Grilled Prawn, Corn, and Tomato Salad
I could eat a salad a day, and throughout the years I pretty much have, even in winter. The ones I make are typically lettuce-based, like Romaine or butter lettuce, and then I add vegetables, avocado or salmon or chicken, maybe cheese, maybe egg, and typically sunflower seeds or nuts.
Fortunately, with the blog, I get to make myself salad recipes that are more unique. I say myself because I’m the only salad eater in my now family of two! Salads obviously can be so much more than lettuce and vegetables. Following are some wonderful examples of non lettuce-based salads. There are endless options.
This salad caught my attention in the book Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi. And why wouldn’t it? Prawns, corn, and tomatoes – all grilled and served warm with a ginger and lime dressing, which is what set this salad apart for me from other.
Oh, and I finally googled regarding shrimp and prawns. They are a different species! So it’s just a matter of having a trustworthy fish monger.
Grilled Prawn, Corn, and Tomato Salad
Dressing:
3/4 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (I used more)
1 clove garlic (my addition)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Salt
To make the dressing, mix all of the ingredients together. Set aside. Can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Salad:
15 1/2 ounces tiger prawns, peeled, cleaned tail on or off (I used shrimp)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2” wedges
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
9 ounces cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves or oregano (I didn’t use either)
Place a grill pan over high heat and ventilate your kitchen well. Mix the shrimp with the oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt and set aside.
Place the onion on the grill pan for 5 minutes, turning over every so often until charred and cooked but still retaining a bite.
Transfer to a large bowl, then add the corn to the grill pan. Cook for 2 minutes, until charred, then add to the onion.
Continue with the tomatoes, adding them to the grill pan for 3 minutes, turning throughout so that they are charred on all sides. Add to the bowl of onion and corn.
Add the shrimp to the grill pan and grill for 4 minutes, turning after 2 minutes, until the shrimp are charred and cooked through.
Add to the vegetables, along with the marjoram and the dressing. Gently stir to combine and serve.
The dressing is wonderful. I have 1 complaint and 1 suggestion. First, I personally don’t enjoy tomato skins, so I didn’t like the charred tomatoes in this salad. Obviously I’m in the minority. And raw tomatoes wouldn’t work in this grilled salad.
Also, I loved the charred but still crunchy onions. I’d suggest using a large onion in the salad. They really add a lot.
I guess I have another thought. Marjoram in a salad with a ginger lime dressing? No.
This is stunning Mimi! I could eat this any time of day, and the dressing and still crunchy onions sound divine!
Except for those darn tomato skins, I could eat this every day as well!
I find some cherry tomatoes have tougher skins than others, some I don’t mind, but others adhere themselves to your teeth in a very unpleasant way!
Yes, they do! I kind of choke on them!
And the last thing any of us want to do is peel a hundred cherry tomatoes!
Correct!
You’ve covered everything that I love in one dish!! 😍😍
Exactly!!!
As do I!
Thank you! It was delicious!
yes in the world of British english – well Aussie English I should say, a prawn is what we call ’em. Shrimp are those tiny, wee ones, so quite separate to a prawn. This looks so fresh and delicious Mimi! We eat a lot of salads, so with summer coming up …
Oh right! You get to have summer! I’m excited about fall. Enough gardening already!
This sounds like a great salad! It sounds so good, with the grilled corn and tomatoes!
Thanks. It really was a wonderful combination!
I’m like you on the tomato front. I want them raw or properly cooked so that the skins break down. And definitely no to the marjoram. I’m not a fan of crunchy onions so woculd change that. But the salad and the dressing sound divine for summer.
I agree on the tomatoes. Everything else was great, though!
I love a good salad, too, and this one is certainly packed with flavor! I’d like to try grilling the prawns, or perhaps using the grill pan on a charcoal grill to get that smoky grill flavor.
That would be great!
Oh, you’ll love it! It’s a great combination no matter what the preparation is, right?!
Thanks so much!
You have great tomatoes in jersey! I’ve started buying Jersey tomatoes instead of San Marzano. Shhhhh
Thanks!
Right! Good ‘ole iceberg. I do like it in wedge salads, good ones, but that’s about it!
Your Grilled Prawn, Corn, and Tomato Salad sounds like a refreshing and delightful dish, especially with the unique combination of ingredients and the warm ginger and lime dressing. It’s wonderful that you’ve been able to explore a wide range of salads beyond the traditional lettuce-based ones.
I just love salads! And I especially love pretty ones! This dressing made all the difference.
I have eyed this recipe several times in SIMPLE. I definitely need to try it. The fresh corn this year has been some of the best – and I will use that! I love all your other salad photos, too – such a display looks like a stained glass window.
Thank you David! It is a good salad, with a wonderful dressing.
Now I know this recipe would go over big at our house! I’m thinking I may try to grill everything on our outdoor grill (corn still on the cob of course) and see what that’s like…
That would be wonderful! You’ll enjoy the dressing, too.
For a while last year, I went on an epic salad quest. I enjoyed it and am eager to try it again. So thank you for this recipe! Grilled prawn, corn, tomato, ginger, lime: what a combo. It sounds so fresh, flavorful, zingy, and bright. I didn’t know that shrimp and prawn were different species. I thought that they used those words in different cultures, but for the same thing.
Right well me, too. There was a guy at our grocery store here where I live in Oklahoma who, when I asked him for prawns, told me “they don’t exist.” And in a very rude way. He sold fish (in Oklahoma) so I thought he knew something. I figured they were big shrimp!
This is delicious
Thanks!
love this variety of salads! I like salads that aren’t just lettuce!
Exactly! But I do love a good garden salad as well.
Thanks! I didn’t feel that my photos did it justice, but it was fabulous!