Description
Mediterranean-inspired shrimp, avocado, and spinach salad offers fresh flavors that dance across palates with elegant simplicity. Crisp greens and succulent seafood blend seamlessly, enticing diners toward a light, nutritious meal we’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 5 cups baby spinach, fresh
- 1 avocado, large, sliced
- ¼ cup feta cheese or goat cheese (optional)
- ¼ cup almonds or walnuts, toasted
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Seasoning: Coat shrimp thoroughly with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika, ensuring uniform spice distribution.
- Searing: Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, then cook shrimp 2-3 minutes per side until pink and opaque.
- Dressing Preparation: Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper into a harmonious vinaigrette.
- Salad Assembly: Create a vibrant base using spinach leaves, then artfully layer cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocado chunks across the greens.
- Final Composition: Arrange seared shrimp on vegetable medley, generously sprinkle feta cheese and toasted almonds, then delicately drizzle lemon-garlic dressing.
- Serving: Present immediately to maintain crisp textures and maximize flavor intensity of this elegant seafood salad.
Notes
- Optimize Shrimp Seasoning: Use fresh garlic powder and high-quality paprika for deeper, more complex flavor profiles in the seafood coating.
- Control Cooking Temperature: Maintain medium-high heat to prevent shrimp from becoming rubbery, ensuring a tender and succulent texture.
- Balance Dressing Consistency: Whisk dressing ingredients thoroughly to create a smooth emulsion that evenly coats salad ingredients without becoming too heavy.
- Preserve Salad Freshness: Prepare ingredients separately and assemble just before serving to maintain crisp spinach leaves and prevent avocado from browning.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 170 mg