Give a break to chicken salad and dig into this shrimp mango salad this summer! With creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes and an irresistible lime dressing, this salad sure gonna be your new favorite!
Summer is salad time and since I have started cutting out junk food and got more inclined to wholesome healthy meals, salads have been my best friend! At the same time, being a shrimp lover has proved to be a blessing!
Today’s recipe of shrimp mango salad with lots of creamy avocados is actually my dream-come-true recipe! That’s simply because I am so fond of each element in this salad that it’s kinda match made in heaven for me!
I am sure you guys will also fall in love with this shrimp mango salad drizzled with the most simple yet most amazing olive oil lime dressing this summer when the best mangoes are in season.
The sweet & tangy flavors of mangoes compliment the savory shrimps deliciously and the avocado add the right amount of creaminess to bind everything together. Throw in a few cherry tomatoes and onion rings and you have the brightest salad you have ever had!
What is Shrimp Mango Salad?
If this shrimp mango salad is a new dish for you, let me decode it for you. In Indian cuisine, salad is just an accompaniment on the side of a full meal and it mostly just consists of cucumber, tomato and onion.
I had never known that a salad can actually be a meal in itself, which I got to know through my blogging journey and couple of visits to other countries. It took me some time to master the art of making the perfect salad, getting the right combinations and a perfect dressing.
Now that I have made quite a few salads over the years, I got a grasp on this wholesome meal and I do prefer to have a satisfying bowl of salad as my working lunch on any day of the week. With that very intention, I decided to make this shrimp mango salad with avocado for my lunch as I absolutely love each of shrimp, mango and avocado!
All you need to make this bright summery salad is good quality ripe mangoes, preferably sweet, a ripe & creamy avocado and lots of shrimps! These three are the star ingredients of this salad and you can skip the other items.
Or if you are overambitious like me, then add a handful of bright red tomatoes and a few thin slices of red onion. Make the salad dressing with olive oil, lime juice and lots of pepper and drizzle on top; then just mix things up!
And there you go! You have the most vibrant and delightful salad of this summer for you! You can relish this shrimp mango salad on its own or wrap it up in a taco; more on this later!
Ingredients for shrimp mango salad
You already know what all you need to make this colorful shrimp mango salad. But let’s talk about each item individually, shall we?
Shrimp: Use the type of shrimps that you like the most. I always prefer to use fresh shrimp instead of frozen shrimps. If using frozen, make sure to thaw them completely before cooking. If using fresh, get rid of the head and outer peel completely. You are good to go now!
Mangoes: I have been talking about mangoes a lot of late! For this shrimp mango salad too, use the best quality mangoes you can get in your local supermarket. Sweet mangoes with a tiny hint of tangy-ness works best for this mango salad.
Avocado: Even though shrimp and mangoes are the star of this salad, it is not even near complete without avocado! You will have to use the avocado which is perfectly ripe – nor under neither over and it will add a delicious creaminess to your Shrimp mango salad!
Tomato: Initially I was a little skeptical about adding tomatoes to this salad as I wasn’t sure if it would complement the overall flavor of the salad. But thank God I did throw in some cherry tomatoes which were sweet & juicy and added additional vibrant red color to my already colorful salad!
Onion: A small red onion will work wonders to this salad by adding a subtle amount of crunch; but just don’t go overboard with it because just a few thin juliennes of onions will go a long way!
Salad Dressing for the shrimp mango salad
I kept it very basic when it comes to salad dressing because I didn’t want to overpower the salad with a heavy dressing. It is just the quick stir of extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper!
Extra virgin olive oil: As always with any salad, it is key to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil to bring out the best flavors of all the ingredients in this salad as well.
Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds a depth of flavor into the salad dressing which complements the freshness of salad ingredients. But if you are not a regular salad eater, I won’t suggest buying a bottle of Dijon just for this salad; you can skip it.
Salt, pepper and lime juice: You can use each of these as per your personal preference. I don’t like too much sour taste, so I just use a teaspoon of lime juice at max. Salt and pepper are as per your taste buds, but I like to add a sprinkle of freshly crushed pepper just before serving!
How to make shrimp mango salad?
Salad, in my opinion, is the easiest meal to put together. all you need is to cut and prep the ingredients with barely any cooking time. In this shrimp mango salad, you only need to cook the shrimps of course and the rest are all chop-n-add items!
There is no particular order to follow while prepping the fruits and veggies; this is just how I did it.
Step 1: I used fresh shrimps which come unpeeled with their heads on; so for me it took some time to prepare the shrimps for the salad. First, peel the shrimps completely and get rid of the heads. Devein each shrimp and wash them thoroughly.
Step 2: Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan large enough to hold all the shrimps (or do it in 2 batches) and add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. Let the garlic cook for 10 seconds, but don’t let it burn.
Step 3: Add the washed shrimps to the pan, placing them in a single layer and let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame.
Step 4: Flip the shrimps over and let the other side also cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook your shrimps. Once done, transfer the shrimps to a plate with all the released juice which has all the flavors of shrimps tapped in it.
Step 5: Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh out from both the wide sides. Cut the flesh into small 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
Step 6: Cut the avocado into half; take out the seed. Then scoop out the avocado from both the halves using a spoon. Now cut each of the halves into small 1-inch cubes.
Step 7: Cut each cherry tomato into half. Thinly slice the onion.
Step 8: To make the salad dressing, add all dressing ingredients into a mason jar with tight fitting lid. Now shake the jar to evenly mix the ingredients and make the most addictive salad dressing ever! If you don’t have a mason jar, you can also do it in a bowl by whisking all ingredients using a wire whisk until the ingredients are blended well making a smooth dressing.
Step 9: Add all the salad ingredients – cooked shrimps, mangoes, avocado, cherry tomato and onion – into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle half of the salad dressing on top. With two mixing spoons, mix the salad using a light hand so that the soft cubes of mangoes and avocados do not disintegrate.
Step 10: Do a quick taste test before adding the remaining salad dressing. Add the remaining dressing now if you wish or serve it on the side for everyone to add to their personal serving.
Step 11: Transfer the prepared salad to a large salad serving bowl and crush black pepper on top. Enjoy your shrimp mango salad with your favorite summer drink!
How to serve shrimp mango salad?
I loved this salad as is without any other accompaniment. This turned out to be one of my favorite lunches this summer. But there are other trendy ways to serve it up!
You can fill in your tacos with this shrimp mango salad. Then drizzle a good amount of either tzatziki sauce or any spicy mayonnaise dressing on top and enjoy!
The thin rice noodles also pair well with this shrimpy salad. Just cook the rice noodles as per packet instructions; then serve them alongside the salad in a large bowl.
For an individual serving, take out a portion of noodles on your plate and top it up with loads of shrimp mango salad. Also, drizzle a teaspoon full of salad dressing for the noodles to soak up all the flavors and finally enjoy!
Other delicious shrimp recipes
My blog is full of shrimp or prawn recipes; you can simply do a quick search and find all possible shrimp recipes! Here are a few I picked for you and these are my absolute favorite!
- Crispy Fried Golden Shrimps
- Chili Lime Grilled Shrimp *Video Recipe*
- Pesto Shrimp Spaghetti *Video Recipe*
- Shrimp Fried Rice | Easy Asian Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
- Shrimp Paella
- Shrimp Cakes
- Shrimp Scampi with Capellini
If you are looking for Indian shrimp recipes, then check these out!
- Shrimps - 200 gms, peeled & de-veined
- Ripe mango - 2, about 500 gms whole
- Avocado - 1
- Cherry tomatoes - 10 to 12
- Red onion - ½ of a medium onion
- Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
- Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp
- Lime juice - 1 tsp (or more if you prefer)
- Dijon mustard - 1 tsp (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Wash the shrimps thoroughly and drain out all the water. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add minced garlic to it.
- After about 5 seconds, add the shrimps and let them cook in a single layer for 6 to 7 minutes on medium flame. Do not flip the shrimps too quickly.
- After 6 to 7 minutes, flip the shrimps over and cook other side for 5 more minutes.
- Once the shrimps are completely opaque, take them out on a plate along with all the juice released from them.
- Prepare the salad dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a bowl or in a mason jar.
- Peel and cut the mangoes into 1-inch cubes. Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and peel; then cut them into 1-inch cubes.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into half; thinly slice the onion.
- Now in a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients one by one. Make sure to add all the shrimp juice as it has all the shrimp flavors in it.
- Then drizzle half of the salad dressing on top. Now with two salad spoons, mix the salad but make sure to use light handed strokes, else the soft fruits like mango and avocado will disintegrate.
- Do a taste test and add more dressing if needed. Once you are happy with the seasoning, transfer the salad to a large serving bowl and sprinkle freshly crushed black pepper on top.
- Your shrimp mango salad is done and ready to serve! Enjoy!
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