During the lockdown, we couldn’t entertain at home, go to restaurants or go to hair salons. Although many people were cooking at home and trying new recipes, they were limited to entertaining their household members. Thankfully, we are now in Step 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan and we can see family and friends who we haven’t seen in a year or two. My niece decided to make an impromptu visit to Toronto from Halifax last week. She gave birth to her daughter Leila 10 months ago, but only her mother and one sister had been able to fly to Halifax to see the baby. The rest of the family had not met Leila until last week.
With my niece and grand-niece scheduled to pop in for a visit, I wanted to make something light since we’ve been having 30+C temperatures, but still special enough for the occasion. I thought a salad would be perfect for the hot weather so I prepared a Shrimp, Avocado and Strawberry Salad with Basil Vinaigrette for the occasion.
You might think that this sounds like an ordinary salad, but the special feature of this salad is the marinating of the shrimps in the basil vinaigrette for up to 24 hours. This gives the shrimp (which are later grilled or sauteed) a burst of flavour!
Make sure to get the sweetest strawberries you can find! I used Ontario strawberries for this salad as they are sweeter than the strawberries that are imported from the U.S. Unfortunately, Ontario strawberries have a short season of only a few week so you may not be able to find them. Also, remember to buy your avocados at least three or four days before you prepare this salad unless you are lucky enough to find perfectly ripe avocados at the grocery store!
If you love shrimp, you may be interested in “Fried Shrimp Cauliflower Rice Keto Recipe to Make at Home“.
Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Strawberries and Basil Vinaigrette
Equipment
- garlic press
- large frying pan
- blender or food processor
- larger freezer bag
- large salad bowl
Ingredients
- 12-16 large raw shrimp, deveined, peeled and thawed You can allow 3 or 4 shrimp per person. I made mine with 13 shrimp as that's how many came in the package.
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced I used Ontario strawberries as they are sweeter than the strawberries we get from the U.S. They are also more expensive, but worth it!
- 1 large container mixed baby greens, washed
- 1 large tomato I used an Ontario heritage tomato as they are so flavourful.
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons juice from a lemon
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
- Salt (if using) and pepper I didn't add salt to the vinaigrette.
Instructions
- To prepare basil vinaigrette, add minced garlic, basil, 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender and chop for 15 seconds.
- Place shrimp in a large freezer bag and add 1/2 of the basil vinaigrette. Press out excess air from bag and place in fridge to marinate for up to 24 hours. (I marinated my shrimp for 20 hours.)
- Heat a large frying pan on the stove at medium heat. Place 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in pan. Remove shrimp from freezer bag and cook in frying pan for 2 minutes (don't remove marinade from shrimp before placing in pan). Turn shrimp over and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is opaque. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
- Place baby greens, avocado, strawberries, and tomato in salad bowl and toss gently. Add shrimp and chives on top and drizzle with remaining 1/2 of basil vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
I’ve got a ton of strawberries in the garden and I never even thought of making a salad with them. Since I don’t like avocado and I’m allergic to seafood I’ll have to try a variation of this recipe.
Oh yes, absolutely, you can use the strawberries from your garden in this salad. You could probably substitute the shrimp for chicken. Cheers, Lori
Wow! Such an interesting combo. It does look colourful and healthy. I can only imagine what it tastes like. Should try this sometime. Nice recipe.
I really love the sound of this salad. It has so many ingredients that I love and sounds delicious.
it looks very delicious! I have never tried any salad like that before, very interesting mix f ingredients
Would love to try it! I am a salad person and that too a salad with strawberry is heaven for me. Will try this today. Thanks for the share
I’m a sea food lover, eating veggies often and also fish from time to time. I’ve been cooking jumbo shrimps lately. Your recipe will be interesting, thanks!
This looks pretty fulfilling and tasty!
Salad looks really so yummy. I don’t eat shrimps but i can put some other ingredients and definitely try this recipe.
This is such a delicious recipe! My husband is fond of shrimps and he will love this healthy salad 🙂
[…] made a Shrimp, Avocado and Strawberry Salad when my niece came from Halifax last week and, I have to admit: it was delicious so I thought I […]
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