Fresh Shrimp Ceviche-Style Salad

Ingredients

For the shrimp

• 1½ lb (680 g) raw medium/large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

• 8–10 cups water

• 1 tbsp salt

• 1 bay leaf — optional

• ½ tsp black peppercorns — optional

For the ceviche mixture

• 1½ cups cucumber, diced small

• 1½ cups tomatoes, diced

• ½ cup red onion, finely diced

• 1–2 jalapeños, finely minced, seeds removed for less heat

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice, plus more to taste

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tbsp olive oil — optional

• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced

• ½ tsp salt, or to taste

• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp fresh dill — optional

• ½ avocado, diced — optional; add just before serving

Method

1. Cook the shrimp.
Bring the water, salt and optional bay leaf/peppercorns to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for approximately 2–3 minutes, just until they turn opaque and pink.

For food safety, shrimp should reach 145°F/63°C internally.

Immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water for 2–3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.

Traditional ceviche may use raw shrimp “cooked” by citrus, but for a home recipe, using properly cooked shrimp is the safer option.

2. Prepare the vegetables.
Dice the cucumber and tomatoes into roughly ¼-inch pieces. Finely dice the red onion and jalapeño and chop the cilantro.

3. Make the citrus dressing.
Whisk together:

• lime juice

• lemon juice

• olive oil

• garlic

• salt

• black pepper

• dill, if using

4. Combine.
Cut the cooled shrimp into bite-size pieces. For the appearance shown in your photo, leave some shrimp whole.

Add shrimp, cucumber, tomato, onion, jalapeño and cilantro to a large bowl. Pour over the citrus dressing and gently mix.

5. Chill.
Cover and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. This allows the lime dressing to flavor everything without making the vegetables excessively soft.

6. Finish and serve.
Taste and adjust the lime juice, salt and jalapeño. Fold in diced avocado if desired.

Serve very cold with lime wedges, tortilla chips, tostadas, or lettuce cups.

 For the jar presentation in the photo

For a similar layered appearance, use a clean 1-quart/1-liter glass jar. Layer:

1. A little tomato/cucumber mixture

2. Several whole shrimp

3. More vegetables

4. More shrimp

5. Repeat until full

6. Finish with cilantro and a whole shrimp on top

Don’t keep the salad in the jar at room temperature—refrigerate it promptly.

 Timing

• Prep: 20 minutes

• Cooking: 5 minutes

• Chilling: 30–60 minutes

• Total: about 1 hour

 Yield

6 servings as an appetizer/light meal, or 4 larger servings.

Nutrition — approximate per serving

For 6 servings, using olive oil but without avocado or chips:

 Nut information

Contains no tree nuts or peanuts in the recipe as written.
Gluten-free: Yes.
Dairy-free: Yes.
Egg-free: Yes.

Allergen: Shellfish (shrimp). If preparing for someone with a shellfish allergy, don’t substitute another shellfish—use a separate non-shellfish protein or make a vegetable version.

Storage: Keep refrigerated at ≤40°F/4°C and eat within 1–2 days. Don’t leave cooked shrimp salad sitting out for more than 2 hours (1 hour in very hot conditions).