Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Salad is a light and refreshing lunch or light dinner. Sweet shrimp are sauteed in a spicy cilantro sauce and topped with fresh avocado, onions and tomatoes.
In our sleepy, one horse town we have a lone Mexican restaurant called Mi Cocina. It is by far the most popular place to eat in town (because tacos, y’all). And even though we don’t go out to eat much, we do enjoy the occasional night out at “the Mexican place”.
The food is actually pretty dang good, not your usual greasy Americanized Mexican cuisine (although they have that there too). You can get some pretty interesting dishes there as long as you order from the middle of the menu and stay away from the numbered selections (although the #7 is super delicious).
One of my favorite things to order there is their Acapulco Salad. It’s basically sauteed shrimp on avocado, tomato and onion and a smidgen of lettuce. No dressing, just the juice of the shrimp and the creaminess of the cheese. I love to get the grilled jalapenos added to mine. It is probably the healthiest thing on the menu and I find myself craving it quite often.
So, I thought I would see if I could whip up a version of that delicious salad at home with maybe a little more lettuce. I even made a video with the help of my expert camera person… ok, it was my 10 year old daughter, but she did a great job!
Anyway, videos are a whole different animal but I hope to do even more in the future and I’m sure that I will get better at them the more I do them. So, watch it and let me know what you think!
Ingredients
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 cups fresh chopped lettuce
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 1/2 pint halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 large jalapeno, sliced
- 1/2 cup queso fresco
Instructions
- Whisk together the garlic, cumin, chili flakes, salt and pepper, lime juice and olive oil. Stir in the shrimp and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Arrange the lettuce avocado, tomato and red onion in a bowl. Top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat and pour the shrimp and marinade into the skillet. Add in the sliced jalapeno and cook until the shrimp is pink and cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the salad onto 4 plates and top each with the shrimp and jalapenos and dress with the juices from the pan. Top with fresh queso fresco and serve.
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