken salad, and the tossed Cobb at The Ram, topped with Buffalo chicken. Yes, I like spicy salads.

Also try my grilled shrimp Cobb salad.

Smoked Shrimp Cobb Salad
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Smoked Shrimp Cobb Salad

Course Main or Side
Cuisine American
Keyword salad, shrimp, smoked
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author Mike

Ingredients

Your favorite Cobb salad ingredients, I used

  • Green leaf lettuce
  • Chilled canned small artichoke hearts drained, chopped
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Chopped radishes
  • Boiled eggs halved
  • Diced avocado

Instructions

  • Arrange ingredients on a platter and serve.

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fried Goat Cheese Croutons

I set out to make a great side salad for last night’s dinner. Nothing too complicated, though. A mix of greens, of course. Topped with sliced roasted beets (a favorite in our house!). Next, I needed croutons. Oh, but not the ‘usual’ croutons. Not dried crunchy bread croutons. Nope. Cheese croutons. Glorious fried goat cheese croutons, to be exact! Oh, what wonderful little bites these are. Decadent. Delicious. Dangerous.

Fried Goat Cheese Croutons

I wouldn’t make these fried goat cheese croutons every day, but I could. They’re very tempting. The only way I kept from eating more of them was to convince myself that by being ‘good’ I could have them again tomorrow.

If I’m cooking for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer. But, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size for both of us. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money.

Also try my copycat of Ruby Tuesday’s croutons, my favorite thing on their salad bar.

Fried Goat Cheese Croutons
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Fried Goat Cheese Croutons

 I needed croutons. Oh, but not the ‘usual’ croutons. Not dried crunchy bread croutons. Nope. Cheese croutons.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword cheese, croutons
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 croutons
Calories 67kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • To make them a bit easier to slice, place the goat cheese logs into the freezer for 30 minutes. Then slice into 1/2″ thick slices.
  • Heat 1″ of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 375 F.
  • Place flour in a small bowl.
  • Place beaten eggs into another small bowl.
  • Place breadcrumbs in another small bowl.
  • Working in batches, dip the cheese slices into the flour.
  • Shake off the excess then dip them into the eggs.
  • Finally, roll the cheese in the breadcrumbs.
  • Add to hot oil and fry 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once.
  • Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to cool and drain.

Nutrition

Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spiralized Radish Salad

It’s not like you have to have a spiralizer to make pretty salads, but it sure does help. And it’s fast and easy. This spiralized radish salad took only minutes to make. It tastes very much like a slaw, with a great radish crunch and a perfect citrus vinaigrette. Radishes hold up really great over time, unless traditional salads or slaws that start to look a little bit ‘sad’ after a day or too. And the radishes keep their crunchiness day after day, and that’s a big win too!

Spiralized Radish Salad

This was my first time spiralizing radishes. I was afraid it wasn’t going to work, but they came out perfectly. First, you have to start with big radishes. No wimpy long thin ones. Second, you need to make a shallow cut down each radish. If you don’t you’ll end up with one really long radish spiral that goes on and on and on. Then, just cut off the ends, insert into your spiralizer, and get to turning!

Make extra spiral radishes and keep them in your refrigerator. They make for excellent snacks and they’re much healthier than most things you’d find in a bag!

For a slight variation on this salad, try my spiralized radish salad version 2.0.

Spiralized Radish Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Spiralized Radish Salad

It’s not like you have to have a spiralizer to make pretty salads, but it sure does help. And it’s fast and easy. This spiralized radish salad took only minutes to make. It tastes very much like a slaw, with a great radish crunch and a perfect citrus vinaigrette.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword radishes, salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings
Calories 37kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 pound radishes the larger, the better, spiralized (make a thin slice down the sides of the radishes first so that you don't get one long spiral radish) or sliced thin
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • ½ medium red onion minced
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Whisk together the orange and lime juices, olive oil and sugar in a large bowl.
  • Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour. Toss to coat before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 106IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.