Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or an easy winning dish for your next Summer BBQ, this Summer Scallop Salad will not disappoint.
This is my kind of meal. Minimal time spent cooking over a (hot) stove means more time spent enjoying other simple pleasures that come with summer, like sipping on this red sangria, amiright???
Oh and another selling point on this recipe? Everything can be purchased at Trader Joe’s. No need to go to different grocery stores looking for specialty ingredients.
The burrata adds the BEST richness (but obviously can be supplemented with more avocado if dairy ain’t your thing). The corn contributes the perfect sweetness (especially if you’re using sweet Jersey corn). The basil brings a wonderful freshness. And the addition of lemon juice and balsamic at the end brings it all together. BOOM.
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Summer Scallop Salad
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Prep Time: 5-8 minutes -
Cook Time: 7 minutes
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Total Time: 12-15 minutes
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Yield: 3-4 as a main dish; 6-8 as a side -
Category: Seafood salad -
Cuisine: American
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Pin RecipeDescription
Light, fresh, and easy. The perfect combo for a quick lunch or even a last minute side for a Summer BBQ!
Ingredients
- ½ cup tightly packed fresh basil, julienned
- 1/4 onion, diced, about 1/4 cup
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 2 ears of corn
- 16 oz container of cherry tomatoes
- 1 lb bay scallops
- 1 TBSP minced garlic
- 4 oz burrata
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 3 TBSPs olive oil, separated
- Salt/pepper
Instructions
PREP
Julienne the basil (i.e. stack the leaves on top of one another, roll up tightly into a log shape, and slice down the “log” to make thin ribbons of basil), dice the onion, and cube the tomatoes. Set aside.
With a sharp knife, stand one ear of corn upright, holding the top firmly. Run your knife down the corn from top to bottom, rotating the corn and cutting again once you’ve hit the bottom. Repeat on second ear of corn. ***Note, no need to cook the corn – we are using it raw***
COOK
Over medium heat, toss the tomatoes in 1 TBSP olive oil with the 1 TBSP garlic, salt and pepper. Move the tomatoes around in the pan (I used a cast iron skillet) every couple minutes until blistered, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
In the same pan, crank the heat up to high, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/3 of the scallops to the pan and cook until golden (these cook quickly so keep an eye on them). Ensure to get all sides golden (i.e. toss the scallops around once one side is done). Repeat until all batches are done (you might need to add more garlic along the way).
***THE KEY HERE IS SMALL BATCHES*** – you do not want to overcrowd the pan. This will ruin the crust you want to get on the scallops.
TOSS
Toss the tomatoes, onion, avocado, basil, and scallops in a bowl with 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP balsamic, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add in chunks of burrata and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
BEST SERVED WARM OR AT ROOM TEMP, BUT ALSO WORKS AS A COLD SALAD AS WELL!
Notes
- I used frozen scallops from Trader Joe’s. To defrost them last minute, I ran them under water while they were in a colander (took about 3-5 min).
- If making this advance for a party, wait until you serve to add the basil and avocado to preserve the color! (if you chose not to, it will still taste the same! The brighter green color is just more appetizing 😉 )
- Fresh mozzarella will work here too! The cream from the burrata just adds a nice richness. You could also just swap out the cheese for more avocado to make it Whole30 approved/Paleo!
Keywords: scallop
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