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Tender, garlicky shrimp, creamy avocado, crisp vegetables, and a tangy-sweet dressing combine in this irresistible shrimp and avocado salad. Every bite makes me grin when I’m eating this salad.
Shrimp and Avocado Salad
It takes just a few minutes to cook the shrimp, and the rest of the time required here is spent just prepping the vegetables. You can make this one ahead of time, too, if you want to make it even easier at dinner time. Just add the avocado and toss with the dressing right before serving.
The salad base is made with crunchy lettuce, spring mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and fresh parsley. If you haven’t yet tried a salad with an abundance of fresh parsley in it, you’re missing out.
Parsley brightens savory flavors similarly to the way lemon brightens the flavors in countless sweet and savory dishes. The vegetables in this salad are tossed in that honey dijon vinaigrette I shared earlier this week. It pulls all the flavors together perfectly.
Avocado Shrimp Salad
The shrimp are cooked in a bit of butter with garlic and then drizzled with a little lemon juice, leaving them super juicy and full of flavor. Pairing that shrimp with creamy avocado, crunchy crisp vegetables, and a simple vinaigrette adds up to a salad that’s anything but boring.
Whether you’re making this for yourself or serving it to friends, it’s a salad that looks great and tastes even better. It’s one of those meals that leaves you feeling satisfied and full without being too heavy.
For a few more salads that eat like a hearty meal (even for the pickiest of carnivores), check out this BLT chopped salad. It is fully loaded with crunchy romaine lettuce, sweet tomatoes and fresh corn, salty bacon, rich and creamy avocado slices, cubed cheddar cheese, crunchy croutons, and the perfect ranch dressing.
This Italian chopped salad checks all the boxes for us, with plenty of meat and cheese, crunchy fresh vegetables, tangy olives and pepperoncini, tossed in a zesty Italian dressing.
Street tacos meet the Big Green Salad in this carnitas salad bowl. Crunchy lettuces are layered with juicy carnitas, tomatoes, avocado, onions, corn, beans, and cheese then topped with a squeeze of lime.
Crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, crisp corn, and black beans combine with an easy BBQ ranch dressing in this Southwest chicken salad. My family has been enjoying this one for almost 20 years now.
The chopped salad of my dreams combines crunchy bacon, garlicky shrimp, ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, and creamy cheese, along with a generous handful of fresh parsley to brighten all of the flavors.
Pizza and salad might sound like total opposites, one’s cheesy, gooey, and indulgent, while the other is light, crisp, and refreshing. But put them together? You’ve got the best of both worlds in one bowl with this pizza salad.
Shrimp Avocado Salad
Ingredients
Shrimp Ingredients
- 1½ pounds large raw shrimp deveined and peeled
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salad Ingredients
- 5 ounces crisp lettuce greens about 4 cups
- 5 ounces baby spring mix or arugula about 4 cups
- ½ cup fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
- 1 English cucumber halved lengthwise and sliced thin
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper sliced into very thin 2-inch matchsticks
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- ½-¾ cup Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1-2 avocados sliced into thin wedges
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
Instructions
Shrimp Instructions
- Place the shrimp in a colander and rinse with cold water. Line a large plate or tray with paper towels and place the shrimp on the towels. Pat dry with additional paper towels. Set aside next to the stove.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side.
- Remove from the heat and drizzle with lemon juice. Take care not to overcook the shrimp. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and set aside.
Salad Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lettuce greens, spring mix, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, and carrot. Drizzle lightly with the vinaigrette and toss well to coat.
- Transfer to serving bowls and top with avocado slices, shrimp, and cheese crumbles. Serve with additional dressing, as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fantastic salad
YAY! I’m thrilled you like it, Tracy.
I made this salad for a ladies lunch, served with a crusty cheese bread and it was a huge hit. Everyone wanted the honey Dijon dressing recipe. I had a bit of a search for White Balsamic but definitely worth the hunt. It’s now my go to salad dressing!
Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so happy to hear it!