If you love ceviche, but shy away from making it at home, Shrimp Avocado Salad is your [100% fully-cooked] solution! Citrusy, bright, and marvelously refreshing, it's loaded with perfectly cooked, tender shrimp, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and a vibrant combination of crisp, lime-infused veggies like cucumber, jalapeños, and red onion!
Hit it with some chopped cilantro and you've got a light, healthy, positively perfect recipe for cooling down when the weather heats up!
Light, yet filling, this summer recipe is amazing as an appetizer with tortilla chips, as a light dinner salad over chopped lettuce, on top of a tostada, or all by its lonesome as a light lunch salad!
Love shrimp in Salads? Bookmark this simple Shrimp and Tomato Salad topped with Creamy Green Goddess Dressing for next time!
HOW TO MAKE SHRIMP AVOCADO SALAD
- Prep
- Make the Dressing
- Get the Veggies Marinating
- Cook the Shrimp
- Assemble the Salad
1. PREP
To begin, you'll want to get some water boiling, chop the veggies, and make sure the shrimp are peeled, deveined, and ready to rock.
2. MAKE THE DRESSING
To make the dressing for Shrimp Avocado Salad, you'll juice three limes into a large bowl. Make sure this bowl is large enough to house the entire salad -- it's all going down in here!
Once your limes are juiced, you'll add in the seasoning and cilantro. Then, drizzle in the oil, whisking all the while until it is good and emulsified.
3. MARINATE SOME VEGGIES
Add the cucumber, onion, and jalapeño to the lime dressing and set the mix aside for at least 15 minutes. Think of this step as a quick-pickle! This will allow the crisp veggies to absorb some of the acidity from the lime juice, and make for a super zesty, flavorful bite!
4. COOK THE SHRIMP
Add the shrimp to the boiling water. As soon as the shrimp goes in, kill the heat, and cover the pot. The shrimp will gently cook (i.e., poach) in the water, and should be ready in about six minutes. You can tell shrimp is cooked through when it is pink and completely opaque.
Have ready a bowl filled with ice water. As soon as the shrimp have cooked through, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the water bath and allow them to chill through.
5. ASSEMBLE THE SALAD
Remove the shrimp from the water bath and add them to the bowl of marinating veggies, along with the avocado and tomato. Toss until evenly coated, serve, and enjoy!
INGREDIENTS FOR SHRIMP AVOCADO SALAD
- Shrimp
- Cucumber
- Red Onion
- Jalapeños
- Roma Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Lime Juice
- Avocado (or Canola) Oil
- Salt and Pepper
ABOUT THE SHRIMP
It is important to purchase the right size shrimp for Shrimp Avocado Salad, as size affects how long the shrimp will take to cook through. However, shrimp size seems to be a tricky thing these days. Depending on the packaging, shrimp descriptors such as "jumbo, large, and medium" can vary wildly depending on the brand. For this reason, you may find it's best to go by the shrimp count instead.
The shrimp count you want to aim for with this recipe is 41/50, which means you should have anywhere from 41 to 50 shrimp per pound.
MORE SHRIMP RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE!
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
Dressing | The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Veggies | The crunchy veggies (e.g., cucumber, onion, and jalapeño) can be added to the dressing and marinate for up to 24 hours in advance. This mixture should be kept refrigerated in an airtight container.
Shrimp | The shrimp can be made and kept refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance. Note, shellfish should be consumed within 48 hours of preparation.
Avocado | It's best if you wait to add the avocado until just before serving!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SALAD
Shrimp Avocado Salad can be eaten on its own, over a bed of Romaine lettuce, or served as an appetizer with hearty tortilla chips! You could also slice and toast (or grill) slices of baguette bread and serve it as a sort of Mexican canape!
It would also be delicious in tostada form on atop a layer of refried black beans!
Looking for something yummy to accompany your Shrimp Avocado Salad? Try pairing it with more Mexican favorites like a refreshing Homemade Margarita or a stack of healthy Veggie Quesadillas!
5 MORE ZESTY SALAD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Beef Fajita Salad
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Mexican Bean Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Watermelon Arugula Salad
Shrimp Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- Juice of 3 limes
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup avocado or canola oil
- 1 ½ cup diced cucumber
- ⅔ cup diced red onion
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
- 1 pound medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined (with a shrimp count around 41/50)
- 1 ½ cup Roma tomatoes, pulp and seeds removed, diced
- 1 ½ large avocados, diced
Instructions
- Add the lime juice to a large mixing bowl, along with the cilantro, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking all the while.
- Add the cucumber, onion, and jalapeños and stir to coat. Set aside and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil. Add the shrimp and turn off the heat. Cover and allow it to steep for about 6 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and completely cooked through. As soon as the shrimp has cooked through, transfer it to a bowl full of ice water to stop the cooking entirely and chill.
- Once the shrimp are chilled, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon (discard of tails if you haven't already) and add them, the tomatoes, and avocados to the bowl with the other dressed veggies and toss until evenly coated. Serve chilled and enjoy.
Nutrition
Justine says
Such a light and easy tasty lunchtime meal!
wilhelmina says
This is such a great dish! I made it for lunch and we truly enjoyed it! I will be making this often!
Sasha Batman-Gravette says
Can I leave the cilantro out? Is there a substitute for it?
Kelly Anthony says
Yes! You can leave the cilantro out. Parsley can be subbed in for color if you'd like!