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Seafood Salad

Coastal Mexican shrimp and octopus dressed in lime, cooked just right. Learn why each seafood is simmered separately for the perfect firm bite.

25 min Easy Costeña 4 servings
Seafood Salad

The story behind

Steam rising off a pot of just-cooked shrimp and octopus, the briny smell of the sea, the bright crunch of diced tomato: that is how a coastal Mexican seafood salad begins. Along the Pacific and Gulf shores it is hot-weather food, the kind shared at family Sundays and seaside marisquerías, served ice-cold as a starter or a light main on sweltering days.

The whole dish hinges on not overcooking the seafood. Shrimp need only a brief simmer until they turn pink and curl; octopus is the opposite, demanding longer cooking, and sometimes a tenderizing step, because its collagen-rich flesh must break down slowly or it turns rubbery. Cooked separately and chilled fast, each keeps a clean, firm bite.

Surimi adds gentle sweetness and color, while tomato and onion bring the acidity and freshness that balance all that brine. Everything is dressed in plenty of lime, which both seasons and lightly "cooks" the surface, lifting every ingredient. Piled on crisp tostadas or spooned into a glass, it arrives cold and glistening, made for the coastal heat.

Instructions

  1. 1
    In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, chopped octopus, and surimi.
  2. 2
    Add the diced tomato, onion, and chopped cilantro; mix gently to integrate the colors.
  3. 3
    Carefully fold in the avocado cubes so they don't mash and keep their shape.
  4. 4
    Dress the salad with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
  5. 5
    Mix everything together until all ingredients are well coated with the dressing.
  6. 6
    Serve in an individual bowl or in the center of the table, garnishing with a fresh cilantro sprig on top as shown in the image.
  7. 7
    Serve with saltine crackers or corn tostadas.

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