There’s a particular kind of dish that works for every part of the week, light enough for a hot afternoon, filling enough to actually count as lunch, and easy enough that you don’t need to plan around it. This is that dish. Tender shrimp tossed in a creamy, tangy avocado dressing, with just enough crunch and freshness mixed in to keep every bite interesting.
It comes together in about 20 minutes, most of that being time for the shrimp to cool, and it works just as well spooned onto a bed of greens, stuffed into a wrap, or piled onto crackers for something a little more snack-sized. Once you’ve made it once, it tends to become the thing you throw together whenever you don’t feel like cooking but still want something that feels good to eat.
What You’ll Need
- 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- A dash of hot sauce, optional
How to Make It
Cook the shrimp, if needed. If your shrimp isn’t already cooked, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes, until pink and opaque. Drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then pat dry and roughly chop into bite-sized pieces once cooled.
Mash the avocado base. In a large mixing bowl, mash one of the avocados with the lime juice, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper until fairly smooth. This becomes the creamy base that coats everything else.
Add the crunch. Dice the second avocado into small chunks rather than mashing it, keeping some texture in the final salad, and fold it in along with the red onion, celery, cilantro, and jalapeño if using.
Combine with the shrimp. Add the chopped shrimp to the bowl and gently fold everything together until the shrimp is evenly coated in the creamy avocado mixture. Taste and adjust the salt, lime, or hot sauce to your liking.
Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors settle, then serve however you like, on greens, in a wrap, over rice, or straight up with crackers.
A Few Tips
If you’re making this ahead, keep in mind that avocado does brown over time, so it’s best eaten within a day. Pressing a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the salad before refrigerating helps slow that down if you need to make it a few hours in advance.
For a smokier variation, swap the plain shrimp for shrimp tossed in a little smoked paprika and garlic powder before cooking, it adds another layer of flavor that pairs really well with the cool, creamy avocado base.
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