Papaya Avocado Salad with Spicy Grilled Shrimp
I bought a papaya today! I’m absolutely crazy about papaya. Unfortunately, they are one of those fruits that I often think about using, but end up forgetting to put on my shopping list. Well, I didn’t forget today. And the baby I bought weighed nearly four pounds! It was actually the smallest one I could find. The main reason I bought it was to see how it would taste in a smoothie, but I had no idea how I would use the rest. Well, after making a delicious Papaya-Cucumber Smoothie (recipe to follow), there was still a ton of it left and since it was so ripe, I knew I needed to use it up pretty quickly. So, I froze some for future use and decided to put the rest in this vibrant, boldly-flavored salad to accompany my grilled shrimp.
As an added bonus, I ended up using the same mixture that I made to dress the salad as a marinade for my shrimp. I just made extra, about half of the amount in the recipe below for 1 pound of shrimp. After I cleaned and shelled the shrimp, I covered them with it, mixed well, let them marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then grilled the shrimp as I usually do. They were delicious.
I have quite a few kitchen gadgets, including a full-sized food processor, but I think I rely on my 3-cup mini food processor (and my trusty mini blender for smoothies) more than any other tool. It’s the best when it comes to making small batches of anything that requires fine mincing and it’s so quick and easy to clean. It definitely served me well this evening and I managed to come up with a lovely dressing that doubles as a marinade. I can easily see using it on tofu and other things. If you like papaya (and shrimp) as much as I do, I think you’ll enjoy this salad, which can also be served without the shrimp, of course. I will definitely make this combination again. Perhaps I’ll try it using tofu next time.
Papaya Avocado Salad Recipe
Recipe Source: Own creation
Serves 4 | Pescetarian*
Mise en place:
The Salad
4 cups ripe papaya, cubed
1 medium Haas avocado, cubed (ripe, but firm)
2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
3 large scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
The Dressing/Marinade
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, ribs removed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large scallion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon liquid aminos, nama shoyu or tamari
salt and pepper to taste
Chop all salad items, place them in large bowl and set aside. Place all dressing items in food processor and process on high until all veggies are minced and all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Taste and correct seasoning as desired. Dress salad and serve or for enhanced flavor, chill for a couple of hours to allow the dressing to permeate the salad. It also tastes great the next day. Enjoy!
*For strict vegans, simply ditch the shrimp and replace the honey with agave nectar or sweetner of your choice. I just happen to like the taste of honey in this dish.
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