Winter Shrimp Salad

Are you suffering from the winter doldrums? It’s that time of year when the holidays are over, all the decorations are put away and there’s nothing going on for the next few months but cold, snow, cold, ice, cold and more cold. Well, here’s a bright and refreshing salad that will chase those winter blues right away!

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you’ve probably figured out that I love shrimp. Just adore them. Never met one I didn’t like – fried, boiled, etouffeed, a la creole – if it’s shrimp I like it. And did you know that they’re very low in fat? That’s right. A naturally low-fat protein.

When I started to cook dinner last night, I just felt like I wanted something light. Something refreshing and crisp even though it’s cold outside and there’s a snow/ice storm on the way for the weekend. So, I started looking around for the components of a great salad. But I didn’t want just any old salad. It had to be different and special. I already had some shrimp thawed out and there was a perfectly ripe avocado in the fruit bowl along with the remaining Christmas oranges and it all came together to make this delightful salad. I started with a bed of butter lettuce leaves, but you can use any kind you like. Romaine would probably be very good. On top of the lettuce I put the navel orange sections, bite sized chunks of avocado and perfectly boiled shrimp. Then I topped it all with a citrusy dressing. It was just what I wanted!

½ lb. medium shrimp, shells on
3 medium navel oranges
1 ripe Haas avocado
3-4 cups torn lettuce leaves
2-3 tblsp. orange juice
4 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. sugar
2 tblsp. finely chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

I like to boil shrimp in the shell. I think they have much more flavor that way and they’re easier to peel after they’re cooked. So, start by bringing a small pot of salted water to the boil. Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink. Don’t overcook the shrimp! The worst thing you can do to a shrimp is to overcook it. Overcooked shrimp have all the texture of a pencil eraser. Just remember – when it turns pink it’s done – no more than three minutes. Remove the shrimp from the boiling water and place in a small bowl with a little ice. When cooled, remove and discard the shells. Set the shrimp aside until needed.

Peel and section the oranges over a bowl being sure to catch the juices as you work. Peel the avocado and slice or break into bite-sized pieces.

Assemble the salad: Place the lettuce on a plate. Using a slotted spoon, remove the orange sections leaving the juice in the bowl. Place the orange sections and avocado on top of the lettuce. Arrange the shrimp on top.

Make the dressing: Using the orange juice remaining in the bowl (you should have about 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice), add the olive oil while whisking to blend. Add the sugar (I actually used Splenda) and whisk until dissolved. Add the cilantro and stir together until well blended. Pour the dressing over the salad. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Makes 2 servings.

Enjoy!

Other shrimp salad recipes that you might enjoy from around the internet:

• Grilled Shrimp, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad from Country Living Magazine
• Simply Recipes’ Shrimp and Avocado Salad
• Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Orange Spinach Salad from Publix Supermarkets
• Cooking with Amy’s Arugula Shrimp Salad
• Shrimp Salad with Cabbage, Jicama and Cilantro-Lime Dressing from Kalyn’s Kitchen