This delicious, healthy roasted shrimp and lentils dish is super simple to whip up and loaded with good-for-you ingredients. You can make your own lentils or buy pre-made ones. And the shrimp roast in under 10 minutes! It’s great for a weeknight meal. But it also is pretty enough to serve guests.
Fast and Easy Roasted Shrimp and Lentils
This healthy shrimp recipe is easy to make. Here’s what you’ll need.
- LENTILS: I prefer to use the small French lentils called Le Puy lentils.
- CARROTS
- CELERY
- LEEKS
- ONION
- GARLIC
- BAY LEAF
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
- TARRAGON VINEGAR: You can also use white or champagne vinegar.
- ITALIAN PARSLEY
- MEDIUM-SIZED SHRIMP: I like to buy mine peeled and deveined if possible. But I’ve also included instructions on how to do this simple process below.
Tips on Buying and Prepping Shrimp:
I usually buy my shrimp for our local fish market and I have them clean and devein for me. But if that’s not an option, here are some things to keep in mind.
- BUY FRESH SHRIMP: To get shrimp with the best taste and texture, it helps to buy the freshest shrimp. Some shrimp sold in supermarkets as “fresh” are actually frozen and defrosted shrimp. If this is the case, it’s probably better to buy flash-frozen shrimp and defrost them yourself.
- HOW TO DEFROST SHRIMP: The best way to defrost frozen shrimp is in a colander (over a bowl) in the refrigerator overnight. You can also seal them tightly in a plastic bag (so they don’t get soggy). And then run cold water over the bag for about 10 minutes or until defrosted. Don’t microwave them or run them under hot water.
- HOW TO PEEL & DEVEIN SHRIMP: Deveining shrimp is kind of gross, but super simple. If you’ve never deveined a shrimp before, the goal is to remove the black vein, which is its digestive tract, on the back of the shrimp. Start by peeling the shell off the shrimp with your hands or kitchen shears. Then, use a small knife to make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp and then pull out the black vein with the tip of your knife.
Tips on Cooking Lentils:
Cooking homemade lentils is easy, mostly hands-off work. But does some chopping and about 30 minutes of simmering. Here are a few tips on making the process easier.
- BUY PRE-COOKED LENTILS: If you don’t have the time or you don’t want to cook lentils, you can just use one of my favorite meal prep items from Trader Joe’s — the pre-cooked steamed lentils. All you need to do is throw them in the microwave or a saucepan to warm them up. Mix them in with the cooked carrots, celery, onions, leeks, and garlic. And then season to taste.
- STORE-BOUGHT MIREPOIX: The same goes for the carrot, celery, and onions. You can also buy pre-made mirepoix at most grocery stores including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
- MAKE-AHEAD: You can also make the lentils ahead of time. Just reheat them when you’re ready to make this dish. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Looking for More Delicious Recipes? Try These!
Grilled Shrimp Salad with Corn and Avocado
Grilled Salmon Bowls with Tzatziki Sauce
Sweet Summer Corn and Pancetta Pasta
The Easiest Summer Corn Soup
Vanilla Strawberry Cake with Whipped Cream
Refreshing Gin Mojito with Empress Gin
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Roasted Shrimp over Lentils
- Total Time: 60-75 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This healthy lentil and shrimp dish is easy to make. It’s great for a weeknight meal or for serving guests!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
FOR THE LENTILS:
- 2 cups lentils (I prefer to use green French lentils or Puy lentils)
- 1 cup diced carrots, about 1/4 inch in diameter
- 1/2 cup diced celery, about 1/4 inch in diameter
- 1 cup chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 whole cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
- For serving: 1/2 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley
FOR THE SHRIMP:
- 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- LENTILS & VEGGIES: Rinse lentils and combine them with chopped carrots, celery, leeks, onion, garlic, and 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saucepan. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- COOK LENTILS: Add water, the bay leaf, and 2-3 teaspoons of salt to the pan and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain off any excess water, if needed. Add the vinegar and adjust the seasoning.
- ROAST THE SHRIMP: While the lentils are cooking, toss the shrimp with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan. Roast for 6-8 minutes until pink. Don’t overcook. Set aside.
- SERVE: Spoon the lentils onto a serving plate or divide among four plates. Top with shrimp and garnish with parsley.
Notes
- Don’t have an hour to wait for the lentils to cook? You can just warm up Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentil and season with sautéed vegetables. You can also cut down on the prep time by buying pre-chopped mirepoix.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American