Shrimp and Arugula Salad

An easy recipe for 5-ingredient shrimp and arugula salad. You will not believe how good this simple healthy Italian-inspired shrimp salad is!

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This shrimp arugula salad was inspired by my trip to Italy a few years ago. It's a simple combination of fresh ingredients that' happens to be fresh, healthy and delicious.

I first had this incredibly simple salad in a little ristorante in Taormina, Sicily. It was a perfect lunch for hot summer days on the sunny terrace.

I was surprised at how few ingredients were in the salad. But once I tasted the freshness of the local ingredients, and how the flavors worked together, I was convinced. And I've been making it this way ever since.

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Simple shrimp arugula salad

What made it so special? The attention to detail - using the best quality ingredients, dressing them with simply fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, and letting the fresh flavor shine through. When you start with great seafood and the freshest produce, you don't have to add much to it.

I knew this seafood salad was a dish I could easily recreate at home. I love bringing this simple recipe from that little Italian kitchen to my own kitchen. It fits in perfectly with the way I like to cook - using real whole food ingredients and creating easy no-fuss meals.

Here's what you'll need

Since this shrimp salad recipe uses cooked shrimp, you can get fresh shrimp and cook it in advance. It's easy to meal prep - raw shrimp cooks in just a few minutes whether you boil them or roast them in the oven. 

Or you can buy the shrimp already cooked at your local fish market or grocery store. Just be sure to get larger shrimp as you would use for a shrimp cocktail. The rest of the salad takes less than five minutes to put together.

The original salad was finished with shaved Parmesan cheese. I substituted avocado here to make it dairy-free. But you could make it either way. I think it's the combination of the rest of the ingredients - spicy arugula, sweet shrimp, tangy lemon, and fruity olive oil - that makes this healthy salad so good.

How to make it

This is one of the easiest salad recipes to put together. It really is a simple as tossing all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. There's no need to mix the dressing in a separate bowl.

If you want to get fancy, you can layer all the ingredients on the plate. Start with a bed of arugula and top with avocado slices and the cooked shrimp. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. It's a perfect appetizer, side salad, or a quick lunch.

Just looking at this shrimp and arugula salad reminds me of that sunny terrace in Italy.

Variations

There are so many ways you can change up this shrimp salad by swapping out or adding a few ingredients.

Looking for a creamy salad dressing? Add a little of this tangy homemade ranch dressing for a creamy shrimp salad.

How about an avocado boat? Try serving the shrimp salad in a scooped-out avocado half like this tuna avocado salad.

Want to add more vegetables? Toss in some halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, sliced green onion, or your favorite veggies into the salad bowl.

More shrimp recipes

• Easy Smoked Shrimp Recipe
• Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta
• Easy Grilled Shrimp Skewers
• Easy Oven Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp and Arugula Salad

This simple shrimp and arugula salad is the perfect combination of flavors.

4.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: AIP, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Whole30

Author: Lisa Wells

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 cups baby arugula
• ▢ 1 pound large cooked shrimp
• ▢ 1 avocado diced
• ▢ 4 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 lemons 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• ▢ coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

• Add arugula, shrimp, and avocado to a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the olive oil, juice of one lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Toss lightly, then add more olive oil, if needed, to just lightly coat arugula. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 25g Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 285mg Sodium: 896mg Potassium: 556mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 1025IU Vitamin C: 44.3mg Calcium: 249mg Iron: 3.7mg

Keyword: Quick and Easy

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