This easy Greek-inspired Shrimp Salad features traditional ingredients: tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, and feta cheese. I also added creamy avocado and briny capers. The dressing is made with lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs. This Pescatarian recipe is healthy, gluten-free, keto, low-carb, high in fiber and protein. Make it dairy-free using vegan Feta cheese.
Greek shrimp salad
You will love how vibrant and colorful this protein-rich salad turns out! It can be served as a side salad, or as a complete meal. You can make it for lunch or a snack. It makes a stunning presentation and can be made ahead - perfect for entertaining guests or a special occasion with family and friends. You can cook shrimp from scratch or use pre-cooked shrimp!
Salad ingredients
- Shrimp is naturally low in carbs and rich in protein. It's low-fat but the fat that it does provide is a good kind of fat (beneficial omega-3 fatty acids).
- Cherry tomatoes. I used red and yellow cherry tomatoes sliced in half. You can also use regular tomatoes.
- Cucumber tastes delicious in this Greek shrimp salad. Other options are zucchini or radish.
- Avocado is packed with healthy fats and is a great source of vitamins B6, C, E, and K. It also provides folate, magnesium, potassium, and copper.
- Red onion adds so much flavor. You can also use chopped green onions.
- Capers have a salty and briny flavor - a nice addition to many salads!
- Feta cheese is quite nutritious, as well, and is a great source of calcium. This delicious cheese has a soft texture and briny flavor.
Classic Greek salad dressing
The salad dressing is made from scratch with just a few simple ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and fresh herbs (chopped fresh basil and snipped fresh thyme). If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried oregano, dried dill, dried thyme, dried Italian seasoning, or Herbs from Provance instead. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small mason jar, close it with the lid, and shake vigorously to emulsify. Or, simply mix everything with a fork.
Tips for Success
- Use large raw shrimp, not small kind. Also, do not use pre-cooked small shrimp. When you use large raw shrimp and cook it with spices, you get so many more juices and so much more flavor!
- With raw shrimp, make sure it's peeled and deveined.
- Pre-cooked shrimp works great in this salad and will save you time!
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice - it's not as acidic and has a much richer flavor.
- Lime or lemon juice both work great.
- Add-ins. Dress up this Greek shrimp salad by adding chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), sun-dried tomatoes, or artichoke hearts.
Make-ahead tips
- Slice and chop all salad ingredients (except avocado) and keep them covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Cook shrimp in advance and keep it in an air-tight container, refrigerated, until ready to serve.
- Slice and add avocado only right before serving to avoid browning.
- For best results, keep the salad dressing separate and add it only when serving.
- Reheat the shrimp briefly in the microwave oven before adding to the salad. Don't overheat or the shrimp will turn rubbery.
How to store it
- Store the leftover salad in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but no longer.
- Tip: If you plan on refrigerating the salad for a day or two, don't add avocado and the dressing. Add them right before serving.
How to serve Greek shrimp salad
For me, this salad is good enough as is and doesn't need any encumberments. But if you like, dress it up and get even more out of this recipe by adding these ingredients:
- Orzo is an Italian rice-shaped pasta that pairs beautifully with chopped salads like this Greek shrimp salad.
- Rice is another great Mediterranean addition.
- Cauliflower rice is a low-carb and keto alternative to rice.
- Short-cut pasta, such as farfalle (bow-tie), fusilli (spiral pasta), penne, or small rigatoni. Turn this into a pasta salad!
Other Greek-inspired salads you might like
- Greek Pasta Salad with Spinach
- Greek Tortellini Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, Cucumbers
- Greek Tortellini Salad with Cucumbers and Avocados
Other Greek recipes you might like
Greek Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
Salad dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme snipped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shrimp
- 1.5 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined (large - about 15-20 count per pound)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- red pepper flakes optional
Greek salad
- 5 oz yellow cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 5 oz red cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 large cucumber quartered
- ⅓ cup red onion sliced
- 1 avocado peeled, cored, and diced into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 4 oz Feta cheese
Instructions
Make dressing
- In a small mason jar, combine the olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped fresh basil, and fresh thyme (snipped).
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir with the fork to combine all the ingredients.
Cook shrimp
- Heat a large, high-sided skillet until hot on medium heat. Add olive oil - it should run easily but not sizzle or burn. Add shrimp without overcrowding (you might have to cook in 2 batches). Sprinkle salt all over the shrimp.
- Cook shrimp, flipping it once or twice, on medium heat, about 3-4 minutes, until pink. Remove from heat.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and mix to combine. Adjust seasonings if needed: add more salt and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir in chopped fresh basil.
Assemble the salad
- Combine sliced cherry tomatoes, quartered cucumber slices, sliced red onion, and diced avocado in a large bowl. Add half of the feta cheese - some of it cubed, some of it crumbled. Toss with dressing until well combined.
- Place the salad into individual salad bowls.
- Top with cooked shrimp, the remaining half of crumbled feta cheese, and the capers.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Another delicious salad! My husband and I really liked it. He actually asked me to make it again as soon as possible. Thank you!
I am so glad you tried this recipe, Jocelyne! I love shrimp salads, glad you enjoyed it! 🙂