Mediterranean Shrimp Bowl (Printable)

Succulent shrimp with Mediterranean vegetables, grains, and creamy tahini sauce ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shrimp

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Grains

07 - 1 cup cooked quinoa

→ Mediterranean Vegetables

08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
10 - 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
11 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
12 - 1 cup baby spinach or arugula

→ Tahini Sauce

13 - 1/4 cup tahini
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
16 - 1 clove garlic, minced
17 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
18 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

→ Garnish

19 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
20 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool slightly.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine shrimp with olive oil, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
03 - Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink and opaque throughout. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, cumin, and salt in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Add additional water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
05 - Divide cooked quinoa among serving bowls. Layer baby spinach or arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and red onion on top of grains.
06 - Place cooked shrimp evenly over each bowl. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce.
07 - Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately while shrimp is warm.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes but tastes like you've been thinking about it all day.
  • The tahini sauce is ridiculously creamy without any dairy, which surprised even my skeptical friends.
  • You can prep everything while the shrimp cooks, making it perfect for weeknight entertaining.
02 -
  • Don't skip whisking the tahini sauce—it needs that air to become creamy instead of staying grainy and dense.
  • The moment the shrimp turn pink is when you stop cooking them, not when they feel firm, because they'll keep cooking from residual heat.
  • Assemble the cold components ahead of time but only add the warm shrimp right before serving so nothing gets soggy.
03 -
  • Toast your grain in a dry skillet for a minute before adding water if you want it to taste richer and less like plain starches.
  • Make the tahini sauce an hour ahead and let it sit because the flavors bloom and deepen when you give them space to get to know each other.
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