Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados are filled with delicate pink juicy pomelo fruits, crab meat and tossed with a simple spicy Thai salad dressing and served in portable avocado boats.
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Healthy eating has never been so simple
These delicious Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados are great for picnics and even lunches on the go. You can make the crab and pomelo mixture in advance and then cut your avocados in half upon arrival and fill with your delicious salad mixture. Clean up is a snap as you even eat your avocado bowls. Another fun for sharing refreshing Thai Salad appetizer is our Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados are our favorite Portable Salad
Pomelos are high in vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. Avocados are full of heart healthy fats and low in carbohydrates. If you use fresh crab meat, this recipe is even paleo friendly.
You are just going to love these Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados as there is an explosion of flavor and textures. The pomelo fruit just bursts in your mouth with a sweet but tangy flavor almost like the cross between a grapefruit and a sweet orange. The delicate crab meat with the zesty Thai dressing will waken your taste buds. Then once you hit that creamy avocado, you can't wait to finish the whole darn thing.
The best part of making these Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados is that this recipe is super adaptable. Please feel free to exchange with whatever you have on hand. If you do not have pomelos at your grocery store, you could use a grapefruit and one small orange instead and this salad would be just as lovely.
The delicately sweet crab meat as a contrast to the tangy but sweet citrus. I used a gluten-free imitation crab but you could also use freshly steamed crab meat with the shells picked over and this dish would even be better. You could also use tinned crab meat, if you desire. You could even exchange with fresh steamed lobster, but then please make sure that you make extra as I will be on my way over to your house!
Can you see the individual pieces of the pomelo fruit? They almost look like tear drops.
Thai Spicy Salad Dressing
The Thai spicy dressing is going to rock your world as it is super easy to make and you probably have everything in your refrigerator right now to make it. Simple caramelized shallots and garlic with a pinch of Thai bird chilis to taste, lemon and salt and pepper to taste. How simple is that? If you do not have Thai bird chilis you could use any chilis you have on hand, even a jalapeño or dried chili flakes or none at all if you prefer this dish mild.
Tips for Success
Of course, with each and every bite you have the creamy and silky avocado with the salad that makes this Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados complete. The healthy fats from the avocado make you feel full and satisfied. The most important advice that I can give you while making this dish is to make sure that you sprinkle lemon juice thoroughly over your avocados to prevent the oxidation process. This dish is really beautiful when on display with its bright green avocado and pink pomelo and crab. All you need is a fork and a spoon and you are in business.
Have you ever eaten a pomelo fruit?
It looks like a gigantic grapefruit and they are native to South East Asia. The exterior is sometimes light green from Thailand or yellow when they come from China. The interior of the fruit is light pink/yellow from Thailand and just light yellow when from China. Thai pomelos are the best and so juicy and sweet.
Do you know how to segment a pomelo fruit?
It is really important that your segment the pomelo (or grapefruit/oranges) as you do not want any of the segment skin in the salad. Here is a quick step by step on how to segment a pomelo.
If you prefer, check out this cool video below to show you how to segment a pomelo. Fast forward the video to the 2-minute mark to learn the traditional way to segment a pomelo.
All of these different textures and flavors make this Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocado a really unique recipe and perfect for any type of gathering. Baby showers, wedding showers, graduation parties are all coming up and now you are prepared with an easy and fun dish to pass.
If you are looking for other Thai inspired recipes, please try our Turmeric Pork Skewers with Thai Basil Dipping Sauce, Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Style Chimichurri Sauce or how about an appetizer of Gluten-Free Thai Shrimp Pancakes.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
A ripe grapefruit with a couple slices of orange will be the closest taste to a pomelo fruit.
Oxidation or browning of avocados occurs once the avocado flesh is exposed to air. The best way to keep avocados from browning is not to cut them until you are ready to eat. In addition, sprinkle with a little lime or lemon juice to halt the oxidation process.
Thai Bird chilis can be found in Asian Markets. However, sometimes they can be very difficult to source. They are very high on the Scoville scale for heat index. Alternatively you can exchange with a jalapeño, or other hotter pepper of choice, a little bit of Sriracha sauce or even a few dashes of dried red pepper flakes in our Thai pomelo crab salad.
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Thai Pomelo Crab Salad Avocados
Ingredients
- 1 pomelo large (1.5 cups) segmented and pulled apart to small pieces (can exchange with 1 large grapefruit and 1 medium orange)
- 1 shallots
peeled and chopped finely - 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped finely
- 1 cup crab meat
gluten-free imitation crab or steamed fresh crab picked over for shells) - 2 tbsp coconut oil
melted or olive oil if you prefer (I love that tropical flavor with the coconut oil) - 2 tbsp lemon juice
(extra lemon to prepare the avocados) You can also use limes but I only had lemons on hand - 1 Thai chili
finely chopped (to taste) I used a Thai chili but you can use any kind you wish or none at all if you like it mild - salt and pepper
to taste - 2-3 avocados whole
Instructions
- Segment your your pomelo (or grapefruit and oranges), pull apart gently into small pieces and set aside.
- In a small frying pan saute your shallots and garlic in a little bit of olive oil or coconut oil just until aromatic. Set Aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, add your chopped gluten-free imitation crab-meat or fresh steamed crab meat, picked over for shells. Add the cooled shallots and garlic, pomelo, olive oil (melted coconut oil), lemon juice, chili peppers and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to incorporate ingredients. Set aside.
- Cut your avocados in half. Carefully remove the pit a small teaspoon full of the the avocado meat to give more room for the Thai Pomelo Crab Salad. That extra spoonful is a treat for the cook of course! Sprinkle the juice of the lemon inside the avocado to prevent the oxidation process from occurring. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Place a few mounding tablespoons of Thai Pomelo Crab Salad in the center of the avocado and mound up high. Enjoy!
What a gorgeous combination of flavors! Crab and avocados are two of my favorite things...perfect together.
Mouth is watering at this very moment looking at these Bobbi! Yum!