Chimichurri Shrimp

Chimichurri is an herby, spicy green sauce that is perfect for this nourishing shrimp and rice dish

It's no secret that I am constantly trying to get more veggies in my day. Yes, I love a good salad. But sometimes I just don't want a salad, and I think that's ok.

That being said, I think it's important to fill your body with enough veggies every day. Without question, the more veggies I eat, the better I feel.

So when I found this recipe for a chimichurri sauce that used spinach in addition to the herbs, etc. usually found in chimichurri, I was ecstatic. I realize that sounds dramatic but being dramatic is way more entertaining to read/write I get really excited about making tasty things even better for my health.

This herby, spicy green sauce is perfect for this shrimp dish but can be used on other things, too. Chimichurri is commonly used for grilled meats and is delicious over scrambled eggs as well as chicken. It's typically made with parsley, but I used cilantro and spinach for extra veggies.

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You can adjust your desired level of spiciness by using more or less jalapeño. I used one small jalapeño and loved the slightly lingering heat it offered while flavoring the shrimp & rice begging to be seasoned.

These pictures don't show the amount of chimichurri sauce I used, but it wasn't as pretty when I saturated my dish with so much sauce. I poured the chimichurri on because it's so tasty and so good for you.

Cilantro is packed with antioxidants and has even shown to be antimicrobial. Spinach possesses tons of amazing qualities like being high in fiber, Vitamins A & K, iron, manganese, folate, magnesium, potassium, and protein; plus, spinach offers anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties.

After I made this dish, I ended up making the sauce again because I couldn't get enough of it. Like I said before, chimichurri is incredibly versatile. You can literally put it on anything.

And before you go, if you absolutely hate cilantro, have no fear. You can substitute parsley for the cilantro for equally delicious results.

See recipe notes for more info on substituting 🙂

Chimichurri Shrimp

Chimichurri is an herby, spicy green sauce that is perfect for this nourishing shrimp and rice dish

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups spinach fresh
• ▢ 1 cup cilantro
• ▢ 1 cup diced red onion 1 small, divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoon minced jalapeño 1 small, divided
• ▢ 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ 5 tablespoon olive oil divided
• ▢ 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• ▢ 2 cups water or broth
• ▢ 1 pound peeled shrimp

Instructions

Make the chimichurri

• Add the spinach, cilantro, 1/2 cup of red onion, garlic, salt, and 1 tablespoon jalapeño to a food processor. Pulse until the spinach, cilantro, and red onions are chopped. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in red wine vinegar to help the mixture come together more as you pulse for about 15 seconds.
• Pour in 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse until it becomes the desired texture.

Cook the rice

• Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add remaining 1/2 cup red onion and sauté for about 5-7 minutes until the onion has softened. Stir in jalapeño and rice, and cook for about 1 minute until rice is lightly toasted. Pour in water or broth and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 35 minutes until rice is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Cook the shrimp

• Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add peeled shrimp in one layer and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the shrimp easily releases from the skillet. Flip and cook until done, about 2-5 minutes.

To serve

• Serve the cooked rice topped with the shrimp and cover with chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

*Makes 1 cup chimichurri

*1 pound peeled shrimp is about 2 pounds unpeeled shrimp

*Use 1/2 of the jalapeño (or about 1 tablespoon) for less spicy chimichurri

*Based on this recipe from Delish

*Substitute an equal amount of parsley for the cilantro if desired. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano for a little more flavor.

*Use veggie broth or chicken broth in place of water if desired

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

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Meme

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