Italian Shrimp Salad (2024)

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This garlicky Italian Shrimp Salad recipe is loaded with shrimp, celery, and a mix of bold Italian olives, all brightened with a lemony dressing.

Italian Shrimp Salad (1)

Italian Shrimp Salad

Shrimp salad is my go-to dish when I need to bring an appetizer to a party! It’s a great way to make sure I’m getting lean protein and have a healthy option when eating healthy is out of my control. I recently brought this Italian Shrimp Salad to a party and everyone loved it! It’s refreshing, high-protein, and perfect for the warmer months. The flavors of the olives, celery and garlic only get better as it marinates in the fridge and the best part, everything’s cooked! Just combine all the ingredients and marinate. It’s also great to meal prep for a cold lunch! Another favorite I make all the time is this Zesty Lime Shrimp Salad with avocados, this Creamy Shrimp Salad and Italian Shrimp Pasta Salad for more variations.

Why I Love This Shrimp Salad

  • Low Calorie and Low-Carb: This healthy Italian shrimp salad is packed with shrimp and veggies, making it low in calories and carbohydrates.
  • Anti-Inflammatory: Shrimp, olive oil, and garlic collectively enhance the anti-inflammatory benefits of this meal. Shrimp offers omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation, while olives are rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated fats, effectively lowering inflammation.
  • High Protein: Each serving has 20 grams of protein, so it’s super filling.
  • So Flavorful: Enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean in this shrimp salad. Packed with garlic, olives, and lemon, it’s anything but bland!
  • Simple to Make: Everything is cooked, so just chop the ingredients and mix them together.
  • Meal Prep: Since the flavors get better as the dish sits, it’s perfect for making ahead for dinner or a party.
  • Dietary Restrictions: Great for Mediterranean Diets, Anti-Inflammatory diets, Whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free and Weight Watchers.
Italian Shrimp Salad (2)

Italian Shrimp Salad Ingredients

  • Shrimp: Shrimp, being a nutrient-rich seafood, fits well within the Mediterranean diet guidelines due to its high protein content and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Buy peeled, deveined, and precooked shrimp to save time. If the tails are still on, remove them and then cut the shrimp in half.
  • Celery adds a nice crunch and provides fiber and vitamins.
  • Italian Pitted Olives: Kalamata and Castelvetrano olives are good choices. Make sure to buy them pitted!
  • Red Onion: Chop a quarter cup of red onion.
  • Garlic: No Italian shrimp salad would be complete without plenty of garlic! I used five cloves, but if you want a milder flavor, start with two.
  • Chopped Parsley adds freshness and some pretty green color.
  • Italian Shrimp Salad Dressing: Four simple ingredients combine to make a flavorful vinaigrette—extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Italian Shrimp Salad

This easy Italian shrimp salad only takes a few minutes to make.

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
  2. Refrigerate the bowl for at least a few hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.
Italian Shrimp Salad (3)
Italian Shrimp Salad (4)

Tips

  • How to Cook Shrimp: If your shrimp are raw, sauté them in a skillet with a little olive oil for a couple of minutes on each side until they’re opaque.
  • Where to Buy Olives: I usually get mixed Italian olives from the Italian store or antipasto section of the supermarket, not from the aisle of jarred olives. If all you can find are jarred olives, no worries—they’ll still work.

Variations

  • Shrimp Size: You can use any size of shrimp. If you get smaller shrimp, you won’t need to cut them.
  • Italian Seafood Salad: Add other seafood, like lobster, squid, bay scallops, or mussels.
  • Vegetables: Sub celery with cucumber or bell pepper.
  • Onions: Replace red onion with shallot.
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What to Serve with Italian Shrimp Salad

I love this Italian seafood salad for a quick weeknight dinner or an easy dish to serve at a party. Here are some suggestions for what to serve with it.

  • Party Appetizers: Hot Spinach Dip, White Bean Crostini, Stuffed Mushrooms with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
  • Vegetables: Arugula Salad, Roasted Asparagus, Tomato Salad

Storage and Meal Prep

You can keep this Italian shrimp salad in the fridge for 3 days. The flavors get better as they sit.

Italian Shrimp Salad (6)

More Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love

  • Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad
  • Grilled Shrimp Scampi Skewers
  • Shrimp Tacos
  • Baked Coconut Shrimp
  • Air Fryer Fried Shrimp Sandwich

Italian Shrimp Salad (7)

Italian Shrimp Salad

4.88 from 8 votes

4

Cals:198

Protein:20

Carbs:5

Fat:11.5

This garlicky Italian Shrimp Salad recipe is loaded with shrimp, celery, and a mix of bold Italian olives, all brightened with a lemony dressing.

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Meal Prep, Salad

Italian Shrimp Salad (8)

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 0 minutes mins

refrigeration time: 3 hours hrs

Total: 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Print Rate Pin SaveWW Points

Yield: 6 servings

Serving Size: 1 generous cup

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lbs cooked, peeled and deviened jumbo (16-20 count) shrimp, tails-off, halved (20 ounces total)
  • 1 cup sliced celery
  • 1 1/3 cups good quality mixed Italian pitted olives, such as Castelvetrano and Kalamata Olives, halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of 2 small lemons
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.

  • Refrigerate a few hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.

Last Step:

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Notes

Makes about 7 cups.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 generous cup, Calories: 198 kcal, Carbohydrates: 5 g, Protein: 20 g, Fat: 11.5 g, Saturated Fat: 1.5 g, Cholesterol: 152 mg, Sodium: 442.5 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g, Sugar: 1 g

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Categories:

  • Anti Inflammatory Recipes
  • Appetizers
  • Christmas
  • Dairy Free Recipes
  • Dinner Ideas
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Italian Shrimp Salad (2024)

FAQs

How do Italians serve shrimp? ›

In Italy, you can expect shrimp to be served unpeeled, which is a messier experience than most Americans are accustomed to. It is most often grilled or fried and can be served in conjunction with other forms of shellfish in risotto and pasta dishes.

How to eat Renna seafood salad? ›

TIPS FOR CONSUMPTION The particularly tasty salad is ready to be consumed as a starter, but it can be appreciated as a side dish to enrich risottos, rice salads, hulled wheat, barley or couscous.It is possible to add fresh vegetables such as celery, onion and capers.It is excellent combined with bean purée or polenta.

What is salad shrimp made of? ›

Key Ingredients

(You can use pre-cooked shrimp, but cooking the shrimp yourself only takes a few minutes.) Bell pepper, celery, and green onion: Add flavor, color, and crunch. I especially love the added sweetness of the bell pepper in this salad. Mayonnaise: Is the base for our creamy shrimp salad dressing.

Do Italians put cheese on shrimp? ›

Cheese and seafood are traditionally not paired because pre-modernity, they weren't even available in the same location!

What is the Italian name for shrimp? ›

In the United States, "shrimp scampi" is the menu name for shrimp in Italian-American cuisine (the actual word for "shrimp" in Italian is gambero or gamberetto, plural gamberi or gamberetti).

What is Italian salad dressing made of? ›

Italian Dressing Recipe Ingredients

Lemon juice and white wine vinegar – They make the dressing zesty and bright. Dijon mustard – For extra tang. Garlic – It adds sharp, savory depth of flavor. Honey – Don't skip it!

Why do Italians eat salad at the end? ›

Serving salad after the main course of a meal is an older tradition in Italy, and nowadays it is usually observed at large and formal dinners rather than during everyday meals. Eating a salad after a meal can help digestion, while eating one before a meal may help discourage overeating.

Does Italy have salad dressing? ›

In Italy we dress salads with extravirgin olive oil, vinegar and salt. Italian dressing does not exist here.

What does seafood salad contain? ›

Seafood salad is a combination of crab meat, celery, red onion, and dill, all tossed in a salad dressing that's made with mayonnaise and Old Bay seasoning. While mayo and seafood might sound like an odd pairing, it's actually a lot like a classic tuna salad. Some combinations just work!

How long will seafood salad last in the refrigerator? ›

Seafood salad should be refrigerated promptly after preparation. The refrigerator's temperature should be set below 40°F (4°C) to slow down bacterial growth. It is advisable to consume the salad within: 3 to 4 days if stored in the fridge.

How do you eat a mason jar salad? ›

You eat the salad right from the jar if you want! Just shake up the salad to mix it up, grab a fork and enjoy. This works well for an on-the-go lunch! Or, if you are at home, go ahead and pour the salad into a bowl.

Is frozen shrimp real shrimp? ›

Most people don't realize that almost all raw shrimp available to consumers are frozen at some point in time. When wild-caught shrimp are caught in the waters of the Gulf or South Atlantic, they are, more often than not, immediately quick-frozen in order to preserve their freshness.

What is the pink stuff in shrimp? ›

The answer is simple: That orange paste is roe, a fancy word for eggs. And yes, you can eat it. “Roe is considered a special ingredient when cooking,” says Gill Boyd, culinary arts chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.

What is the difference between salad shrimp and regular shrimp? ›

Pink Shrimp, like white shrimp, is a blanket term used for several species of shrimp that are generally pink when raw, though the hues can range from almost white to almost gray. Most are small in size and are sometimes designated as “salad shrimp” (because they go well in shrimp salad).

How to eat whole shrimp in Italy? ›

Shrimp, or gamberi, are most often served in the shell, usually with the head still on, and you'll have to take the shells off yourself. Although it may look strange to you, shrimp cooked this way are usually more flavorful.

How do you eat shrimp in pasta? ›

You can either use peeled shrimp or leave it unpeeled. I was always taught to leave it unpeeled, that way you eat the delicious pasta that is full of so much flavour, from the shrimp, olive oil and fresh parsley, a meal in itself first. And then you dine on the shrimp.

How do Italians eat seafood? ›

Italian-Style Seafood

Seafood is served in a variety of ways in Italy, but with fish specifically, the most common preparation is grilled. Small- to mid-sized fish are typically served whole, with the head and everything.

How do you politely eat shrimp? ›

Use one hand to hold the shrimp in place on your plate with a fork. Take a spoon in your other hand and use it to cut just below the bottom of the head. Put the heads onto a separate plate or receptacle if one has been provided. You can also ask someone else if they want your heads—some people like to eat them.

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