Shrimp and chickpeas Mediterranean salad Fast2eat

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This bright, tasty, hearty, Mediterranean salad is perfect for when you want an easy, satisfying meal fast. It is the perfect make-ahead for a potluck or your next big BBQ gathering. But it also makes a perfectly satisfying family dinner.

The big Mediterranean flavours here come from fresh herbs and zippy citrus and olive oil dressing with a few spices. Healthy, protein-packed, and fibre-rich chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are packed with vitamins and minerals, a powerhouse ingredient that is part of the Mediterranean diet. They set off shrimp, poultry, and lamb beautifully. Lemon chicken is another great option to add. Shrimp is my favourite, and it cooks in just a few minutes. I always keep a bag of shrimp in my freezer for those nights that I need to whip up something quickly.

You can totally serve this salad in its vegan version. Just omit the shrimp. Be sure to see tips and cook’s notes for other variations.

It’s good served cold or at room temperature. Make it a couple of hours ahead for full flavour impact. Cover and refrigerate to let the flavours meld. Or, make it a few minutes ahead and leave it at room temperature as you work on other things. Enjoy leftovers straight from the fridge the next day with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.

Check out my article with the Smart tips you should know when cooking shrimp for a perfect shrimp every time.


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Shrimp and chickpeas Mediterranean salad Fast2eat

Shrimp and chickpeas Mediterranean salad Fast2eat

This flavour-packed garlicky shrimp and herby chickpeas Mediterranean salad and a bold Mediterranean dressing is super fast, requires minimal effort, and full of healthful ingredients the whole family will love.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
waiting time: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Cook chickpeas (or use 2 cans)

  • 2 cups chickpea - uncooked, soaked for 12 hours
  • Water - boiling – enough to cover
  • 2 leaves Bay leaf

Marinate shrimp

  • 500 g shrimp - peeled and deveined
  • Lemon juice - or lime juice
  • Cilantro - Fresh
  • Coriander seed
  • Thyme - Fresh
  • Ladyfinger pepper - chopped and seeded or red-pepper flakes
  • Paprika - optional to taste
  • Salt - optional to taste
  • Black pepper - optional to taste

Salad Dressing

  • Lime juice - or lemon - juice from 1 lime/lemon or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger - finely chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried powder
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Basil
  • Salt - optional to taste
  • Black pepper - optional to taste
  • Red pepper flakes - optional to taste

Fry the garlic and shrimp

Prepare the salad

  • chickpea - Cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed - canned chickpeas are fine
  • 1 Onion - or red onion or shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 cups Tomato - cherry, halved or Roma, diced
  • 2 Green onion - trimmed and chopped (both white and green parts or 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
  • 1 Parsley - fresh, chopped
  • 1 Mint - fresh leaves, chopped

Garnish (optional)

  • 1 Lemon juice - or lime - cut into 8 wedges, for serving
  • Basil
  • Kale

Instructions

Cook chickpeas (or use 2 cans)

  • Soak dried chickpeas for at least 12 hours before cooking.
  • Discard the water and throw it in a pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Refrigerate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Marinate shrimp

  • Peel and devein the shrimp.
  • In a small bowl, toss the shrimp with freshly squeezed lime (or lemon) and your favourite herbs and spices.
  • Let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Fry the garlic and shrimp

  • Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the shrimp to the pan, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat with the garlic and oil. Cook until the shrimp are pink all over with a golden crust in parts, stirring and flipping the shrimp halfway through, about 4 to 6 minutes total.
  • Turn off the heat, then squeeze the marinated over the shrimp in the pan, stirring to combine and scraping up anything on the bottom of the pan to coat the shrimp.
  • Set aside and let it cool down before adding to the salad.

Salad Dressing

  • In a small bowl, combine lime juice and Dijon. Whisk in olive oil until smooth. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Scald the onion

  • Just throw boiled water on chopped onion, drain, rinse with cold water, drain and repeat the process. This will give it a smoother flavour and reduces its bitterness and pungency.

Prepare the salad

  • In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled chickpeas, fried and cooled shrimp, chopped and scalded onion, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, parsley and mint.
  • Pour the dressing on top of the salad, toss to coat.
  • If needed, season with salt and pepper.
  • It is good served cold or at room temperature.

Garnish (optional)

  • Garnish and serve.
  • A little fresh lemon juice is the dish's final seasoning.

Video

Notes

Salad variations
To make this salad vegan, simply omit the shrimp.
You can build your salad using what fresh ingredients you have on hand. Such as:
  • 1 head Romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into thin strips
  • Spinach, well washed, stemmed, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 leaf kale
  • Add chopped arugula as a delicious topper to this dish when serving.
  • ½-1 cucumber (English, diced)
  • ¾ cup crumbled Feta
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
You can easily substitute potatoes for the chickpeas in this dish. You’ll need to sauté the potatoes for 5-7 minutes before, and it tastes just as good.
You can also easily substitute lemon chicken for the shrimp.
Serving Tip
If serving as dinner, this recipe will easily serve 5 or 6. Otherwise, it will serve 8 or more as a starter or alongside other dishes.
Make ahead
You can make the chickpeas ahead of time and just mix on the day you plan to serve this salad.
It is good served cold or at room temperature. Make it a couple of hours ahead for full flavour impact. Cover and refrigerate to let the flavours meld. Or make it a few minutes ahead and leave at room temperature as you work on other things. Enjoy leftovers straight from the fridge the next day with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.
Leftover
The salad should keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Aren’t coriander seeds the same thing as cilantro?
Coriander seeds are the dried seed or fruit of the Coriandrum sativum plant, which belongs to the parsley family, native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. Coriander seeds are the subtle spice you didn’t know your dishes were missing. It adds a certain something to a dish.
Cilantro is the leaf of this same plant, and surprisingly, its flavour is vastly different from that of coriander seeds.
Cilantro has a complex but delicate flavour with a hint of pepper, mint, and lemon.
Coriander seeds have a sweet, aromatic taste with a touch of citrus.

To properly prepare your recipe, you may need to use the conversion tables to accurately convert the weight, volume, length, and temperature of all the necessary ingredients. These Fast2eat conversion tables will allow you to ensure that your recipe turns out perfectly and that all measurements are precise and accurate.

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Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 737IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

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