Low Carb Pesto Shrimp Salad

This pesto shrimp salad recipe feels decadent and even fancy, maybe, but I promise you it couldn’t be easier. If you’re tired of your usual chicken breast or ground beef, this is a great way to shake up your meal routine.

I can’t tell you which ingredient is the star of the show in this one. I personally love all of them together. If you’ve never made your own pesto at home, you’re about to find out just how easy it can be.

This pesto is made of basil, garlic, lemon, walnuts, and olive oil. Traditional pesto incorporates cheese (normally), but you don’t need it to make a delicious, flavorful sauce! That being said, if you can tolerate cheese, a nice pecorino will add depth of flavor.

Another thing I love about pesto is that while the traditional flavor comes from basil, you don’t *need* to use basil. You can use arugula, carrot tops, spinach – anything green, really. When I have extra greens or scraps from veggies, an easy way to make sure they don’t go to waste is by whipping up a pesto. A tip of mine is to use good olive oil and be generous with the garlic.

Once you’ve whipped up the pesto in a food processor, you can start assembling your salad. This salad requires NO cooking which makes it even easier!

While the recipe calls for sliced red onion, if you’re not a fan of big bites of onion, you could certainly chop up the onions into smaller pieces. The great thing about making your own food is that you can totally control what you put into it.

Want more pesto? Double the ingredients. Don’t like onions? Leave them out. Want to use salmon instead of shrimp? Cool. It’s up to you, boo!

Eat this for lunch. Eat it for dinner. Heck, eat it for breakfast. The 26 grams of protein in a serving is going to keep you satisfied and fueled until your next meal. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

If you like this recipe, check out these others:

The Ultimate Guide to Olive Oil

Crispy Paleo Battered Cod

Pesto Stuffed Sardines

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Citrus Grilled Shrimp

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Pesto Shrimp Salad

This easy shrimp salad comes together quickly and tastes amazing. Perfect for a quick lunch that is high in protein and flavor.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Keto, Paleo

Keyword pesto, salad, seafood, shrimp

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 410 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 5- ounce cans cooked shrimp drained
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 small red onion sliced
• 2 cups arugula
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Put the basil, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, and olive oil in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Toss the pesto with the remaining ingredients, and chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts

Pesto Shrimp Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 410 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 26g52%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.