Shrimp Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• 3 medium ripe avocados, peeled and cubed
• Bibb lettuce leaves
• Lime wedges

Directions

Mix the filling

1. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, tomatoes, green and red onions, jalapeno and serrano peppers, and cilantro. In a separate small bowl, mix the lime juice, vinegar, oil and adobo seasoning. Stir the dressing into the shrimp mixture.

Let the flavors meld

1. Cover the bowl. Place it in the refrigerator until the flavors blend, about one hour.

Build the salad

1. Gently stir in the avocados. Serve the salad over lettuce or in lettuce leaves, alongside lime wedges.
2. Editor’s Tip: To make lettuce cups, cut out the white central core from a head of Bibb lettuce. Hold the head in your palm under cold running water, and carefully peel off the crunchy outer leaves, teasing each loose to stay whole. Pat the leaves dry with a clean tea towel before cradling the shrimp filling.

How to Store Shrimp Avocado Salad

1. Store the filling, avocado and lettuce leaves separately to keep the vegetables bright and fresh. The shrimp mixture will keep for up to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Once it’s cut, store the avocado with a few slices of raw onion in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Lettuce leaves will last in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for about one week; roll them in a kitchen or paper towel before sliding them into a bag.
2. Several types of shrimp shine in shrimp and avocado salad, but the best texture and flavor come from shellfish you buy raw and cook yourself. It’s not difficult to clean shrimp and remove the vein. On the stovetop, saute shrimp in some oil over medium-high heat until they curl up into a C shape and turn pink, which takes about three minutes. You can also briefly poach them, like in shrimp tostadas, with lime juice in the water for flavor.
3. Kick off a dinner party with a shrimp and avocado salad course, then move on to a main dish, like one of these grilled chicken recipes. Pair the salad with a rice noodle recipe, serving the shrimp dish as an appetizer or alongside. If you’re making shrimp salad the main course, add one of these garden-fresh side dishes for dinner or some homemade tortilla chips for a light lunch.
4. Place first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix lime juice, vinegar, oil and adobo seasoning; stir into shrimp mixture. Refrigerate, covered, to allow flavors to blend, about 1 hour.
5. To serve, gently stir in avocados. Serve over lettuce or in lettuce leaves. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition

3/4 cup avocado mixture: 252 calories, 16g fat (2g saturated fat), 115mg cholesterol, 523mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 5g fiber), 17g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 fat, 2 lean meat, 1/2 starch.