This camarones cocktail is always fun to make because it brings back so many memories for me. I grew up in San Diego where there are amazing seafood restaurants literally lining the entire coast. Many years ago, my dad decided to make his own version of a camarones cocktail that they served at one of our favorite restaurants. He shared his recipe with me and I’ve been making them as an appetizer for as long as I can remember. There are so many different ways that you can serve this cocktail. And by the way, it’s called a cocktail but the recipe does not contain any alcohol…You can certainly add some vodka and make it more like a hearty Bloody Mary if you’d like, but this recipe is more like a cold gazpacho soup. We prepared this one in a tall glass but if you are hosting a larger party, it’s fun to do small glasses or mason jars that people can just pick up and carry around with them. This might be one of my husband’s most favorite things to eat! Give it a try and let us know what you think!
- 1 pound cooked peeled deveined large shrimp
- 1 large zuchinni - chopped
- 1 english cucumber - chopped
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- ½ white onion - diced
- 1 large avocado - diced
- ½ cup cilantro - chopped
- 1 bottle bloody mary mix ( we like zing zang brand)
- 2 limes
- Combine zucchini, cucumber, onion and celery in a bowl
- Reserve a few whole shrimp to use as garnish, remove tails and chop remaining shrimp into large bite size pieces
- Put diced avocado into a bowl
- To assemble, in a tall glass, layer ingredients. First chopped veggies, then a few pieces avocado, then cilantro, then chopped shrimp. Repeat these steps until you reach the top of the glass.
- Pour bloody mary mix into glass. Squeeze fresh lime into glass and garnish with large whole shrimp.