Weekend Gourmet Flashback...Featuring Refreshing Chunky Shrimp Salsa

Two Summers ago, I shared a recipe for a flavorful chunky shrimp salsa. Everyone who's tried it since has gone absolutely nuts for it...so I decided to whip up a batch for the upcoming July 4th weekend. I came here a couple of days ago to print out the recipe to make sure I didn't forget to buy any of the ingredients...but the post was missing. Yikes! Lucky for me, I had kept all of my pictures on my computer, and I had shared the recipe with a friend via e-mail. However, this recipe is too easy...and too tasty...to be missing from my archives. So, I decided to share it with y'all again. 

This chunky salsa is full of flavors and textures, with just a bit of heat from a seeded Serrano pepper. It's a great party dish, because it can made the morning of your party and hang out in the fridge until time to serve. It's great served with crispy tortilla chips, but I also love to spoon it over cream cheese and serve with sturdy crackers. Seafood lovers will go crazy for this salsa...and you might find yourself putting it in heavy rotation the rest of the Summer. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Refreshing Chunky Shrimp Salsa

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. medium or large shrimp 
• 1 packet shrimp boil seasoning
• 1 tbs. + 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 Serrano pepper, seeded and finely minced
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 small mango, peeled and diced
• 1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 1 small avocado, peeled and diced
• The juice of one lime
• 1 tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbs. honey

Directions:

Step 1: Boil the shrimp with Cajun shrimp boil and 1 tbs. sea salt in a large pot of water -- this infuses the shrimp with LOTS of spicy flavor! Cool, peel, devein, and chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces. You should have just over 1 cup of diced shrimp when you're done. Add the shrimp to a large mixing bowl, along with the Serrano pepper, Roma tomato, mango, green onion, shallot, and avocado. 

Step 2: Add the lime juice, 1 tsp. sea salt, pepper, honey, and chopped cilantro. Cilantro is a polarizing herb -- feel free to use more or less than 1 tbs., depending on how much you love its flavor. Stir to evenly coat the salsa with the seasoning ingredients...but be gentle so you don't break up the avocado. 

Step 3: Place the salsa in the fridge to chill for an hour or so before serving. When you're ready to eat, spoon the salsa into a festive serving bowl. Serve with sturdy corn chips for dipping...or spoon it on top of a cheese quesadilla...or heck, just eat it with a spoon if you want!

Seriously...this pico de gallo-inspired salsa is downright addictive! It's a little spicy, a little sweet, and a little tangy...and the avocado cools the heat perfectly with its creamy goodness. Every bite of this salsa is subtly different, depending on which ingredients end up on your chip. This salsa also has great eye appeal thanks to all of its colorful ingredients. Bottom line: it's a great recipe to have in your culinary bag of tricks.

I hope that you'll whip up a batch of this fun appetizer over the upcoming holiday weekend...or just because. It's literally ready for the fridge in less than 30 minutes...including boiling time for the shrimp. To save even more time, simply pick up some boiled shrimp from the seafood section of the grocery store. Talk about instant gratification!

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