Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad
This Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad is loaded with red onions, cucumber, red bell peppers, avocado and sautéd shrimp. Also, it’s tossed with a very light and fresh lemon dressing. Delicious!
Last week I made this Super Easy Avocado Cucumber Tuna Salad that my husband eat for three days and just asked me yesterday to make it again for a light dinner. This is how much he loved this salad. My favourite for summer is this Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad, just because I love chicken and green of any kind. I’m planning to make this salad again for lunch tomorrow. For busy days this salad is definitely the best.
Another favourite I’ve been making is this Avocado Cucumber Tuna Salad, Tuna Cucumber Cups Recipe, and Creamy Avocado Cauliflower Salad as they’re so easy to make for lunch and a light meal option.
So, today I’m sharing my newest favourite salad recipe, which is this Shrimp Avocado and Cucumber Salad. There is something about this combo (shrimp + avocado + cucumber) that is out of this world. Avocado is great with anything really, but with shrimp is my favourite and I think it’ll become your favourite too.
This Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad is loaded with red onions, cucumber, red bell peppers, avocado, and sautéd shrimp. Also, it’s tossed with a very light and fresh lemon dressing. This is a very delicious salad to make and enjoy all year round.
Here’s what I think you should totally make this Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad recipe:
- It is easy and quick.
- It’s perfect for lunch during your busy week.
- It is DELICIOUS. This combo (avocado, cucumber and shrimp) is insanely good.
- It is low-carb, gluten-free, paleo and Whole30.
I’m sure this Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad recipe will make your mouth watering 😉 Please, give it a try!
Want to serve this with a creamy sauce? Try my Whole30 Creamy Avocado Sauce to go with it! You won’t regret it!
How to Make Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- Uncooked extra-large shrimp — peeled and deveined ahead of time. You can purchase them peeled and deveined to save time.
- Butter — use unsalted butter.
- Olive oil — or an oil of your choice.
- Salt and black pepper
- Cucumber — chopped. If your cucumbers have seeds and tough skin, you can peel them and scoop out the seeds before cutting.
- Red onions — chopped to a similar size.
- Red bell pepper — you can use a different coloured bell pepper as well.
- Avocado — peeled, pitted, and chopped. Make sure they’re ripe by giving them a squeeze.
- Parsley — I love topping off the salad with fresh parsley.
- Lemon juice — I prefer fresh lemon over bottled lemon juice.
Instructions
Cook the Shrimp
- Pat dry shrimp with some paper towels.
- In a skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper to the pan.
- Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through.
Make the Salad
- In a large salad bowl, add cucumber, red onions, bell pepper, avocado, and shrimp.
- In a mason jar, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Whisk everything together until combined.
- Toss to combine and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Avoid overcooking the shrimp or they will taste rubbery. Once the shrimps in the pan have turned opaque, they’re ready to eat!
- The avocado should give a little when you press it, but not soft so that they hold up in the salad. It’s difficult to cut avocado when it’s overripe.
- You can make this avocado shrimp salad up to two days ahead of time just be sure to keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Avocados will turn colour over time so the airtight container is important. You should also keep the dressing separate until ready to eat.
Fresh or frozen shrimp? Which is better?
Both fresh or frozen shrimp is a great source of protein. The shelf life for frozen shrimp is also longer compared to fresh shrimp as you won’t know for sure how long fresh shrimp has been at the fish counter at the grocery store.
Frozen shrimp also costs less than fresh shrimp if you are on a budget. However, when given the choice, I pick wild frozen shrimp as they are frozen immediately upon catching.
Wild caught shrimp also has a cleaner, shrimp-y flavor compared to farmed shrimp. If you are purchasing fresh shrimp then check the shells and if they feel soft or slimy, skip them.
How do I quickly thaw shrimp?
If you’ve forgotten to thaw the shrimp overnight in the fridge, not to worry! You can quickly thaw it by placing frozen shrimp into a bowl or colander in the sink. Then run cold water over it for 5 to 10 minutes, giving it a shake every so often so the water can thaw the shrimp evenly.
It will take longer if your shrimp are larger. Small shrimp take much less time to thaw. After the shrimp has thawed, you’ll have to pat them dry with a paper towel or the shrimp will steam instead of sear in the pan. This step is very important to get a nice colour on the shrimp.
What pan should I use?
I like to use a cast-iron skillet but a non-stick pan will work as well. I find that cast-iron gives the shrimp a better-looking sear.
Looking for more easy and quick salads? I’ve got you covered:
- Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad
- 35 Healthy Shrimp Dinner Recipes
- Avocado Egg Salad Recipe
- Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe
- Shrimp Ceviche
Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 450 g (26-39 shrimps) uncooked extra large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 ½ cups cucumber - chopped
- ½ cup red onions - chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper - chopped
- 2 medium avocado - peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley - chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Using paper towels, pat dry shrimp.
- In a skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, salt and pepper. Cook for about 1-2 minutes each side or until they are cooked through.
- In a large salad bowl, add cucumber, red onions, bell pepper, avocado and shrimp.
- In a mason jar, pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Whisk everything together until combined.
- Taste to check the seasoning and pour over the salad. Toss to combine and enjoy!
Video
Notes
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