Shrimp & Avocado Salad
Juicy poached shrimp, creamy avocado, tomato and crunchy cucumber in a zesty lime and cilantro dressing — a no-fuss, no-mayo salad for hot days.
Nutrition per serving
1¼ cups- Net carbs
- 4.8g
- Calories
- 294kcal
- Protein
- 25g
- Fat
- 19g
- Total carbs
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Creamy (lime mayo): Mayonnaise whisked into the lime dressing makes a creamy, deli-style shrimp salad for lettuce wraps.
- Whisk the mayonnaise with the lime juice, zest, salt and pepper in place of the olive oil, then toss and fold as written.
Crab & avocado: Sweet lump crabmeat instead of shrimp — no cooking required, and elegant enough for a party.
- Skip the poaching. Pick through the crab for bits of shell and fold it in with the vegetables, keeping the lumps as large as you can.
- Shrimp
- Lime dressing
- Salad
- Shrimp
- Lime dressing
- Salad
- Shrimp
- Lime dressing
- Salad
Estimated cost $14.40 for 4 servings ($3.60 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Add the shrimp, turn off the heat and let them poach 2–3 minutes, until pink, curled and opaque all the way through (145°F/63°C).
-
Move the shrimp to the ice water for 2 minutes, then drain, pat dry and cut each one into 2 or 3 pieces.
-
In a large bowl, whisk the lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, half the salt and the pepper.
-
Add the shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, jalapeño and cilantro and toss to coat.
-
Gently fold in the avocado and the remaining salt just before serving. Taste and add more lime or salt as needed.
Tips for success
-
Poaching off the heat keeps shrimp tender; boiling them hard turns them tough and rubbery. - Choose avocados that yield slightly to pressure but are not soft, so the cubes hold their shape when you fold them in.
- Serve in lettuce cups, on cucumber rounds, piled into halved avocados or with keto tortilla chips.
Storage & meal prep
- Keeps 1 day in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Serve cold
Prep tip: For lunches, pack the dressed shrimp and vegetables (up to 2 days) and dice the avocado in just before eating.
Best eaten the day it is made. The shrimp mixture keeps 2 days in the fridge without the avocado; fold it in just before serving.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCreamy (lime mayo)
FlavorMayonnaise whisked into the lime dressing makes a creamy, deli-style shrimp salad for lettuce wraps.
- extra-virgin olive oil → mayonnaise
4.9 g net · 328 kcal · 25 g protein · 22 g fat · ≈$3.55 per serving (+0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Crab & avocado
ProteinSweet lump crabmeat instead of shrimp — no cooking required, and elegant enough for a party.
- large shrimp → lump crabmeat
4.8 g net · 272 kcal · 18 g protein · 19 g fat · ≈$4.84 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
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