Last updated on July 5th, 2022 at 07:16 am
If you have some frozen shrimp and lots of summer vegetables sitting at home, you have to try this delicious easy healthy salad recipe for weight loss! It’s a super fresh arugula avocado and shrimp salad! So tasty, perfect for dinner or lunch during summer or any time of year, really!
You’ll Love This Shrimp Avocado Salad
You seriously will, especially on a hot summer day, because this shrimp salad is:
- light
- refreshing
- flavorful
- satiating
- super healthy
- rich in essential vitamins and minerals
- low carb and high in protein
- really quick and easy to make
What’s Inside This Arugula Avocado And Shrimp Salad
- Shrimp. I used some frozen peeled and deveined shrimp we had in the freezer and defrosted it before cooking. If you do have fresh shrimp, you can of course, use that too. Shrimp is pretty rich in cholesterol, but it’s also a great source of several nutrients like protein, calcium and magnesium.
- Avocado. Watch for that special moment when your avocado is ripe, but not moldy! You want a good ripe avocado. Avocados are fat and kinda round, but they’re super healthy. They’re full of all the right things: folate, most B vitamins, potassium, magnesium fiber, vitamin C and E and lots of really healthy fats.
- Arugula. Arugula comes from a very famous healthy family that includes broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. I know, she’s like the gorgeous daughter that everyone secretly thinks is from another father. When it comes to nutrition, arugula is too, super-rich in antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, fiber and protein. Just like her stinky brothers cabbage, broccoli, kale and cauliflower, arugula is rich in isothiocyanates. The one type in arugula specifically is called erucin. Erucin and isothiocyanates in general can stimulate liver detox enzymes that help to transform and clean up carcinogens from the body, thus preventing cancer and chronic disease. (source)
- Onion AND Garlic. That’s right, let’s keep those detoxifying liver enzymes going! Quite like arugula, onion and garlic are extremely healthy and are rich in sulfur-containing allicin. Allicin can again activate the same liver detox enzymes that help to prevent cancer. Onion and garlic provide this salad with the right amount of flavor. They are great for gut health and have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and hepatoprotective properties.
- More fresh herbs and vegetables. Basil, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper – all the good delicious summer produce full of antioxidants, vitamins (especially C & A) and minerals.
- Olive oil, salt and pepper. Needed to bring everything together and make those flavors pop!
How To Make This Avocado Shrimp Salad
If you’re using frozen shrimp, make sure to defrost it first. You can simply let it sit in very warm water for about 10 minutes and it will be ready.
Add the shrimp to a pan with some olive oil, garlic and black pepper. Cook on each side until it turns pink. This should take about 2-3 minutes on each side if you’re using medium or medium-high heat.
Chop all of the vegetables and mince the garlic. Put shrimp, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, minced garlic, avocado and basil into a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lastly, gently add in the arugula and toss again.
Serve and enjoy the salad immediately!
Why Is This Shrimp Summer Salad Good For You
This delicious healthy summer salad is very nutrient-dense and made with a variety of antioxidant-rich foods. These foods work together to help your body stay healthy and to fight and prevent disease and chronic inflammation. Also, the salad is rich in healthy fats, fiber and protein to help keep you full longer and omega-3’s that can help to reduce chronic inflammation.
It’s A Great Weight Loss Salad
If losing weight and being healthy are your goals, then this is the type of food you need in your life! Food with lots of nutrients, a variety of them to cover your nutritional needs, lots of antioxidants, lots of good fats, fiber and protein to keep you satisfied longer.
After the past 2 years of stress and sitting, I definitely need to lose weight. I’ve grown what seems to be a triple chin and boobs on my back. Now I’m focusing more on wholesome meals like this salad. I do, because while we might have gained weight, I can guarantee you, many of us aren’t oversupplied with essential and non-essential nutrients and antioxidants.
And when it comes to weight loss, you need to be eating fewer calories, yes, but also to be getting enough macronutrients, micronutrients and antioxidants that only real food can provide. Don’t focus as much on calories, as on the quality of those calories.
This arugula shrimp salad is low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo.
I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Let me know in the comments if you do have any feedback or questions!
More Healthy Recipes For Weight Loss
- 20-Minute Spicy Turkey Cauliflower Rice
- 15-Minute Shrimp and Zucchini in Garlic Tomato Sauce
- Anti-Inflammatory Salmon Salad
Arugula Avocado Shrimp Salad For Weight Loss

Try this delicious easy healthy salad recipe for weight loss with lots of summer vegetables and shrimp! It's a super fresh arugula avocado and shrimp salad! So tasty, perfect for dinner or lunch during summer or any time of year, really! Gluten-free, paleo and low carb!
Ingredients
- 1 cup arugula
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 cup shrimp, defrosted, peeled and deveined
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tbsp basil, chopped
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Add the shrimp to a pan, drizzle some olive oil, add one clove of minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Cook shrimp on each side until it turns pink. This should take about 2-3 minutes on each side if you're using medium or medium-high heat.
- Chop all of the vegetables and mince the other garlic.
- Put shrimp, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, minced garlic, avocado and basil into a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lastly, gently add in the arugula and toss again.
- Serve and enjoy the salad immediately!
Notes
If you desire, you could also use a little bit of lime or lemon juice. (I did not enjoy it in this salad, but that's just my personal preference).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 994mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 9gSugar: 6gProtein: 21g