• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Fine Foods Blog
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Travel
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Travel
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Shrimp Salad with Lettuce, Feta, and Lemon-Garlic Dressing

    Published: Sep 1, 2018 · Modified: Jan 5, 2023 · by Debra with Leave a Comment · 1442 words. About 8 minutes to read this article. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This lighter take on shrimp salad, made with lettuce and without mayo can be customized to your taste and ingredients you have on hand. The shrimp cooks in less than 15 minutes!

    Large round plate of=hrimp salad with romaine lettuce, cherry peppers, pepitas and feta cheese, garnished with a half a lemon.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Here's to a shrimp salad with lettuce that is crunchy, a dressing that is lemony, and add-ins that are fresh and briny and salty like the sea!

    We are making this shrimp salad without mayo to keep it light and simple, using the garlicky olive oil that the shrimp cooks in to form the base of the dressing. Yum.

    This recipe actually came about because I had leftovers of my garlic shrimp recipe and wanted to turn it into something new. So I've added zippy cherry peppers and feta, and created a lemony, garlic dressing (no mayo!) to turn it into a green salad with shrimp that's a flavor bomb!

    Jump to:
    • A shrimp salad with lettuce that's light, fresh, and easy to make!
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to make shrimp salad without mayo
    • Other lettuce to try with shrimp salad
    • Substitutions
    • More shrimp recipes
    • Recipe

    A shrimp salad with lettuce that's light, fresh, and easy to make!

    • Fresh, crunchy romaine lettuce makes the perfect base.
    • The salad dressing is made without mayo, so it's much lighter, to let the sweet flavor of the shrimp come through.
    • Can be made any time of year—add seasonal veggies of your choice!
    • Just poach the shrimp in a garlicky olive oil, then quickly chop a few things. You'll have a beautiful salad on the table in less than 30 minutes!
    Romaine lettuce leaves, feta cheese, garlic, cherry peppers, lemon and raw shrimp displayed on a wooden cutting board.

    Ingredients you'll need

    • Shrimp: Look for head off, tail-on shrimp, about 21-30 per pound. You can get shell on, or peeled and de-veined, whatever is most affordable. (Just so you know, the vein won't hurt you, and will have little to no effect on the taste of shrimp this small, so there's no real need to pay more.)
    • Garlic: Big luscious slices of garlic will flavor the shrimp as it cooks and then get added to the dressing for a mellow, roasted garlic flavor.
    • Olive oil: The olive oil does double duty, as the cooking agent for the shrimp and the base of the no-mayo dressing, so use a good one with good flavor.
    • Red pepper flakes, parsley and kosher salt: This adds a little spice and a bit of freshness to the shrimp salad.
    • Romaine lettuce: Romaine has such a wonderful crunch, it provides a great contrast to the tender shrimp and holds up to the lemony-garlic dressing.
    • Feta cheese: The salty brininess of feta pairs well with shrimp. (This busts the rule about cheese and seafood, sometimes they do go together.)
    • Cherry peppers: Cherry peppers are a bit spicy, but they're also sweet. You can find them in Italian markets or order them online.
    • Pepitas (pumpkin seeds): I love the crunch, nuttiness, creaminess and lovely green color that these bring to the salad.

    How to make shrimp salad without mayo

    Step 1: Cook the shrimp

    Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails on. Toss in a bowl with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, let stand 10 minutes.

    Add the garlic and olive oil to a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over moderately low heat. You are gently and slowly infusing the olive oil with the garlic flavor. Poaching the garlic, really.

    A cast iron pan is filled with sliced garlic and crushed red pepper that have been simmered in olive oil.

    Stir occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and has just barely started to brown. Throw in the pinch of red pepper flakes and give it a stir.

    Add the shrimp to the skillet, keeping the heat moderately low. Keep them all in one layer, don’t pile them up.

    When they are barely pink on one side, flip them all over and let cook for maybe a minute. When they have all barely turned pink, remove from heat immediately and allow to finish cooking in the warm oil.

    Top with the parsley and set aside to cool.

    Shrimp cooking time tip:

    The cooking time will vary depending upon the size of the shrimp you buy. But it generally goes pretty fast. Don’t walk away! Just remember you don’t want to overcook shrimp, but you also should NOT be eating grey shrimp…

    Step 2: Toast the pepitas

    In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast pepitas for a couple of minutes until warm and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool.

    Chopped romaine lettuce on a wooden cutting board.

    Step 3: Chop the lettuce and peppers

    Chop romaine lettuce into wide ribbons.

    Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and cherry peppers on a white plate.

    Slice cherry peppers into thin slivers. 

    Step 4: Make the salad dressing - no mayo! Yay!

    Once the oil from cooking the shrimp has cooled a bit, make the salad dressing. Spoon off ¼ cup of olive oil from the shrimp into a bowl, making sure to grab a generous amount of the garlic slivers.

    Squeeze the juice from half the lemon into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste and add a pinch of kosher salt and more lemon juice if necessary.

    alt=""

    Step 5: Assemble the shrimp salad

    Place chopped romaine lettuce onto serving plates and drizzle with salad dressing. Sprinkle the salad with feta, pepitas, and slivered peppers. Top with shrimp and drizzle with a bit more dressing. Serve the salad with lemon wedges on the side.

    If you like, spoon more of the garlic olive oil left from cooking the shrimp into a bowl and serve with crusty bread for dipping.

    Other lettuce to try with shrimp salad

    I love the crunch of romaine lettuce, but try these other varieties to change things up!

    • Iceberg lettuce will give you great crunch and stand up to the olive oil dressing.
    • Butter lettuce is soft, tender, and looks pretty on the plate.
    • Arugula would add a peppery bite!

    Substitutions

    • If you can't find cherry peppers or don't want the spice, you can substitute piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers instead. Fresh red bell peppers would be great, too!
    • Instead of pepitas, you could try sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, or cashews.

    More shrimp recipes

    If you love shrimp, you'll love these recipes, too!

    • Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Tequila Butter is a quick and simple dinner.
    • Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes, Corn and Fresh Basil is summer on a plate!

    Recipe

    Shrimp salad with romaine lettuce, garnished with a lemon wheel on a white plate.

    Shrimp Salad with Lettuce, Feta and Lemon-Garlic Dressing

    This lighter take on shrimp salad, made with lettuce and without mayo can be customized to your taste and ingredients you have on hand. The shrimp cooks in less than 15 minutes!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Spanish
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Keyword: green salad with shrimp, shrimp salad with lettuce
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 407kcal

    Equipment

    • chef's knife
    • cutting board
    • small non stick skillet
    • 12" cast iron skillet
    • mixing bowls

    Ingredients

    Salad

    • 2 heads romaine lettuce or butter lettuce
    • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
    • 6 cherry peppers
    • ¼ cup feta cheese

    Shrimp:

    • 1 pound shrimp 21-30 per pound size
    • 1 ¼ cup olive oil
    • ¼ cup garlic thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup parsley minced
    • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
    • kosher salt

    Dressing

    • ¼ cup olive oil that was used to cook the shrimp
    • 1 lemon
    • pinch kosher salt
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast pumpkin seeds for a couple of minutes until warm and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool.
    • Chop romaine lettuce into wide ribbons. 
    • Slice cherry peppers into thin slivers
    • Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails on. Toss in a bowl with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, let stand 10 minutes.
    • Add the garlic and olive oil to a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over moderately low heat. You are gently and slowly infusing the olive oil with the garlic flavor. Poaching the garlic, really. Stir occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and has just barely started to brown.
    • Throw in the pinch of red pepper flakes and give it a stir.
    • Add the shrimp to the skillet, keeping the heat moderately low. Keep them all in one layer, don’t pile them up.
    • When they are barely pink on one side, flip them all over and let cook for maybe a minute. When they have all barely turned pink, remove from heat immediately and allow to finish cooking in the warm oil.
    • Once the oil has cooled a bit, make the dressing. Spoon off ¼ cup of olive oil from the shrimp into a bowl, making sure to grab a generous amount of the garlic slivers. Squeeze the juice from half the lemon into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste and add a pinch of kosher salt and more lemon juice if necessary.
    • Place chopped lettuce onto serving plates and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with feta, pumpkin seeds, and slivered peppers. Top with shrimp and drizzle with a bit more dressing. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
    • Spoon more of the garlic olive oil from the shrimp into a bowl with crusty bread for dipping.

    Notes

    • You can make the shrimp up to two days ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
    • You can substitute piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers for the cherry peppers. 
     
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 294mg | Sodium: 1015mg | Potassium: 951mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 27620IU | Vitamin C: 24.8mg | Calcium: 334mg | Iron: 6.3mg

    More Salad Recipes

    • A small plate of garbanzo bean salad with a gold fork in it.
      Garbanzo Bean Salad
    • A plate of sugar snap pea salad topped with radishes and yogurt.
      Sugar Snap Pea Salad
    • Tricolore salad in a white bowl with gold utensils.
      Tricolore Salad
    • A small jar of basil vinaigrette with a gold spoon in it.
      Basil Vinaigrette

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Hi, I'm Debra! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

    More about me →

    Subscribe To My Enewsletter

    Get my new, and tried and true, recipes delivered to your inbox! Subscribe now!

    Gluten Free Recipes

    • Two small glasses of apple compote. Three apples are in the upper left, a red and white striped towel is in the bottom left, and three gold spoons are on the right.
      Apple Compote
    • A large bowl of slow cooker chicken cacciatore with a wooden spoon in it. A red and white striped napkin is on the left.
      Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
    • Shakshuka with feta and cilantro in a blue pan with a wooden spoon in it. A blue and white striped towel is on the right.
      Shakshuka with Feta
    • A bowl and a small glass of cold borscht with toppings including sliced cucumbers and radishes, fresh herbs, and a hard boiled egg. Fresh herbs, two spoons, a blue napkin, and a bowl of radishes surround the soups.
      Cold Borscht

    Search more gluten-free recipes

    Trending Recipes

    • A woman's hands are shown preparing a salt baked whole fish, she stuffs a whole fish with lemon, lime and fresh herbs.
      Salt Baked Fish
    • Chicken thighs topped with a caper lemon sauce on a white plate.
      Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Capers, and Lemon
    • Two campari and soda cocktails with orange slices, a plate of nuts and two bottles in the background
      Campari and Soda
    • Boneless, skinless chicken thighs with mushrooms and white wine sauce in a blue casserole pan. Some fresh thyme is in the bottom right corner.
      One Pan Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and White Wine

    Chocolate Recipes

    • Gluten free triple chocolate cookies on a baking sheet.
      Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cookies
    • A gluten free chocolate ganache tart topped with flaky sea salt on a pink plate.
      Gluten Free Chocolate Ganache Tart
    • Three white ramekins of chocolate mousse.
      Chocolate Mousse Recipe
    • Gluten free brownies with ganache icing dusted with cocoa powder on a white surface.
      Gluten Free Almond Flour Brownies

    French Recipes

    • Romaine Hearts salad with blue cheese, pears, and pecans on a white and gray plate.
      Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
    • Mussels in white wine sauce with lemon wedges and parsley in a blue pan with a spoon in it.
      Mussels in White Wine Sauce (Moules Marinières)
    • French hot chocolate in a white cup with another cup and a blue bowl of chocolate in the background.
      French Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud)
    • Several servings of eggs en cocotte with spinach and bacon in small cast-iron skillets and serving dishes are displayed on a wooden surface.
      Eggs en Cocotte (Baked Eggs)

    Hi, I'm Debra! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

    More about me →

    Subscribe To My Enewsletter

    Get my new, and tried and true, recipes delivered to your inbox! Subscribe now!

    Gluten Free Recipes

    • A plate of mango slaw with two gold utensils on it. Two mangoes are in the upper right corner.
      Mango Slaw
    • A bowl of dill potato salad topped with chopped fresh dill. A red and white striped towel, a wooden spoon, and fresh dill have been placed around the bowl.
      Dill Potato Salad
    • Elote dip in a blue bowl topped with cotija cheese and garnished with lime wedges and fresh cilantro. The bowl is on a plate of blue corn tortilla chips resting on a blue and white striped placemat, with a wooden bowl of yellow tortilla chips in the upper left and a gold spoon in the lower right.
      Elote Dip
    • A pan of risotto with peas with a wooden spoon in it. Three lemons are in the upper left corner.
      Risotto with Peas

    Search more gluten-free recipes

    Trending Recipes

    • A woman's hands are shown preparing a salt baked whole fish, she stuffs a whole fish with lemon, lime and fresh herbs.
      Salt Baked Fish
    • Chicken thighs topped with a caper lemon sauce on a white plate.
      Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Capers, and Lemon
    • Two campari and soda cocktails with orange slices, a plate of nuts and two bottles in the background
      Campari and Soda
    • Boneless, skinless chicken thighs with mushrooms and white wine sauce in a blue casserole pan. Some fresh thyme is in the bottom right corner.
      One Pan Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and White Wine

    Chocolate Recipes

    • Gluten free triple chocolate cookies on a baking sheet.
      Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cookies
    • A gluten free chocolate ganache tart topped with flaky sea salt on a pink plate.
      Gluten Free Chocolate Ganache Tart
    • Three white ramekins of chocolate mousse.
      Chocolate Mousse Recipe
    • Gluten free brownies with ganache icing dusted with cocoa powder on a white surface.
      Gluten Free Almond Flour Brownies

    French Recipes

    • Romaine Hearts salad with blue cheese, pears, and pecans on a white and gray plate.
      Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
    • Mussels in white wine sauce with lemon wedges and parsley in a blue pan with a spoon in it.
      Mussels in White Wine Sauce (Moules Marinières)
    • French hot chocolate in a white cup with another cup and a blue bowl of chocolate in the background.
      French Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud)
    • Several servings of eggs en cocotte with spinach and bacon in small cast-iron skillets and serving dishes are displayed on a wooden surface.
      Eggs en Cocotte (Baked Eggs)

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Work With Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Fine Foods Blog