Zesty Shrimp Avocado Jicama Salad

This Zesty Shrimp, Avocado and Jicama Salad is a fusion of a Mexican Ceviche and a cup of fruta from your local fruit stand. With perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp, chunks of ripe orange, cucumber, jicama, fresh jalapeno chile pepper, a little red onion and cilantro enveloped in a citrus-y dressing to seal the deal. So you can see how we are crushing on this salad pretty hard.

In Los Angeles, it’s not uncommon to come across mini fruit stands, called Fruteros. These ladies and gentlemen perfectly fill giant clear cups with cut up fruit and vegetables like pineapple, mango, watermelon, jicama, cucumber and top with any combination of lime, chile and salt or Chamoy. Tajin is my absolute favorite. (Tajin is a seasoning with sea salt, chile peppers and lime often used on cut fruit and vegetables.) This salad celebrates our local fruteros and fruteras with a ceviche vibe. The result? Fresh, crisp vibrant flavors that will become your favorite Summer shrimp salad and beyond.

Sweet and Savory in one salad

This super healthy salad has two main heroes: shrimp + avocado. These two ingredients are savory ingredients, used in tacos for example. For this salad, we add chunks of ripe, sweet orange and a citrus dressing that adds a giant flavor boost to the mild flavors of the shrimp, jicama and cucumber. Avocado adds the creamy texture and the heat from the jalapeño pepper add to the textures of flavor. From a nutritional standpoint, this one hits all the marks for lower carbohydrates, vegetable content, lean protein and healthy fats like Avocado oil.

Jicama: what is it and how do I use it?

“What is Jicama?” you ask? Well it’s a root vegetable that grows and has culinary uses in Mexico. In Mexico, it’s eaten as a snack with chile, salt and lime and not uncommon to see it in street vending alongside fruit and veggies. It has the consistency of a raw potato, and the texture of apple but the flavor is really neutral so it’s perfect for salads. Jicama is super low in calories and high in fiber and water. Just 1 cup of jicama boasts 50 calories and 6 grams of fiber. You can buy it in most markets including Mexican or Latin markets. For more in depth nutrition information on this wonder root, check out WebMD for great resources.

Jicama, pronounced HEE-KA-MAH, as mentioned is a root vegetable. It has several names like Mexican potato, Chinese potato, Mexican Yam, Mexican turnip or Mexican water chestnut. It’s popular in citrus salads, salsas and as a snack. I prefer using this crunchy vegetable cold and I’ve not come across any recipes in my family with cooked jicama. I’d love to hear about it if you have one! Please comment below!

How to prepare & store Jicama

Jicama is super easy to prepare and it keeps well in the fridge. Simply wash and dry the vegetable. Cut the size piece that you need for your recipe and peel the brown skin. I use a large vegetable peeler which makes the process easy. For this Zesty Shrimp, Avocado and Jicama Salad, you need about 1 cup, cubed which is equivalent to about quarter of a medium sized jicama.

Save the remainder of jicama tightly wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one week. (Tip: this is excellent is a BBQ chopped style salad!)

Zesty shrimp, avocado and jicama salad prep

This salad requires some chopping similar to my Shrimp Ceviche Style Tostadas, but I guarantee it will be worth the time. What are we chopping? Cooked shrimp, ripe orange, seeded cucumber, cilantro, radish, red onion and seeded fresh jalapeño. What is in the dressing? Fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, avocado oil, agave syrup, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Finish the salad with plenty of avocado and thinly sliced radishes and a sprinkle of Tajin. My recipe is heavy on the vegetables but you can adjust the quantity of shrimp if you prefer a more protein forward meal.

Gather your chopped ingredients and place in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing that took a minute to mix. Chill for about 15 minutes and toss before serving. Serve in small bowls, glasses or cups topped with sliced or cubed avocado, thinly sliced radish, with a side of tortilla chips or tostadas. Sprinkle with Tajin because it just tastes good. 😋

How to serve

The best way to serve this delicious Zesty Shrimp Avocado Jicama Salad is with tortilla chips or tostadas on the side and plenty of Cholula or Tapatio salsa. Bottled, hot sauce is the best for this salad. Another fun way of serving this salad is in an avocado half. This makes for a beautiful presentation.

The salad will keep well for a day in the fridge but fair warning, there is never any left over! It’s so good!

Substitutions

We love shrimp around here and we love salads. Check out our Salads and Sides recipes and Fish recipes for more inspiration!

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