comment icon 212 more comments This salad reminds me of one of my most locked-in-pre-orders of all time from California Pizza Kitchen. That’s right, I just brought CPK back into your life. The locations near us have since closed (honestly, why? RIP) but I vow to never forget my favorite order of all time: their miso shrimp and crab salad. Oh my good greens. It was piled high with crab and shrimp, and avocado, and crispy wontons, and miso dressing. It was deliciously fresh, crispy, and wonderful. Or is it still? Are CPKs open somewhere near you? Please go order this salad if you are so lucky.
What’s In This Delicious Shrimp Salad?
This is a completely simplified version, because maybe I didn’t happen to remember to look for a daikon radish at the grocery store this weekend, and maybe I don’t keep crab stocked in my fridge, and maybe my thumb was too tired from phone usage to shred carrots. AND MAYBE I LIKE SIMPLE. So for all the above reasons, I just kept this shrimp and avocado salad pretty straightforward.
Shrimp (a teeny bit spicy, because duh) Avocado Spinach or Baby Kale Cucumber Some Lil’ Fried Wonton Strips (if time and energy allow) and Creamy, Sweet, Fabulous Miso Dressing.
Let’s Discuss Homemade Wonton Strips
A word about those homemade wonton strips: just cut wonton wrappers into strips and fry them in a little bit of oil over low heat; drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. You will most likely find yourself in the same predicament that we did, which was sitting down to a big bowl of shrimp and avocado salad only to find that WOOPS we ate all the wonton strips already. Very addicting.
The Miso Dressing Is a Must
And now for one final note about the dressing: it’s a MISO DRESSING. It’s not too hard to find miso paste if you ask (I shop at very mainstream grocery stores and can usually find it tucked away in the refrigerated food section) but it’s worth noting that miso does have a really unique taste. BA says that miso is “a fermented paste that’s made by inoculating a mixture of soybeans with a mold called koji (for you science folks, that’s the common name for Aspergillus oryzae) that’s been cultivated from rice, barley, or soybeans.” Being NOT one of the food science folks, all I know is that the lighter varieties of miso are sweet-ish and add a really yummy depth to sauces and soups and roasted veggies and the like. Don’t let that description scare you. This dressing is SO good! But if you’re not sure, or if you just can’t find it, use this more basic creamy-sweet sesame dressing. Or this peanut-soy creamy dressing. You have options for deliciousness, is what I’m saying.
More Flavorful Salads To Love
Lemongrass Vermicelli Salad (noodles in a salad is our love language) Rainbow Chicken Salad with Almond Honey Mustard Dressing (we won’t judge if you lick the salad bowl clean here) Super Quick Avocado Shrimp Salad (so fresh, so herby) Brussels and Kale Caesar with Cheezy Garlic Croutons (a vegan spin on the classic Caesar)
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Common Questions About This Shrimp and Avocado Salad
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of easy shrimp recipes. Check it out! 4.8 from 61 reviews
1 package wonton wrappers 1 cup canola oil
For the Dressing
one 1-inch piece of fresh peeled ginger 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons lime juice (more to taste) 2 tablespoons agave nectar 1 1/2 tablespoons white miso (it’s a paste – you can buy it at many grocery stores these days) 1/2 clove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt
