This simple but totally flavorful shrimp avocado salad combines pan-seared citrus shrimp, creamy avocado, and the crunch of sliced almonds. It’s the perfect high-protein lunch or dinner salad that’s great for meal prep, too.
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“Loved the recipe! It was so easy to put together for unplanned dinner when I was feeling too lazy to cook.” -Shruti, FoodieCrush reader
This Might Be My Favorite Salad of All Time
I grew up with a mother who 99% of the time ordered two things when we ate out at finer dining establishments. It was like she didn’t even need to look at the menu, yet she always did and still does.
So when it’s my mom’s turn to answer the usual round of “What are you going to have?” questions because we all want to be 100% sure we’re ordering just the right thing on the menu, my husband and I always share a knowing grin when we hear her reply, “Oh, I think I’ll try the shrimp. Or maybe the scallops.”
My mom. She’s predictable that way. And to prove we share the same DNA, I unapologetically share her menu-choosing tendencies. Man, I LOVE shrimp!
That’s why when I made my friend Robyn’s Pan-Seared Citrus Shrimp I was totally stoked there were leftovers to be had, because that meant that I could repurpose the leftovers into a perfect weekday salad.
Enjoy!
PS. If you don’t have enough leftover citrus sauce from the batch of shrimp, use quality olive oil and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon or orange to finish off this simple lunch salad. There will be plenty of gusto from the shrimp to carry it through!
The Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Citrus shrimp — The shrimp serves as the protein source, and the citrus sauce serves as the salad dressing. Use smaller shrimp in this salad to ensure every forkful is packed with protein. Just remember that the smaller the shrimp, the faster they cook.
- Greens — The greens in this shrimp and avocado salad could very well vary on your tastes and what you have available. Spring mix salad greens offer a neutral-flavored bite, arugula lends some peppery flavor, baby spinach leaves are earthy and tender, and romaine lettuce gives a substantial crunch.
- Lemon juice — Can be swapped with freshly squeezed orange juice for a different flavor profile.
- Avocado — Press the top of the avocado (gently!) with your thumb. If it gives a little, it’s nice and ripe.
- Shallot — For a salad as simple as this, a little onion is always a favorite addition of mine. I used minced shallots this time around, but you could always use red onion or even green onion if that’s what you have on hand.
- Sliced almonds — I typically toast my almond slices to give them a little more oomph in flavor, but I was lazy so I just tossed them on naked. Guess what? They still tasted great.
Heidi’s Tip: Consider this avocado shrimp salad a blank canvas for your favorite salad fixings. I kept things light and breezy, but you can load it up with croutons, nuts and seeds, veggies, and more.
How to Make Shrimp and Avocado Salad in 3 Steps
- Cook the citrus shrimp. The shrimp can be made in under 30 minutes so if you haven’t made it for meal planning, or have leftovers in the fridge, it really doesn’t take much doing to cook up a fresh batch. A quickly-prepared protein is one of the essential parts of composing a salad like this.
- Prep the dressing. I had plenty of sauce left over after making the shrimp and because there’s no butter or cream in the sauce, it doesn’t coagulate into a gooey goop, but instead stays rather liquified when refrigerated, making it a perfect solution for creating a salad dressing. I drizzled a bit of olive oil on the greens and then mostly used the dressing I had to finish off my salads.
- Toss to combine. Add the avocado, almonds, and shallot to the shrimp and leafy greens and toss to coat everything in the dressing.
What to Serve With This Salad
This leafy shrimp and avocado salad could easily be served all on its own because it really does make a meal. But sometimes a little extra something is nice to nibble or slurp alongside.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Citrus Shrimp and Avocado Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium Pan-Seared Citrus Shrimp , (I use 31/40 shrimp)
- 8 cups greens , (such as arugula, spinach, lettuce, or spring mix)
- Extra virgin olive oil (I prefer a fruity or lemon-flavored oil)
- Juice of ½ lemon or ½ orange
- 1 avocado , sliced or diced
- 1 shallot , minced
- 4 ounces sliced almonds , toasted
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the recipe for the citrus shrimp. Or, gently warm the leftover shrimp. You can also serve the shrimp chilled.
- Assemble the salad. Toss the shrimp with the salad greens in a large bowl. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, and if desired, some of the sauce remaining from the shrimp with a generous squeeze of citrus, and toss lightly to coat. Add the avocado, shallots and sliced almonds and then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Shrimp Salad Ideas
More Filling Lunch Salads
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