Shrimp and Avocado Salad

A quick, easy salad is perfect for those hot summer evenings when the mere thought of cooking is enough to make you cry. This one combines shrimp and avocado with fresh veggies and a zippy lime dressing, plus crunchy tortilla chips to soak up all the yummy flavors. The original recipe calls for blanching the shrimp, but of course the shrimp can also be grilled. 

Shrimp and Avocado Salad
1 lb shelled and deveined medium shrimp
2 heads of romaine lettuce, coarsely shredded
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced 
4 oz tortilla chips (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Add shrimp to the boiling water and cook until white throughout, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool shrimp in the ice bath, then drain again and pat dry. Place shrimp in a large bowl and add romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, avocado, and tortilla chips. 

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients to make the dressing. Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately. 

Note: My fish monger didn't have medium shrimp so I bought jumbo and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Instead of blanching, I cooked them on my grill pan with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lime. 

photo by Angelica Golden