Shrimp Bok Choy Salad with Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette

After the Crunchy Chicken Chinese Salad, I still had over half the bunch left. Luckily, Bok Choy keeps well… I decided to pair it with shrimp this go around, and came up with this Asian inspired salad. We’re salad lovers around here, if you can’t tell… So, I made this salad, and guess what? I STILL have Bok Choy left. What now??

Salad Ingredients:

Note: I don’t measure for salads. I throw stuff in a salad bowl until it looks balanced. That said, I’ll try my best to give you approximate measurements for feeding two people.

shrimp, about 15-20 small or 10 large
Bok Choy, about 5-6 cups
purple cabbage, shredded, about 1 cup
red pepper, 1 small- medium, diced
won ton wrappers for fried won-ton strips, see method below

Dressing Ingredients:

lemon juice, about ¼ cup
lemon zest (optional), from 1 lemon
peanut oil, about ¼ cup (use olive oil if you don’t have peanut oil)
rice vinegar, a couple tbsp.
fresh ginger, a 1-2 inch chunk, peeled and grated
brown sugar, a tbsp. or two, depending on taste
salt and pepper to taste

Fried Won Ton Strips:

Grab a stack of won ton wrappers, about 6-8, and cut them into strips. You should get 3-4 per square, and it’s easier to run your knife through the entire stack, not one won ton wrapper at a time. That way, you only make 3-4 cuts.

Fill a small fry pan ½- ¾ of the way full of canola oil or peanut oil. Heat over high until hot, then reduce the temp to medium or medium-high.

Working in batches, fry the strips. They take about 30 seconds per side before they burn, so don’t walk away from them!

Using tongs, remove the strips from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Salad Guidelines:

Start with the dressing, so the flavors have time to meld. Whisk the ingredients in a bowl and let stand until ready to use. Give it a final vigorous whisk before dressing the salad.

Prepare the won ton strips.

Cook your shrimp. If they are uncooked, they will take 3-5 minutes, depending on size. If they are previously cooked, you can warm them, or use them cold. Make sure they are de-thawed and the tails have been removed.

Wash and chop the Bok Choy. Place it in a bowl along with the shredded purple cabbage and the diced red pepper.

Dress the veggies with the salad dressing, and plate. Add shrimp and won ton strips to individual plates.

Wine Recommendations:

Washington State Riesling or a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc