Shrimp and Mango Salad
Every summer, I become enamored with a salad that becomes my “Go To” lunch or casual dinner. This year, I crave and enjoy serving this fresh, tangy combination of shrimp, mangoes, avocados, and cucumbers. It’s brimming with flavor and can be made up to half an hour before serving. Feel free to double or triple the recipe since it’s more of a concept rather than a hard and fast recipe. Adjust the seasonings to make it spicier or milder. As is, it has a zing. It works well served in small bowls without arugula as a first course.
Shrimp and Mango Salad
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Dressing
3 limes, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 teaspoons fresh jalapeno, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Salad
16-20 cooked, chilled jumbo shrimp, each chopped into 6 pieces
1 cup mango, diced
1 cup English cucumber, peeled
1 avocado, chopped (best to use just-ripe avocados as you don't want mush)
1/3 cup red onion, minced
1/3 cup cilantro, minced
Assemble
Drizzle of olive oil
4 cups arugula or Bibb lettuce or combination
1/2 cup cashews, toasted, rough chopped
Directions
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake well. Set aside.
If using fresh shrimp, cook it in salted water for up to 2 hours beforehand, then transfer it to an ice water bath to stop cooking process. Avoid overcooking the shrimp. Dry it with paper towels and refrigerate until ready to use. Just before adding the shrimp to the salad, cut each one into 5 or 6 pieces.
Chop mango, cucumber, and avocado into evenly sized pieces (1/2 to 3/4 inch dice) and place in a bowl with minced red onion and cilantro. Add the shrimp and about three-quarters of the dressing. Toss everything together and taste; add more dressing if needed. Adjust the seasonings as necessary.
When ready to serve, place the lettuce in a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, then add the remaining dressing or the accumulated liquid from the shrimp bowl. Gently toss to evenly coat the lettuce.
Divide lettuce onto the plates, add the salad mixture on top, and sprinkle with cashews.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
