Nordstrom Café Bistro: Zesty Cilantro Lime Shrimp Salad (and a recipe too)!!

Who would have thought, Nordstrom, the place known for great jeans…shoes…handbags…and that too-good-to-be-true return policy would also house a perfectly fantastic salad!

Tucked in between the Home and BP (Brass Plum) departments on the 3rd floor of the Westfield Topanga Mall Nordstrom is a remarkable little restaurant called the Café Bistro...now, many Nordstrom stores have Cafés, but only very special locations have Café Bistros!! (Café Bistros are a bit classier than the regular Café’s and serve a slightly tweaked menu.)

I sometimes dabble in a Bistro Club Sandwich (shown above...fries & garlic aioli are ToDieFor btw!) or Pepperoni Pizza but my true love is their Cilantro Lime Shrimp Salad (and I regret it every single time I don't order it!) Most people that know me, know that I cannot get enough of this salad...my eyes glaze over when I talk about it, I can hardly pay attention to conversation when I'm eating it, and I drag everyone and their mother to Café Bistro to try it! The delectable salad is comprised of fresh corn, monterey jack cheese, diced tomatoes, roasted sweet peppers, crunchy tortilla strips and seared jumbo shrimp atop a mix of baby greens & romaine lettuce then splashed with an exceptionally good Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.

Tangy lime, zesty chipotle, and aromatic cilantro make up the flavor notes that I just can’t resist in this dressing. I became so obsessed w/ the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette that I wanted to pour it on every single salad that I consumed… so I did some research and tried out this recipe, it tastes just like the dressing at Nordy’s (yum!!):


Nordstrom’s Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:

- 1-1/2 Tbl Chipotle Pepper Puree

- ½ cup Lime Juice, fresh from limes

- ½ cup Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar (I use Marukan brand)

- 1 Tbl Garlic, minced

- ¼ cup Honey

- 1 tsp Kosher Salt

- 1-1/2 cups Canola Oil

- ¼ lb Cilantro Bunches, rough chopped (Note: Only use the stems from the middle to the top of the leaves of the cilantro bunches.)

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1. Double rinse the cilantro bunches in plenty of cold water, shake off all water and trim off bottom stems. Set aside to drain.

2. In a 3 quart blender, combine the fresh lime juice, seasoned rice wine vinegar, garlic, chipotle puree, honey and salt.

3. Turn blender on and add oil in a steady stream to emulsify the dressing, or for about 2 minutes. It should be bright orange and have a creamy texture. Once all the oil is completely absorbed, turn the blender off.

4. Wash and then add the clean, rough chopped cilantro leaves and stems to the blender.

5. Turn the blender back on for 15 seconds, or pulse until cilantro is pureed completely into the dressing. It should be bright, vibrant green in color, with a smooth and somewhat creamy consistency.

6. Transfer to a storage container. Cover, label, date and store in a refrigerator

Makes: 1qt Shelf Life: 48 Hours



Nordstrom Topanga Café Bistro website 6602 Topanga Canyon Canoga Park, CA 91303

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