Shrimp & Avocado Zoodle Salad Bowls

Shrimp & Avocado Zoodle Salad Bowls! Add your favorite protein to these these healthful zucchini noodle bowls for a quick weeknight meal you’ll love!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Fresh Avocados – Love One Today® as part of an In-Home Party Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Avocados are a staple in our household. In fact, they were the very first solid food we chose to feed Cole!

From their smooth, creamy taste and ease of preparation to the fact that they’re loaded with nutrients {vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and phytonutrients just to name a few of their virtues!}, it just made sense to us to start off our baby’s dietary journey with avocados.

Now, as a toddler, Cole will often ask for “‘cado toast” {probably because he sees me eat it almost every morning!}, and will even remind me to buy some when we pass them in the produce aisle. Gotta love a smart shopper.

Given the chance, I’d personally add avocado to just about every dish. The rich creaminess they add to dishes like noodle bowls, tacos and wraps is enough to make me skip adding cheese and less-healthy toppings, and the silkiness they lend to dips, sauces and even smoothies makes for satisfying bites without the guilt. Basically, they’re the ideal food!

It’s no wonder that even kids can get on board with avocado-filled eats. Yes… I’ve seen picky little people that turn up their nose at just about anything green go gaga for avocados with my very own eyes! I think 90% of the battle is just getting them to agree to a taste, because once they sink their teeth or sip down a treat made with fresh avocados, they’re usually sold. And that’s where presentation comes in.

When I received an opportunity to showcase avocado in all its glory in the form of a tasting party, I knew it was the perfect project for me. So I invited over a group of my mom friends and their littles {one still in utero!} to test my theory.

First up: Setting the stage for success. I picked up some fun party goodies from the store to help carry my theme across. A bright green tissue pom garland and some simple craft paper favor bags that I adorned with hand-drawn avocados got the kids excited about exploring, while simple avocado coloring sheets and a table runner to match the goody bags gave them a place to get interactive {and saved my coffee table from stray crayon marks}. Cute striped straws for the smoothies and perfect little branded melamine plates also helped make diving into the food offerings a bit more alluring!

Next, I selected a few recipes from the recipe cards I was sent that I knew little fingers wouldn’t be able to resist: Turkey Bacon Avocado Wraps and Avocado & Mango Kick-Starter Smoothies.

I liked the fact that neither recipe “hides” the avocado — the green color of the smoothie sort of gives away the secret that it’s not just fruit in the mix! 🙂 I also set out an assortment of easy-to-eat snacks like applesauce pouches with no sugar added, all natural date & nut bites and veggie snacks  that carried through the theme of healthy choices. As kids grow older, it’s important to teach them that wholesome, fresh foods are less likely to contain added sugars, salt and other processed ingredients, as well as show them how to decipher labels on pre-made foods.

For the mamas, I set out some bright and beautiful Chipotle Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes {cherry tomatoes filled with a zippy avocado and yogurt puree} and Vietnamese Avocado Zoodle Salad Bowls with Shrimp that were a hit! I love the fact that, for busy parents, avocado is an easy, nutrient-dense addition to meals that can provide a much-needed dose of healthy fats, plus folate and lutein which are important for central nervous system and brain development in babies.

Everything else fell into place easily as the kids snacked and played and the moms talked and tasted. Even the youngest of the group couldn’t help but get in on the avocado action!

We all had a great time enjoying the company and the food, but I didn’t want to let my guests go home empty-handed, so party favors were a must. In each goody bag I placed a stack of avocado recipe cards featuring some of the recipes we sampled that day, along with the “Keep Calm, It’s Good Fat” t-shirts that I was sent in my Fresh Avocados party kit. Tied up with a pretty ribbon, they were the perfect “thank you” for our avocado celebration.

Even though the party is over, I want to keep those Vietnamese Avocado Zoodle Salad Bowls in the menu rotation, so I’ve been making my own slightly adapted version. They come together so quickly and make a great weekday lunch or dinner! You can easily swap out the protein {the original called for marinated, seared tofu but I used shrimp instead} to suit your family’s needs, and add different toppings depending on what you have available… but don’t leave out the avocado! They add just the right amount of richness to the dish.

For more avocado recipes, be sure to visit the Fresh Avocados site where you can get tons of info and ideas!

Shrimp & Avocado Zoodle Salad Bowls

Shrimp & Avocado Zoodle Salad Bowls! Add your favorite protein to these these healthful zucchini noodle bowls for a quick weeknight meal you’ll love!

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Course Lunch, Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green onion finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon chile paste {or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes}
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 large shrimp
• 2 medium zucchini spiralized into noodles
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 avocado halved, peeled, seeded, sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Cilantro leaves optional
• Chopped peanuts optional

Instructions 

• In a small bowl combine soy sauce, garlic, green onion, chile paste or red pepper flakes and sesame oil. Pour half of the mixture over the shrimp and set aside the remaining portion. Let the marinate for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
• In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and marinade and cook until the shrimp is no longer translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Scoop the shrimp onto a plate and set aside.
• Add the zucchini noodles to the same skillet. Cook, over medium heat, stirring frequently about 3-4 minutes until hot and slightly softened. Let cool.
• Scoop zucchini into 2 individual serving dishes. Top with lettuce, carrots, avocado and cooked shrimp.
• Add lime juice to soy mixture; drizzle over each noodle bowl.Top with cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts if desired.