Plump shrimp, celery, and carrots are tossed in a lemony vinaigrette with olive oil and garlic. This chilled seafood salad is packed with flavor and delicious served with crusty bread.
Do you love shrimp, too? Not only is it delicious, versatile, and affordable, shrimp is high in essential vitamins and minerals. It’s one of my family’s favorite protein sources. So, I always make sure to have a bag on hand. However, recipes using shrimp typically contain heavy carbs and dense sauces. So, I decided to create my own lighter alternatives such as my favorite Vietnamese Shrimp Salad, Shrimp Salad with Fennel and Arugula, and Kung Pao Shrimp to make serving dinner easier than ever!
I love this Italian Shrimp Salad in particular because it sneaks a wide variety of vegetables into my kids’ diets – a task that isn’t always easy. Focused on the rich taste of olive oil and tangy flavor of lemon juice, they don’t even realize this meal is good for them, too! Even better, it’s ready in just 10 minutes.
Meal Prep with Shrimp
For convenient meal prep in a pinch, I highly recommend keeping a bag (or two) of frozen shrimp in your freezer. Unlike other proteins such as chicken or beef that take much longer to defrost, shrimp can be thawed and fully cooked in 20 minutes. When I’m in a pinch, I know I can rely on one of my 15 Healthy Recipes Using Frozen Shrimp to create a quick dinner the whole family will love.
Thawed vs. Cooked Shrimp
This recipe is easiest if using pre-cooked shrimp. However, raw work just as well. To cook them, simply simmer lemon water, and poach the shrimp until they are a bright pink color. This typically takes around 3-4 minutes. Then, chop them and add the shrimp to the salad just as you would with pre-cooked varieties.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How long can I store shrimp salad?
In general, when kept in an air-tight container in the fridge, shrimp salad can be kept safely for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing shrimp salads as the shrimp will become rubbery.
Can I substitute vegetables?
Yes! Feel free to substitute any vegetables you may have on hand. It’s a great way to use up leftover produce.
Can I substitute protein sources?
If you don’t have shrimp on hand, calamari would be a great alternative!
What size shrimp should I use?
Small or medium sized shrimp work best in this recipe. However, any size shrimp will do.
Your fork is waiting.
Italian Shrimp Salad with Fresh Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined )
- 1 cup red onion (minced)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- ¼ cup parsley (minced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste )
Instructions
- Cut the cooked shrimp into small, bite-sized chunks. Toss in a bowl with all remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Delicious! I’ll be making this a lot!!!!!