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
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 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.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
- Refrigerate the bowl for at least a few hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.
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.
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.
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
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.
This is my family’s all time favourite salad. Simple to make and delicious! Also keeps well in the fridge both make ahead and as a leftover!
This is great ,try sautéed shrimp in old bay with it and it sets it off
I added some pasta for bulk, and some arugula and red wine vinegar. probably too many changes, but it was delish!
Excellent recipe for a hot summer night! I added a can of white beans and topped with some diced avocado and feta cheese. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Yum!
A family favorite! I’ve made this quite a few times and it’s perfect for company, as a bring along dish, or meal prep. I’ve shared this recipe with a few friends who asked for it. I add a bit of lemon zest, but it’s delicious just as is.
I was a little hesitant about the olives mixed with shrimp, but this salad was delicious and the olives blended right in and, of course, for me, peas always go with shrimp salad, so I tossed in some peas too. Gave a nice little pop to go with the celery crunch.
Recipe looks delicious. Don’t think I can use cilantro instead of parsley?
Great salad for lunch meal prep. Thank you Gina
The Italian Shrimp Salad recipe looks great – I can’t wait to try it! However, Kalamata olives are absolutely Greek, not Italian…
My Sister had my husband and I over for dinner tonight and she served this salad. I am doing whole30 and so she looked online for a whole30 compliant recipe. Both my husband and I thought that this salad was delicious!! I now have the recipe and will make this salad over and over!! Absolutely delicious!!
So thrilled you loved it!!
It was good. But the flavor of the olives was very strong. Next time I make it, I will use less olives and add cherry tomatoes.
Sub for the olives? I don’t do olives. I know I can just add other veggies, but I’m sure they add a noticeable taste…
My friend made this recently for our book club. I love it, so I made it today for a BBQ at a friend’s house. Instead of halving the shrimp, I cut them into chunks.
This was the perfect meal prep dish to bring with me to baseball – easy yo prep ahead of time and kept in the cooler until I was ready!
Another wonderful recipe! I followed recipe all but adding cucumber and cutting down a little on olive oil. It tastes great right now, but I know after being refrigerated as directed it will be even better! I have now hit my goal weight, losing 41 pounds in 120 days with WW and your recipes. More importantly my husband and I are feeling and eating great! Thank you Gina!
Amazing Tammy!!
Update: Yes, this was even better next day! So glad I made ahead as recommended.
Simply delicious! I first made ir following the recipe. The second time I added cucumbers. I liked both versions! Thank you!!
GREAT!
I’m interested in trying this but dislike celery. Any recommendations for a good substitute would be very appreciated!
The taste is not very strong here, just omit it?
Will do, thank you Gina!
It may be good to add some jicama or fennel to replace celery for the crunch.
Add peas like I did. Peas and shrimp just go together.
Shrimply delicious! Just made this for the first time today and I love it! Looking forward to making it again next week as a side dish for my Mom’s birthday celebration.
Super Light 👌
Great Salad for an Arizona summer thats just starting. Yummy😋
It’s good as is , however, my family preferred more lemon and a few splashes of hot sauce and some feta. I’ve been eating it for lunch the past 3 days and it’s delicious!
This recipe looks absolutely! I’m not a big fan of raw onions, could I pickle them or would that interfere with the salad dressing?
We added chopped cucumber which calmed down the saltiness. Delicious!
This is delicious! Taking it as a pairing for a wine tasting. Could I serve it with crostini?
Sure!!
Absolutely delicious
What is the reason to use jumbo shrimp and the cut them instead of buying medium shrimp? I’m excited to try this recipe.
Any size works
Is there an approximate measurement of how much lemon juice from the lemons you used?
2 tbsp
I don’t enjoy olives. Do you have a recommendation for a substitution? Everything else looks amazing in this recipe.
They really make this dish, why not try my other shrimp salads, I linked to them in the post above.
How about artichokes instead of olives?
Delish!!!!!!
Very nice recipe. you say cut shrimps in half. that’s length wise rite ?? I prefer to poach my Shrimp in a liquid infused with shell and salty water or clam broth shells can also be used to flavor of frying pan butter n olive oil 50 % 50% each. Good Eating , as my late associate James Beard would say !!
Perfect, and I just cut them to make them smaller, but totally optional.