Summertime is waning and thoughts of pumpkin bread and Fall root vegetables are whirling in my head. It’s been an unusually cool August and I’m already getting excited about holiday cooking!
I don’t want to let Summer go, though, without that last fresh, cool salad on the menu. This Tangy Shrimp Avocado Salad is originally from Add a Pinch, but I adapted quite a bit to our tastes and to be honest, what’s in the refrigerator. The result was a shrimp-filled tangy, cool Summer salad.
I have the hardest time ripening avocados for recipes – I just can’t seem to get them ripened on the day I need them. The one I used in this recipe was a little overripe and creamy, but it actually blended nicely with the tangy dressing and made it a more creamy dressing. Funky color green, but hey, it tasted good!
*** Cool shrimp-filled salad loaded with avocados. Nice, tangy dressing.
- Dressing
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- Salad
- 1 lb medium to small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 green onion
- 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (or creole seasoning)
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Dressing: combine all of the dressing ingredients, salting and peppering to taste, and whisk until well combined. Store in refrigerator until needed.
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Salad: Put 2 tsp. olive oil in a nonstick skillet and heat on medium until oil is shimmering. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle the Old Bay Seasoning over them - stir until all are coated. After the oil is hot, put the shrimp into the pan in an even layer and let sit for 45 seconds without stirring, then turn shrimp over and saute until shrimp are pink and lightly cooked. (don't overcook or they'll be rubbery.) Put cooked shrimp into a medium bowl.
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While shrimp is cooking, chop the avocado into medium chunks. Slice the entire green onion up, keeping the green and white pieces separate. Take the dressing out of the refrigerator and stir in the pieces of white onion.
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Stir the avocado gently into the shrimp and pour half of the dressing over the mixture. Stir until combined, then add remaining dressing if needed and to the desired coverage.
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Divide the salad into bowls and sprinkle each serving with the green onion. Serve immediately with a side of crackers or the Best Dinner Rolls Ever.
Tips and Stuff:
I used fairly small shrimp because I like them more bite-sized with this salad.
If you don't have Old Bay, use creole seasoning, just salt and pepper, or spices of your choice on the shrimp.
You can store the salad in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes or so if not serving right away. Be sure and stir for dressing coverage before serving.