large cucumber, chopped

It’s true, I do love to cook, but, I’m also living in the real world. I don’t have hours of time to prepare meals, and I bet you don’t either. I also don’t want to rely on processed, nutrient-poor foods for the sake of convenience. That’s why I look for meals that meet my top three requirements:

• real-food ingredients
• quick and easy
• delicious

This no-cook meal, Chili-Lime Spiced Shrimp, Cucumber, and Avocado Salad checks all the boxes! Little conveniences like frozen cooked shrimp and canned beans add up to huge time savings without sacrificing flavor. It’s loaded with veggies, and the shrimp and avocado will leave you feeling fueled and filled. I whipped this recipe together on the fly one day as I rummaged through my kitchen, putting together a few lunches to get me through the week. This meal packs well as a lunch, but is also perfect for a busy weeknight when you’re short on time and need a quick-prep dinner.

I like to round out this meal with some additional carbs (brown rice is my favorite with this). Yes, technically the cooked rice means this isn’t a 100% “no-cook” recipe, but, it can be if you rely on batch-cooked rice that you included in your weekly meal prep (yes, that’s often the secret to my no-cook meals!). If you choose not to add that extra carb, consider increasing the olive oil amount a little bit.

The directions below are for two servings. Feel free to dial up or down the servings to meet your needs. If you pack up a couple for lunches, it’s best to hold off and add the avocado the day you will enjoy your meal.

All packed up for lunch (variation here is refried beans instead of black beans)

Print Recipe

Quick and Easy Chili & Lime Spiced Shrimp, Avocado, and Refried Beans

Course

Main Dishes

Servings

Ingredients

• 6 ounces cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp thawed from frozen (this can be done overnight in fridge, or rinse under cold running water for several minutes)
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium avocado, pitted and cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 cup cooked black beans (canned or home-cooked)
• 1-2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 large cucumber, chopped
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
• 1/2 small-medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• handful cherry tomatoes, halved
• dash salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• dash ground coriander
• dash ancho chili powder (optional)

Course Main Dishes Servings Ingredients 6 ounces cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp thawed from frozen (this can be done overnight in fridge, or rinse under cold running water for several minutes) 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium avocado, pitted and cut into bite-size chunks 1 cup cooked black beans (canned or home-cooked) 1-2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped juice of 1/2 lime 1/2 large cucumber, chopped 1 cup cooked brown rice (optional) 1/2 small-medium red bell pepper, chopped 4 scallions, chopped handful cherry tomatoes, halved dash salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon chili powder dash ground coriander dash ancho chili powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl, and gently combine. Enjoy!