This Summer Shrimp Stew is a quick, 20 minute meal that’s both hearty and light. If you’re looking for a bright, flavorful seafood stew recipe, this is it!
When you hear the word stew are you thinking about a big bowl of beef and veggies that’s only reserved for cold nights? I know the idea of stew in the summer seems a little strange, but I’m here to show you that summer+stew =besties!
Stewed foods are great because the simmering of the sauce really helps all of the flavors infuse. I of course may be pre-disposed to liking stewed foods though because the basis of most Jamaican recipes is stew. Stewed chicken, oxtail and curry goat are just a few Jamaican stew classics off the top of my head. They’re all stewed for hours so the flavor really soaks in. While those are some of my favorite nostalgic meals, it’s hard to find a spare 4 hours to wait for stew after a work day.
Do you have a bunch of spare time after your 9-5 or do you need quick recipes that taste like they took all day to cook?
If you’re anything like me, I’m gonna guess you chose the quick recipe option? Good choice!
If you’ve been following along with the blog, you know that I love bold and bright flavors. This stew cooks really quickly, so you need stand out flavors to pack the punch with minimal effort.
Flavor Boosters for this Shrimp Stew:
- Fresh Ginger: When it’s fresh, ginger has a spicy quality to it that’s perfect for opening up your sinuses during allergy season aka SUMMER
- Garlic: Like ginger, garlic is potent, a tad spicy and has the power to really infuse itself into a quick cooking sauce
- Cinnamon: I love adding sweet spices to savory dishes. Cinnamon balances out the spiciness of the ginger and garlic
- Fun Fact: If you have strong sugar cravings that you’re trying to curb, replace the sugar with cinnamon or reduce the sugar and add extra cinnamon. For some reason, cinnamon tricks the brain into thinking it’s eating sweet food!
This summer shrimp stew can go with a lot of different side dishes. Since the flavors are bold, you want to pair it with something that has a more mild flavor. A creamy side dish is a great way to go with this one!
Healthy Side Dish Options:
- Polenta: This would definitely be my top choice! I recommend buying pre-cooked polenta and adding a splash of almond milk along with olive oil to loosen it a bit. You can just follow the package cooking instructions, just be sure to have your whisk ready!
- Brown Rice: We use the pre-cooked, frozen kind. It’s super easy to heat up in the microwave or on a stove top. It’s way easier than cooking it from scratch. Keep an eye out for Grain Trust brand steamed brown rice next time you’re in the frozen aisle.
- Cauliflower & Potato Mash: A mix of yukon gold potatoes and cauliflower make the perfect mash. It still has the texture of mashed potatoes but it’s a little lighter. I recommend using almond milk and olive oil instead of heavy cream and butter. P.S. yukon gold or golden potatoes are better for this mash than Idaho because they are sweet and creamy.
Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide to cooking seafood perfectly every time + bonus marinade recipe!
Seafood Lovers Rejoice:
If you’re a seafood lover, you don’t have to just stick to shrimp in this summer stew. You can use any mix of seafood that you like. If you’re feeling fancy, lobster would be really good in here! Mussels and clams or a thick fish like cod would be great too. If you choose to do a mix of seafood, remember that different types of seafood cook at different times. To avoid rubbery shrimp, check out this handy seafood cooking guide from GQ. It includes exact times for each type of seafood, so you can’t go wrong!
What’s you’re favorite seafood to cook? Will you try this summer shrimp stew as is or mix up for a full on seafood feast?
Ingredients
- 8-10 shrimp
- 1/3 cup canned tomato sauce (unseasoned)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup zucchini, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a deep skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil, ginger and garlic to the hot pan. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, pepper, red peppers and zucchini to the pan. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Add shrimp to the pan, push them into the sauce, cover and simmer and additional 5 minutes. Turn off the heat but leave the pan on the burner 2-3 extra minutes so that the steam can continue to cook the shrimp. Enjoy!
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Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see how it turned out! Snap a picture and tag @brightrootskitchen or use #brightrootskitchen on Insta.
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