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Shrimp Salad with Avocados

This Shrimp Salad with Avocados is full of fresh flavors! It’s light and refreshing, and sure to be your new favorite summer salad!

cooked shrimp, avocado slices, and salad greens tossed together in a white serving bowl

My Favorite Shrimp Salad Recipe with Avocados

This salad is seriously like nothing you’ve ever had before. I can say that with 100% full confidence. Maybe you’ve had a creamy shrimp salad before. Maybe you’ve had a yummy green salad topped with fresh shrimp before. 

But I know – I just know – you’ve never had a creamy green salad with avocados, topped with fresh shrimp, that also has a pop of flavor brought to you by bite-size sections of fresh grapefruit!

I’m right, right? So, are you ready for this crazy good unexpected flavor combo? If so, you’ve GOT to try this Shrimp salad.

Recipe Ingredients

I see you side-eying me about this long ingredient list. Don’t worry. I promise it’s easy and so worth it. Here’s everything you’ll need:

For the Shrimp

  • olive oil
  • medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the Salad

  • salad greens (I like to use Spring Mix)
  • avocado, sliced or diced
  • grapefruit, peeled and sectioned (you can also use canned or jarred grapefruit sections)

For the Dressing

  • garlic
  • fresh lemon juice and lemon zest
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • dijon mustard, optional
up close photo of cooked shrimp in a white skillet

How to Make Shrimp Salad

There are three steps to getting this salad together. First, we’ll cook up the shrimp, then we’ll assemble the green salad, and last, we’ll top it all with our slightly sweet but tart salad dressing. 

How to Cook the Shrimp

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
  3. Transfer the shrimp to the skillet and cook them for about 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp is completely opaque and pink. 
  4. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside for 5 minutes.

How to Make the Salad

  1. In a large salad bowl toss the salad greens.
  2. Add the avocado slices and grapefruit to the salad. Then, top it with the cooked shrimp and set it aside.

How to Make the Salad Dressing

  1. In a mixing bowl combine the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Whisk everything to combine.
  2. Then, whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
  3. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad.
  4. Toss gently to coat. Serve. 
cooked shrimp, avocado slices, and salad greens tossed together in a white serving bowl

Tips for the Best Shrimp Salad

Follow these tips for the most refreshing summer salad:

  • If you are serving this at a party or for a large crowd, simply double or triple the recipe. 
  • For this salad, I recommend using peeled and deveined shrimp and removing the tail. You want to be able to pop each shrimp into your mouth right along with a large bite of salad. 
  • If you don’t have or can’t enjoy grapefruit, you could use mandarin oranges in place of the grapefruit sections. 
  • This salad is best served fresh. I wouldn’t recommend storing the leftovers for later or making it ahead of time. 
  • You could cook the shrimp and make the dressing ahead of time and combine the salad at a later time. 

Serving Suggestions

  • This salad is perfect to serve as an appetizer or for a light meal. If you’re serving it as an app, I really like to serve it alongside a fresh summery flatbread pizza, with pita chips and a dip, or just this simple homemade flatbread!
  • You could add some sides to your meal like grilled fresh veggies or corn on the cob. 
  • To make this shrimp salad a bit more hearty, I love to serve it with tortilla chips or on top of a warm tortilla or tostada! 
cooked shrimp, avocado slices, and salad greens tossed together in a white serving bowl
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Shrimp Salad with Avocado

This Shrimp Salad with Avocados is full of fresh flavors! It’s light and refreshing and sure to be your new favorite summer salad!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: shrimp and avocado salad, shrimp salad recipe, summer salad recipes
Servings: 4
Calories: 360kcal

Ingredients

For the Shrimp

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the Salad

  • 8 to 10 cups salad greens, I like to use Spring Mix
  • 1 avocado, sliced or diced
  • 1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned (you can also use canned or jarred grapefruit sections, drained)

For the Dressing

  • 1 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, optional
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer the shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until shrimp is completely opaque and pink.
  • Remove shrimp from pan and set aside for several minutes, or until cooled.
  • In a large salad bowl toss the shrimp with the salad greens.
  • Add the avocado slices and grapefruit to the salad. Set aside.

Make the Dressing

  • In a mixing bowl combine garlic, lemon juice, mustard (if using), lemon zest, salt, and pepper; whisk to combine.
  • Whisk in the olive oil; taste and adjust to your taste. If consistency is too thick, add a little more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
  • Drizzle salad dressing over the salad.
  • Toss gently to coat.
  • Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1356mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1718IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 3mg

14 Comments

  • Beth
    Jun 23, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    5 stars
    My daughter and I love shrimp! She’ll be so excited to try this! Can’t wait to make this! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 23, 2020 at 7:29 pm

      That’s great! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂 Thank YOU!

      Reply
  • Vikki
    Jun 24, 2020 at 6:03 am

    5 stars
    Huge shrimp fan here, can’t wait to try this recipe — looks so delicious!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 24, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Cathy
    Jun 24, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    This is completely my kind of salad! SO perfect for summer!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 24, 2020 at 5:53 pm

      I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Toni
    Jun 24, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    5 stars
    I love how flavorful this is! Perfect for any night of the week!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 24, 2020 at 5:52 pm

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Kevin
    Jun 24, 2020 at 4:23 pm

    5 stars
    This salad looks so refreshing! I cannot wait to make it!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 24, 2020 at 5:52 pm

      I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Catalina
    Jun 25, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    5 stars
    What a great idea to use avocados in a shrimp salad! So yummy!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 26, 2020 at 3:29 pm

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Fran
    Aug 8, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    Cant have grapefruit. Any other suggestions?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Aug 9, 2021 at 8:16 am

      How about oranges? The flavor profile won’t be the same, but an oranges and shrimp salad is also delicious.

      Reply

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