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Shrimp Fajita Salad with Avocado Cilantro Dressing

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shrimp fajita salad avocado cilantro dressing recipe
Just Married

A little black dress and a cocktail party. A warm fire and a cold winter day. Some pairings just make sense, like this shrimp fajita salad with avocado cilantro dressing from Just Married by Caroline Chambers. The crunchy, flavor-packed salad and creamy, spicy dressing are great on their own, but together, they’re a magical combo.

Better yet, Chambers assures us it’s hard to mess up the dressing: “Use olive oil instead of yogurt to make this dressing dairy-free. Basil is a great substitute for the cilantro. Or use a mixture of cilantro, basil and parsley to make your own version of a green goddess dressing,” she says.

And if you’d rather eat a fajita for dinner, Chambers advises wrapping the salad in a tortilla and taking a big bite.


Ingredients

Taco Salad

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into narrow strips

1 yellow onion, cut into thin half-moons

3 cups packed chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup packed chopped kale

½ cup julienned jicama

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons Avocado Cilantro Dressing (recipe follows)

1 small mango, cubed

1 small avocado, thinly sliced

Avocado Cilantro Dressing

1 small avocado

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems

⅓ cup plain yogurt

1 large garlic clove

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

Juice of 2 limes

½ fresh jalapeño chili, seeded (optional)

Directions

1. Make the Shrimp: In a large bowl, mix together the chili powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.

2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the grapeseed oil. Add the red bell pepper and onion,and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they look pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

3. Make the Avocado Cilantro Dressing: In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the avocado, cilantro, yogurt, garlic, salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, lime juice, ½ cup water and the jalapeño, if using, and blend until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have the desired consistency, which is about the consistency of Caesar salad dressing.

4. In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, kale, jicama, cilantro and dressing. Divide the salad between two serving bowls. Top with the shrimp mixture, mango and avocado.

Nutrition Facts
  • 638 calories

  • 26g fat

  • 97g carbs

  • 41g protein

  • 33g sugars

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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

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