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Whether you enjoy this Shrimp Avocado Pasta Salad as a side dish or light main course, it’s a healthy, satisfying, and simple recipe that’s incredibly delicious! Our entire family enjoyed it for two nights in a row – it’s even better the next day!
Table of Contents
- Healthy Shrimp and Avocado Pasta Recipe
- Ingredients for Shrimp Avocado Pasta Salad
- How to Make Shrimp and Avocado Pasta Salad
- How to Store Shrimp and Avocado Pasta Salad
- Recipe Tips for Shrimp Avocado Pasta Salad
- More Healthy Shrimp Recipes to Try
- Shrimp Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe
Healthy Shrimp and Avocado Pasta Recipe
I was interested to see how my boys would feel about this Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe when I served it for dinner recently. Well let me tell you – this is 100% kid-approved! We ate it as our main course on a Saturday evening and Casey had 4 servings! Gibbs also finished his. The very next night, we polished off the leftover pasta salad as a side dish with some grilled steaks — surf n’ turf, style! It’sthat good.
There are so many reasons to love this quick, healthy pasta salad recipe:
- Perfect for Potlucks: You’ll be the hero at your next potluck with this shrimp and avocado pasta salad in hand.
- Made for Meal Prep: It’ll make weekly meal prep simple by spending just a few minutes in the kitchen.You can enjoy it for packed lunches all week or for a healthy dinner on the weekend with minimal effort.
- The Freshest Flavors: You’ll love the perfect combination of shrimp, creamy avocado, and fresh veggies. It’s also the perfect pasta salad for taking on picnics, serving at barbecues or having as a side in the summer.
No matter how or when you choose to enjoy this creamy avocado and shrimp pasta salad, I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients for Shrimp Avocado Pasta Salad
Below is an overview of the ingredients you need to make this healthy shrimp pasta salad recipe. I love being able to use the freshest vegetables to make this recipe.There is tons of tasty produce available, and a cold pasta salad for dinner sounds very appealing. Even thedressing on this saladis light and refreshing, made with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and fresh herbs!
- Shrimp: for ease, I use frozen, cooked, and peeled shrimp, which I thawed overnight in the refrigerator.
- Pasta: rotini pasta holds on the tangy dressing, but this shrimp pasta salad would also be great with macaroni or small shells.
- Fresh Vegetables: grape or cherry tomatoes, chives or green onions, bell peppers, and corn make this salad not only a rainbow of colors but also great nutrients!
- Avocado: creamy diced avocado perfectly compliments the shrimp and creamy honey mustard dressing.
Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: the base of the dressing.
- Fresh Lemon Juice & Red Wine Vinegar: the acidic elements of the homemade vinaigrette.
- Dijon Mustard: bold and tangy, mustard adds a creaminess to the dressing.
- Honey: for sweetness.
What else can you add to shrimp avocado pasta salad?
Some of my favorite ingredients to include in any pasta salad are bell peppers (orange and red bell pepper are the sweetest for pasta salad), tomatoes, and avocado – hence this amazing recipe! If you have other favorite fresh ingredients you’d like to include, here are some options:
- Cucumbers
- Red onion
- Kalamata olives
- Fresh herbs like basil, mint, or parsley
- Spinach
- Mozzarella or feta cheese
- Bacon
How to Make Shrimp and Avocado Pasta Salad
I’ve been working hard to serve my family fresh, healthy recipes all year round. In the summertime season, this fresh and nutritious shrimp avocado pasta salad makes that so much easier!
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
- Prepare the dressing in a jar with a lid; add all the ingredients and shake until combined.
- Mix the shrimp, cooked pasta, and vegetables in a large bowl.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette dressing over the pasta salad; toss to mix.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Add the diced fresh avocado immediately before serving.
Making Shrimp and Avocado Pasta Ahead of Time
This recipe is super simple to make ahead of time. The trick, though, is to not make ittoofar ahead of time so you still get the same great flavor without the last-minute stress of making a pasta salad. You should allow at least 2 hours for the shrimp and avocado pasta salad to chill in the fridge. You can make it as far ahead of time as one day so the flavors can marry together in the fridge overnight – the results are amazing!
Some other pasta salad prep tips:
- Cook the pasta untiljustal dente. The salad dressing will further soften the pasta, and if it’s overcooked, the pasta will be far too soft.
- Rinsing the pasta under cold running water will wash away the excess starch so the pasta doesn’t stick together when it’s cooled.
- Dressing the pasta while it’s still slightly warm will help the dressing soak into the pasta, infusing the pasta salad with even more flavor.
How to Store Shrimp and Avocado Pasta Salad
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Shrimp pasta salad is the perfect side dish because it can be served right out of the fridge, no additional prep needed. If anything, drizzle some extra dressing over the pasta salad to loosen it up.
Recipe Tips for Shrimp Avocado Pasta Salad
- I used frozen cooked and peeled shrimp, which I thawed in the refrigerator overnight before using. It’s easy to do this prep the night before.
- I used rotini pasta, but any short pasta would work. Add some extra color by using tri-color rotini pasta.
- This pasta salad uses fresh parsley, which works really well with the shrimp, but fresh basil or cilantro would work great too.
- Season the pasta salad in layers — salt the pasta water, use seasonings like black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to season the dressing, etc. Taste as you go to ensure proper seasoning.
- Substitute lime juice for fresh lemon juice for a different flavor vinaigrette – lime goes great with shrimp!
- Got extra dressing? Keep it in a jar in the fridge and use it as a salad dressing! It’s a super easy citrus vinaigrette to use on house salads.
More Healthy Shrimp Recipes to Try
Garlic and Herb Shrimp Pasta
Shrimp and Summer Vegetable Quinoa Bowls
20-Minute Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos
Grilled Honey Lime Shrimp
Shrimp Avocado Pasta Salad
4.75 from 4 votes
Prep: 20 minutes minutes
Total: 20 minutes minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 433.7 kcal
This easy shrimp avocado pasta salad is a healthy, delicious pasta salad recipe that's perfect as a main course, side dish, and for many social occasions. Made with fresh ingredients, shrimp, and a lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 12 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp
- 8 ounces dry rotini pasta (about 2.5 cups dry pasta)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons sliced fresh chives or sliced green onions
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 avocado, diced
For the Dressing:
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water until pasta is cool.
8 ounces dry rotini pasta
Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake until completely combined.
2/3 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, ¾ teaspoon salt, Pepper
In a large bowl, combine shrimp, cooked pasta, tomatoes, chives, bell pepper, and corn. Drizzle with dressing, to taste, and toss to coat (I used about 1/3 cup of dressing, but you can use more if you prefer). Reserve remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
12 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp, 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved, 2 tablespoons sliced fresh chives, 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced, ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
Cover and refrigerate salad until ready to serve.
Just before serving, stir in diced avocado. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
1 avocado, diced
Notes
- I used frozen cooked and peeled shrimp, which I thawed in the refrigerator overnight before using. It’s easy to do this prep the night before.
- I used rotini pasta, but any short pasta would work. Add some extra color by using tri-color rotini pasta.
- This pasta salad uses fresh parsley which works really well with the shrimp, but fresh basil or cilantro would work great too.
- Season the pasta salad in layers — salt the pasta water, use seasonings like black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to season the dressing, etc. And taste as you go to ensure proper seasoning.
- Substitute lime juice for fresh lemon juice for a different flavor vinaigrette – lime goes great with shrimp!
- Got extra dressing? Keep it in a jar in the fridge and use it as a salad dressing! It’s a super easy citrus vinaigrette to use on house salads.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the salad + 1 tablespoons of dressingCalories: 433.7kcalCarbohydrates: 49.1gProtein: 25.6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 11.1gCholesterol: 165.8mgSodium: 327.2mgPotassium: 534.3mgFiber: 8.9gSugar: 4.5gVitamin A: 595IUVitamin C: 143.6mg
Keyword: pasta, pasta salad, shrimp avocado pasta salad, shrimp salad
Course: Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine: American
Author: Blair Lonergan
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