Pan-seared shrimp with braised greens is a delicious Greek dish that serves as an example of how a handful of simple ingredients can be used to create a hearty, comforting, and healthy shrimp recipe that looks and tastes good enough to serve company, but is fast enough for a busy weeknight dinner.
With the first signs of spring, people in Greece are out in the fields foraging wild leafy greens called Horta. Edible greens — dandelion, amaranth, sorrel, and more — grow wild on hillsides and steep mountain slopes.
The tradition is to braise the greens and serve them with a simple protein. This is a popular style dish at the Greek tavernas throughout the year, where mixed leafy greens are often served alongside simply cooked seafood. I took that approach with this recipe and paired greens braised in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and fresh lemon juice with plump pan-seared shrimp.
Don’t worry! There is no need to forage a hillside to make this recipe at home! You can easily prepare this healthy shrimp recipe using a mixture of cooking greens from the grocery store; Swiss chard, baby kale, dandelion greens, and spinach all work well in this dish.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Seared Shrimp with Braised Greens
This healthy shrimp recipe calls for the same ingredients for both the shrimp and the greens. Keeping the same flavor profile throughout makes the pairing perfect! Here’s everything you’ll need to make both.
For the Pan Seared Shrimp:
- Shrimp: Because shrimp is highly perishable, I recommend buying it frozen as the quality is generally better than shrimp that have already been defrosted at the supermarket fish counter. Choose shrimp with no salt added. If you look at the back of the bag of the shrimp, it should list only one ingredient. I like to use jumbo (21-25) peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe so they don’t overcook. Check out this guide for more on how to buy, defrost, and prep shrimp.
- Extra Virgin olive oil: We use extra virgin olive oil to both marinate and sauté the shrimp. Extra virgin olive oil is used for most dishes in Greece, especially for cooking vegetables and seafood.
- Garlic: Chopped garlic flavors the shrimp marinade. You can use as much or as little as you want, but definitely do not omit it!
- Seasoning: Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and red pepper flakes. Taste as you go, and adjust accordingly at the end of cooking
- Lemon: Lemon zest and whole slices both add a burst of freshness to the dish that compliments the shrimp in a very nice way.
- Parsley: Fresh, flat-leaf parsley is always the best as it is the most flavorful! It’s optional, but adds nice freshness and color to the shrimp.
For the Braised Greens:
- Hearty greens: For this recipe, we use a variety of greens to create more flavor and interest. You can use almost any cooking greens you like in this braised recipe. I like to use a mixture of Swiss chard, Lacinato kale, and spinach. You can also use baby greens as well. Heartier greens (like chard or kale) typically need a longer braising time than tender greens (like baby spinach).
- Extra-virgin olive oil: To sautée the mixed greens and the garlic. Extra virgin olive oil is the preferred oil for cooking in Greece.
- Garlic: Thinly sliced to flavor the olive oil and add flavor to the dish. As always, use as much or as little as you want.
- Seasoning: Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper—that’s all you need for the horta (braised greens).
- Lemon: Lemon juice adds acidity to the dish and it balances any bitterness from the greens
- Water: The cooking liquid for horta is always water because it is considered a frugal dish.
How to Make Seared Shrimp with Braised Greens
To make this healthy shrimp recipe, we start by cooking the greens first, which will take a little longer to cook than the shrimp, which needs only a few minutes to cook. Here’s the whole process, step by step.
- Marinate the shrimp: Defrost (if frozen), peel and devein 1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 per pound). Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Then in a medium bowl, combine about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and the zest of 1 lemon (reserve lemon juice for greens). Whisk together, add the shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover and set aside at room temperature while you make the greens.
- Prep the greens: Wash 1 pound mixed cooking greens (Swiss chard, Italian kale, and/or spinach), drain them, and remove the tough stems. If the stems are tender, cut them into pieces and then roughly chop the leaves.
- Cook the greens: Place a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, about 1/4 cup. When the oil begins to shimmer, add 4 sliced garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Next, add half the mixed greens and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently. When the greens begin to wilt, add the remaining greens and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring frequently.
- Season and Simmer: Season the greens with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and, if you like, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pan with a lid, and simmer the greens for about 10 minutes, until just tender and the water has evaporated. The cooking time will depend on the variety of greens. Turn off the heat and stir in the reserved lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Cover to keep warm while you cook the shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp: In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, about 2 tablespoons. Once the oil begins to shimmer add the shrimp and all of the marinade. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning the shrimp only once halfway through, and shaking the pan every now and then to make sure that the garlic does not burn. The shrimp is cooked through when it’s pink and curled into a C-shape. This only takes a few moments.
- Serve: Spread the greens onto a warmed platter, top with the cooked shrimp and any sauce from the pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
How to Prep Leafy Greens
We use a variety of leafy greens to create more flavor and interest in this healthy shrimp recipe. Depending on the type of greens you choose they may need slightly different means of preparation. Regardless, of whether you use wild greens or cultivated ones, wash them thoroughly in cold water to remove any grit and then drain them well.
- Swiss chard: Strip the leaves from the stems. Slice the stems thinly and then roughly chop
- the leaves.
- Kale: Remove the tough stems and discard them. Chop the leaves or cut them into ribbons.
- Spinach: Remove any particularly large or tough stems.
- Dandelion Greens: Remove any particularly large or tough stems and chop
- Baby Kale or Baby Spinach: Both can be used for this recipe and require no prep aside from washing.
Make it a Meal
This simple seared shrimp recipe is easy to make and serve for a weeknight family dinner, and you will definitely want to enjoy it with plenty of hearty bread to mop up the delicious juices.
A bowl of steamed Greek Lemon Rice or Brown Rice with chopped parsley would be a perfect accompaniment to this recipe!
You could also round out the meal with a Greek Salad (Horiatiki). Braised Greens (Horta) are typically served with seafood, but you can certainly enjoy it with grilled meats, such as Greek Chicken or Grilled Skirt Steak, as well.
And don’t forget dessert! Finish your meal with something sweet like Pasteli, a Greek sesame candy made with honey.
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Pan Seared Shrimp with Lemon-Garlic Braised Greens (Horta)
Ingredients
For the Pan Seared Shrimp
- 1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), thawed, peeled, and deveined
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, zested
For the Braised Greens
- 1 pound mixed cooking greens (Swiss chard, kale, dandelion, and/or spinach)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 lemon, juiced
To Serve
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
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Marinate the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Then in a medium bowl, combine about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and lemon zest. Whisk together then add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and set aside at room temperature while you make the greens.
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Prep the greens: Wash the greens thoroughly, drain them, and remove the tough stems. If the stems are tender, cut them into pieces and then roughly chop the leaves.
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Cook the greens: Place a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, about 1/4 cup. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the sliced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Next, add half the mixed greens and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently. When the greens begin to wilt, add the remaining greens and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring frequently.
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Season and simmer: Season the greens with salt, pepper, and, if you like, a pinch of crushed red pepper. Add the water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pan with a lid, and simmer the greens for about 10 minutes, until just tender and the water has evaporated. The cooking time will depend on the variety of greens. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Cover to keep warm while you cook the shrimp.
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Cook the shrimp: In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, about 2 tablespoons. Once the oil begins to shimmer add the shrimp and all of the marinade. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning the shrimp only once halfway through, and shaking the pan every now and then to make sure that the garlic does not burn. The shrimp is cooked through when it’s pink and curled into a C-shape. This only takes a few moments.
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Serve: Spread the wilted greens onto a warmed platter, top with the cooked shrimp and any sauce from the pan. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
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