Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Creamy Dressing

I’ve nearly always got a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer and it comes in handy for a quick throw-together meal, such as pasta with shrimp – or this cold shrimp and avocado salad, perfect for when the weather is warm. It makes a nice first course if you’re having company, but it’s also great as a lunch or dinner if you make the portions larger and add some crusty bread. The hardest part is remembering to buy avocados and ripen them at home for a couple of days ahead of time.

Shrimp and Avocado With Creamy Dressing:

Cook the shrimp in some boiling water that’s been seasoned with a celery stalk, some black peppercorns and a slice or two of onion. Cook the shrimp for only about three minutes, then drain and cool. Do not overcook!

Slice 1/2 of an avocado and arrange on a plate next to six jumbo shrimp. Squeeze some lemon juice over shrimp and avocado. Decorate with parsley sprig. Pour the dressing on top.

Here’s the creamy dressing recipe, which makes A LOT. We served six jumbo shrimp per person and had plenty of dressing leftover. If you were to use it strictly for this recipe, you’d probably have enough dressing for eight people. Or save leftover dressing in the refrigerator and use on other salads, or as a sandwich spread.

Dressing recipe:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

2 T. lemon juice

1 1/2 t. sugar

1 t. chopped onion

1/8 t. paprika

1 garlic clove

2 t. capers

1/4 c. chopped parsley

handful of chives

1 sweet pickle, chopped

1/4 c. dill

Place all of the above ingredients in a food processor and whir for a minute or so until everything is chopped up and blended together. Refrigerate.

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