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–+ servings
Shrimp and avocado salad in a bowl accompanied by a jar of cilantro avocado dressing and pickled onions.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

A bright, crunchy, high-protein main dish salad featuring briny shrimp, pickled onions, and a creamy Tex-Mex-inspired cilantro-avocado salad dressing.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Cilantro-Avocado Salad Dressing:

  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt I use 2% milkfat; use whatever fat level you prefer
  • ½ medium avocado
  • ½ lime, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup cilantro packed
  • 1 clove garlic or ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
  • ⅓ cup cold water plus more to adjust consistency

Salad:

  • 2 cobs of corn shucked
  • 1 pound large shrimp (16-20 per pound) peeled and deveined
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 cups romaine lettuce washed and chopped
  • 1 cup bell peppers julienned
  • 1½ avocados peeled and chopped into chunks
  • ¾ cup black beans drained and rinsed
  • ⅓ cup queso fresco crumbled
  • ⅓ cup thin sliced onions or spicy quick pickled onions
  • ⅓ cup roasted pepitas or tortilla strips

Instructions

Make the Cilantro-Avocado Salad Dressing (10 minutes):

  • Add the yogurt, avocado, juice from ½ lime, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and salt to a blender (smoothie blenders work great for this). Blend until smooth.
    ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ medium avocado, ½ lime, juiced, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup cilantro, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt , ⅓ cup cold water
  • If the dressing seems too thick, add cold water by the tablespoon until it reaches a pourable consistency. Taste the dressing and add another pinch of salt if needed.

Cook the corn and the shrimp (10-15 minutes)

  • Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until very hot, 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the corn cobs to the dry skillet and cook, turning every couple of minutes, until blistered all over. Your goal here is not to cook the corn all the way through, you still want it to be crunchy.
    2 cobs of corn
  • Set the pan back over medium heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Toss the shrimp with the salt and add to the skillet, in batches if needed. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip over and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn opaque and slightly pink or orange in color. Cook time may vary depending on the size of your shrimp. Remove the shrimp to a plate to cool.
    1 pound large shrimp (16-20 per pound), ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Assemble the salad (10-15 minutes)

  • Add the chopped romaine, bell peppers, chopped avocado, black beans, queso fresco, and onions (or pickled onions, if using). Pour in half the dressing and toss. Top with pepitas and give the salad one more quick toss just before serving.
    5 cups romaine lettuce, 1 cup bell peppers, 1½ avocados, ¾ cup black beans, ⅓ cup queso fresco, ⅓ cup roasted pepitas, ⅓ cup thin sliced onions

Notes

1 cup of frozen corn can be substituted for corn on the cob. To blister frozen corn, coat the bottom of your cast iron pan very lightly with oil and preheat to very hot. Add the corn, spread out in a single layer, and allow to cook until browned on the bottom side. Then stir-fry for another minute or two until cooked through. Remove to a plate to cool.
This recipe begs to be meal prepped!
  • All of the vegetables except the avocado can also be prepped up to 3 days in advance (including the corn).
  • The shrimp can be cooked 2-3 days in advance.
  • The dressing can be made up to three days ahead.
Keep all of the prepped ingredients in the refrigerator in separate sealed containers until ready to serve.
If you don't have a cast iron pan to blister the corn: You can use any heavy-bottomed skillet that is not non-stick. Instead of adding the corn to a dry skillet, add a very thin coat of neutral oil as the skillet heats up. It should barely coat the bottom and not be able to splatter when you add the corn.
Important handling notes: Because this dressing has raw garlic in it, I recommend tossing it after three days. If you made the dressing ahead, factor this time in to how long you keep any leftovers. Cooked shrimp will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.  If you made your shrimp or your dressing ahead of time, it's important to factor this time into how long you keep any leftover salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 520.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.6g | Protein: 30.7g | Fat: 31.8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 151.5mg | Sodium: 1213.1mg | Potassium: 1203.3mg | Fiber: 13.4g | Sugar: 7.9g | Vitamin A: 6956.6IU | Vitamin C: 66.2mg | Calcium: 207.2mg | Iron: 3.4mg
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