Avocado and Crab Salad
This is a salad that is ideal for a special summer occasion. Crabmeat is a good source of low-fat protein and goes beautifully with juicy papaya and creamy avocado. Serve with light rye bread.
2 baby romaine lettuces, shredded, or 1 mature romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, shredded
1 ripe papaya
1 large avocado, ripe but firm
398 ml can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
200 grams (7 oz) fresh white crab meat
1⁄2 lime, zest cut into thin strips
Creamy lime and ginger dressing
1⁄3 cup natural low-fat yogourt
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 lime, zest grated and juiced
15 grams (1⁄2 oz) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1. First make the dressing. Whisk together the yogourt, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice and ginger in a bowl, then set aside.
2. Spread the lettuce on a large serving platter. Cut the papaya in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, then peel off the skin and slice the flesh. Arrange over the lettuce.
3. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the stone, then peel and slice the flesh. Arrange on the platter, alternating the slices with the papaya.
4. Fork the pinto beans and crab meat together. Spoon the mixture on top of the salad, then drizzle on the dressing, garnish with the strips of lime zest and serve immediately.
Cook’s tip: If the avocado is bought hard, place it in a paper bag and ripen at room temperature. Store ripe avocados in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.Variation
• If fresh crab meat is unavailable or hard to find, you can replace it with canned crab meat, drained, or the same weight of peeled cooked shrimp.
Serves 4
Preparation time 20 minutes
Each serving
336 calories, 16.5 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 15 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 6 g fibre
