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    Home » Salads

    Shrimp and Arugula Salad (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)

    June 3, 2021 Updated: June 30, 2023 by Lisa Wells / 16 Comments

    Keto shrimp salad - easy healthy recipe!

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

    Shrimp and arugula salads

    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 keto diet friendly with just 5 net carbs.

    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.

    This post contains affiliate links. For more info please read my full disclosure statement here.

    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.

    Shrimp and Arugula Salad

    Here's what you'll need

    Since this keto 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 keto shrimp salad by swapping out or adding a few ingreints.

    Looking for a creamy salad dressing? Add a little of this tangy keto 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 low carb recipes with shrimp

    • 15 Easy Keto Shrimp Recipes
    • Easy Smoked Shrimp Recipe
    • Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta
    • Easy Oven Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
    Shrimp arugula salad

    Shrimp and Arugula Salad

    This simple shrimp and arugula salad is the perfect combination of flavors.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Save Email
    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
    Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating above and share your photo on social. I love seeing what you've made!

    Want to meet purveyors who are making a difference with their customers? Check out BonAppetit.com’s “Out of the Kitchen”, an ongoing exploration of the relationships that build and sustain the food industry. See how hyper-local food markets operate and how their focus on quality and service keeps customers coming back for more.

    Disclosure: This post was sponsored by BonAppetit.com's "Out of the Kitchen" series.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie

      May 04, 2015 at 11:06 am

      Thank you for this delicious sounding recipe! I'll have to try this myself sometime soon too!.

      The point of the Paleo diet is, and I feel some people forget this, to not only diet, but to eat delicious foods at the same time. Paleo is the only diet I've come across that cuts out food groups, yet still focuses on everyone's need to eat great food.

      I'm a real foodie, and would not survive on any other diet, but Paleo has been very good for me.

      Reply
    2. KalynsKitchen

      May 05, 2015 at 6:51 pm

      What a perfect salad!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        May 06, 2015 at 4:53 pm

        Thanks Kalyn! 🙂

        Reply
    3. KalynsKitchen

      June 03, 2015 at 7:50 am

      Good morning! Just letting you know that I featured this salad in my May round-up of Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes, which was posted this morning. Love this recipe; I hope a lot of my readers will click over here and try it!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        June 03, 2015 at 2:58 pm

        Thanks for including my recipe, Kalyn! 🙂

        Reply
    4. The Frugal Exerciser

      July 12, 2015 at 7:16 pm

      Is this salad eaten with salad dressing? It looks tasty and pinning the recipe. Visiting from Motivational Mondays.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        July 16, 2015 at 9:02 pm

        It's dressed with the lemon juice and olive oil. That's the way they made it Sicily - so good!

        Reply
    5. Lisa

      July 17, 2015 at 12:08 pm

      Thanks Lisa!

      Reply
    6. Lisa

      July 20, 2015 at 1:21 pm

      Thanks Amanda!

      Reply
    7. Liya

      May 08, 2017 at 12:47 am

      5 stars
      This is my kind of salad !! Today I am going to make this paleo Recipes.

      Reply
    8. Nancy

      May 15, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      What a dish!! I will try this tonight! 🙂

      Reply
      • Lisa

        May 16, 2017 at 6:51 am

        Hope you enjoy it Nancy!

        Reply
    9. Emma

      January 26, 2018 at 9:07 am

      5 stars
      Just fabulous! Nice shape of the Shrimp....I made this last night on our family get together party. Every one just enjoy this recipe and they took a note of the recipe. Thanks for sharing a nice dish.

      Reply
    10. Madison @ Keto Diet

      January 29, 2018 at 1:59 pm

      5 stars
      Oh! Here's another favorite delightful dish. A delicious shrimp dish with the squeeze of lemon! So tempting!

      Reply
    11. ASHLEY SCURTO

      July 28, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Is there something I can add to this instead of the avocado? I'm allergic, but I'd really like to make this salad. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        July 30, 2020 at 10:55 am

        Hi Ashley, the original salad I had in Sicily had shaved parmesan. You could also try a dairy-free cheese. Hope this helps!

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Lisa. If you're looking for easy ways to make healthy eating and living well a part of your lifestyle—without giving up all the foods you love or spending hours in the kitchen—you're in the right place.

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