It’s Summer. It’s hot. Actually, it’s been so hot lately that food is hardly the first thing that comes to mind when you’re fighting a heat wave. To be honest, I’ve been having bowls full of cherries for lunch or watermelon wedges, because it’s simply too hot to even think about food, let alone cook it.

However, I’ve been making this salad for years and I can guarantee that it really is a great excuse for turning your hob on, especially since you will only need to do that for just a couple of minutes. It is one of the best Summer salads, it’s sweet and tangy, light and delicious, it will nourish you without filling you up, it’s that good and then some more.

The great thing about what goes on with the different textures and flavours in this salad is that it boasts the perfect ratio of sweetness brought on by the shrimp and avocado and zing from the grapefruit and lime. It’s also the perfect marriage between buttery avocado and tart grapefruit and it has just the right amount of everything to compliment the healthy crunch of the baby spinach leaves.

What I missed in the salad pictured below were a couple of chopped leaves of cilantro, that would have been the perfect touch. I had none and I just couldn’t bring myself to go out and get any in the weather we’re having. If you decide to make this salad and you also happen to love cilantro, I strongly recommend you try to get your hands on a couple of leaves and use them for garnishing.

Citrus Shrimp Salad

Serves 4:

2 pink grapefruit

1 white grapefruit

3 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil

12-16 shrimp, shelled and de-veined

100g/4oz baby spinach leaves

1 ripe avocado

Salt and pepper

First, make the vinaigrette. Combine 60ml/¼cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice with 2 tsp fresh lime juice and 1 Tblsp olive oil. Shake or mix well to combine and reserve.

With a sharp paring knife cut all the peel and the pith from the grapefruit, then cut into segments and halve these. Next, cut the avocado in half, remove pit, remove skin, then cut into 1cm/¼ in thick slices. Put in a small bowl and drizzle with 1 tsp lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. In a skillet set over medium, heat remaining 1 Tblsp olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook, tossing carefully for about 3 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine baby spinach leaves, grapefruit, shrimp and half of the vinaigrette and divide among 4 plates. Add the avocado on top, then spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the 4 plates and serve!