Should you decide to forgo the bread in this shrimp-salad sandwich, you'll be just as satisfied with this recipe as a main-course salad. I know this because I've become addicted to the salad since I first happened on the combination of sweet shrimp, spicy sausage and soft bitter greens about two months ago.

The sandwich idea came about recently, after my friend began to reminiscence about France's Provence region and our first introduction to the delicious blend of artisan bread, tuna, hard-cooked eggs and olives bathed in olive oil known as pan bagnat during a visit to Nice and St. Tropez 20 years ago.

Buy cooked shrimp from the fishmonger instead of cooking your own. Serve a dry, refreshing white wine such as pinot grigio.

Donna Pierce writes for the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.

Summer Shrimp-Salad Sandwiches

Makes 6 servings // Total time: 35 minutes

VINAIGRETTE:

1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

SALAD:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup large uncooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, butterflied, halved lengthwise

1 piece (4 ounces) Spanish (smoked) chorizo, cut into thin slices

1 package (5 ounces) baby arugula

4 ounces pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 medium French bread loaves, about 10 to 12 inches long, or 1 long baguette, about 18 inches long

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl; season with the salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil slowly; set aside.

For the salad, heat the oil in a large skillet; add the garlic. Cook, stirring until garlic softens, about 1 minute. Stir in the shrimp; cook, stirring until the shrimp is pink and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chorizo; cook, stirring until warm, about 1 minute.

Toss together the arugula, olives, shrimp and chorizo slices in a large bowl; add half of the vinaigrette. Toss, adding more vinaigrette as desired.

Halve the French loaves lengthwise without cutting all the way through; hollow out some of the soft bread to make room for the salad. Line the hollowed loaves with salad. Close; cut each loaf into 3 pieces.

Per serving: 273 calories, 16 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 38 milligrams cholesterol, 21 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams protein, 764 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber

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Get family-friendly recipes from food editor Kate Shatzkin's parenting blog at baltimoresun.com/charmcitymoms. Today's recipe: Grilled Portobello Burgers.