Shrimp & Avocado Salad

This fresh and colorful salad is perfect for anyone who loves bright, healthy flavors that come together in just minutes. Your family will absolutely love this refreshing combination that’s packed with protein and healthy fats!

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 15 minutes, Serves: 6 people.

Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Omega-3, Soy-Free, High-Protein, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 367 Calories, 25g Fat, 17g Carbs, 21g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Cooked shrimp: You’ll need 1 pound of large peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, chopped up into bite-sized pieces. I love using pre-cooked shrimp because it saves so much time!

Avocados: Pick up 3 small ripe avocados and cube them up nicely. Make sure they’re ripe but still firm so they hold their shape in the salad.

Radishes: About ½ cup of thinly sliced radishes adds the perfect peppery crunch. Don’t skip these – they really make the salad special!

Scallions: You’ll want ¼ cup of thinly sliced scallions for that fresh onion flavor. Both the white and green parts work great.

Extra-virgin olive oil: ¼ cup of good quality olive oil makes the dressing rich and smooth.

Fresh lime juice: ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice brings all those bright flavors together beautifully.

Fresh ginger: 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger adds a wonderful zing. You can use a microplane grater or the small holes on your box grater.

Granulated sugar: Just 2 teaspoons helps balance out the tangy lime and spicy ginger.

Salt: ¾ teaspoon of salt brings out all the flavors perfectly.

Crushed red pepper: ¼ teaspoon adds just a tiny kick of heat. You can adjust this to your taste!

Mixed greens: 12 cups of mixed greens or chopped romaine lettuce creates the perfect bed for your salad.

Fresh cilantro: Chopped cilantro for garnish adds that final fresh touch.

How to Make Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Step 1: Grab a medium bowl and gently stir together your chopped shrimp, cubed avocados, sliced radishes, and scallions. Be gentle so you don’t mash up those beautiful avocado pieces!

Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, grated ginger, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper. Make sure everything gets well combined into a smooth dressing.

Step 3: Pour that delicious dressing right over your shrimp mixture. Gently stir everything together until it’s all nicely coated with the dressing.

Step 4: Divide your mixed greens evenly among 6 plates. Top each plate with the shrimp mixture and sprinkle with fresh cilantro if you’d like.

Easy and Quick Shrimp & Avocado Salad Version

Want to make this even faster? You can buy pre-washed salad greens and use bottled lime juice instead of fresh! Just use the same amount – ¼ cup of bottled lime juice works perfectly. You can also skip the radishes if you don’t have them on hand, though they really do add a nice crunch.

Serving Ideas

This salad is honestly a complete meal all by itself! If you want to make it even more filling, serve it with some warm crusty bread or crispy pita chips. It’s also amazing alongside grilled corn on the cob or a simple tomato salad.

Storage

This salad is best enjoyed right away, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 day. The avocados might brown a little, but the lime juice helps keep them fresh. Just give it a gentle stir before serving again.

Substitutions

No shrimp? You can easily swap in cooked chicken, crab meat, or even chickpeas for a vegetarian version. If you’re not a fan of radishes, try thinly sliced cucumber instead. You can also use lemon juice instead of lime juice if that’s what you have on hand!

Pro Tips

• Perfect avocados: Choose avocados that give slightly when you press them but aren’t mushy. They should feel heavy for their size.
• Ginger hack: Use a spoon to scrape the skin off fresh ginger – it’s way easier than using a knife!
• Make it pretty: Arrange the salad on a big platter instead of individual plates for a gorgeous presentation at parties.
• Chill factor: For extra refreshing flavor, chill your serving plates in the fridge for 10 minutes before plating.

FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

You can prep most of the ingredients ahead, but it’s best to add the avocados and dressing right before serving. The lime juice helps prevent browning, but avocados are always best when fresh!

What if I don’t like spicy food?

No worries at all! Just skip the crushed red pepper completely. The salad will still taste amazing with all the other fresh flavors.

Can I use frozen shrimp for this recipe?

Sure! Just make sure to thaw it completely and pat it dry with paper towels before chopping. Pre-cooked frozen shrimp works perfectly for this recipe.

How do I know if my avocados are ripe enough?

You bet I can help with that! Ripe avocados should give slightly when you gently press them, but they shouldn’t feel mushy. The skin might be slightly darker too.

I’d love to hear how this salad turns out for you! It’s become one of my go-to recipes for quick, healthy meals. Let me know if you try any fun variations – I’m always excited to hear new ideas!