Healthy Garlic Shrimp with Leeks
A flavorful, easy and healthy garlic shrimp recipe, mildly spiced and infused with sweet leeks—pair it with your favorite salad for a low carb dinner, toss it into gluten-free pasta noodles, or serve with olive-oil-drizzled toasted bread as an appetizer!
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 351kcal
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 medium-sized leeks chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pounds wild-caught shrimp (about 16-20 large shrimp per pound)
- 1 teaspoon lemon peel
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 handful chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic, cook, and stir for 10 seconds to release its aroma.
- Stir in the chopped leeks. I like to sprinkle the vegetables with a few pinches of sea salt at this point (optional)
- Cook and occasionally stir for 5 minutes, or until leeks are softened.
- Add in the shrimp, then season everything with lemon peel, cayenne pepper, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. I am pretty generous with black pepper in this dish. Let the shrimp cook for a few minutes and let one side becoming pinkish before combining it thoroughly with the leeks.
- Cook and stir until the shrimp are pink on both sides, opaque and cooked through, and the flavors have come together (anywhere from 6 to 15 minutes depending on their size).
- Optional: drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the entire dish and stir in half of the chopped parsley.
- Serve with extra parsley for garnish.
Notes
Cooking time: Because the jumbo shrimp are mixed in with the vegetables, it might take a little longer to get them to the desired consistency. I usually cook and stir the shrimp with the leeks for about 6 to 15 minutes if they are large in size. But I like my shrimp well done. Check and taste test after 6 minutes.
Cleaning leeks: Cut away the ends and the tough green tops— I usually reserve these to help flavor my bone broth. Then cut the vegetables lengthwise in half, open up the leaves, and thoroughly wash any dirt or sand hidden between them under running water.
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 365mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 709mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 939IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 3mg