This Twist on Greek Salad Is Perfect for Summer Nights

When the weather gets unbearably hot, salad is a great move, since it's not too heavy and feels like a refreshing contrast to the heat. In this week's episode of Mad Genius: Home Edition, Justin Chapple prepares a simple yet hearty salad that definitely fits the bill -- Greek salad with shrimp and kamut. The recipe was inspired by a classic Greek salad, with kamut (an ancient variety of wheat) and shrimp added in for extra heft, and hot sauce for a touch of heat. The best part? It comes together in three easy steps.

Read on for Justin's step-by-step method and follow along with the video above.

First Up -- the Kamut

To start, you'll want to soak your kamut berries overnight and then drain them. Next, add them to boiling water with some salt, reduce the heat, and allow them to simmer, cooking for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes until they're "slightly puffed and tender but still chewy." Once done, spread them out evenly on a large baking sheet so they can cool.

Want to speed things up a bit? You can cook the kamut up to two days in advance to save time day-of.

Meanwhile, Marinate the Shrimp and Vegetables

While the kamut cooks, you'll want to get going on the vinaigrette and vegetables. For the former, you'll need red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, a grated garlic clove, and the "secret ingredient," Louisiana-style hot sauce. Add it all to a large bowl, give it a whisk, and season it to taste with a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk the vinaigrette again and you're good to go.

Next, you'll want to add the prepped cucumbers and peppers, as well as the cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined). Mix everything together, cover the bowl, and then get it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Grab the Rest of the Ingredients

The final ingredients going into this salad are small round tomatoes (such as Campari tomatoes), red onion, feta cheese, and fresh mint and basil leaves. When crumbling the feta, stick to large chunks -- if the pieces are too small, they'll melt into the salad, Justin notes. Once the kamut is cool and the ingredients in the fridge have had time to chill, you can build the salad.

Assemble and Enjoy

Add the kamut, tomatoes, and onion to the bowl with the shrimp in it first, seasoning the mixture and giving everything a toss. The feta, mint, and basil should go in last just before serving -- this prevents the herbs from wilting too quickly and the feta from breaking up. Gently fold them in and you're all set to eat.

"There's so much texture in this salad," Justin says. "There's so much flavor in this salad. It's super-reminiscent of a classic Greek salad, but because I am Justin, I had to make it extra. I'm not gonna lie, it is kind of like a restaurant salad. That's how next-level it is."