Classic Italian Shrimp Salad

I didn’t grow up eating a lot of seafood salads, but shrimp salad was the one that got me hooked. My mom used to make this mayo-heavy version that was fine, but it always felt a little heavy for a summer lunch.

Then I tried an Italian-style shrimp salad at a friend’s house, and it was completely different. Instead of mayo, it was dressed with olive oil and lemon—bright, light, and perfect for warm weather. The olives and garlic gave it this Mediterranean flavor that made it feel special without being complicated. Now it’s my go-to when I want something that feels fancy but comes together in about fifteen minutes.

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?

For this Italian shrimp salad, jumbo shrimp in the 16-20 count range work perfectly because they’re substantial enough to stand up to the bold flavors of olives, garlic, and lemon. You can buy pre-cooked shrimp from the seafood counter to save time, or cook raw shrimp yourself by boiling them for just 2-3 minutes until they turn pink. Fresh or frozen shrimp both work great here – just make sure frozen shrimp are fully thawed and patted dry before using. The recipe calls for tails-off shrimp, so if yours have tails, just give them a quick pinch and pull to remove them before adding to your salad.

Options for Substitutions

This salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so feel free to work with what you have:

• Jumbo shrimp: If jumbo shrimp aren’t available or are too pricey, you can use large (21-25 count) or even medium shrimp. Just adjust the cooking time if you’re starting with raw shrimp – smaller ones cook faster.
• Mixed Italian olives: Any good quality olives work here. Try green olives, black olives, or even just one variety if that’s what you have. Just make sure they’re pitted to save yourself the hassle.
• Red onion: Yellow or white onion can step in, though red onion adds a nice mild sweetness and color. If you find raw onion too sharp, soak the chopped pieces in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
• Fresh parsley: Fresh basil makes a great substitute and adds an extra Italian flair. You could also use a mix of both herbs for more complexity.
• Fresh lemon juice: Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, though fresh really does taste better. You can also use a combination of lemon and white wine vinegar (use 3 tablespoons lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon vinegar).

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake you can make with this salad is overcooking the shrimp, which turns them rubbery and tough – if you’re cooking them yourself, remove them from heat as soon as they turn pink and opaque, usually just 2-3 minutes per side.

Skipping the refrigeration time is another common error, as the salad really needs at least 2 hours for the flavors to blend together and the garlic to mellow out.

Be careful not to over-salt, especially if you’re using briny olives like Kalamata – taste before adding the full half teaspoon of salt and adjust as needed.

Finally, cutting your vegetables too large will throw off the balance, so keep your celery slices thin and your red onion chopped fine so every bite has a good mix of flavors.

What to Serve With Italian Shrimp Salad?

This Italian shrimp salad is perfect served over a bed of mixed greens or arugula for a light lunch, or you can pile it onto toasted ciabatta or baguette slices for an easy appetizer. I love pairing it with some crusty bread on the side so you can soak up all that lemony, garlicky dressing at the bottom of the bowl. It also works great as part of a bigger spread with other antipasti like marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, and fresh mozzarella. For a heartier meal, serve it alongside some pasta salad or orzo tossed with olive oil and fresh herbs.

Storage Instructions

Store: This Italian shrimp salad actually gets better after sitting for a few hours, so it’s perfect for making ahead. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors really meld together nicely overnight, making it an awesome option for meal prep or bringing to a potluck the next day.

Serve: I like to take this salad out of the fridge about 10-15 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Give it a good stir before plating since the dressing can settle at the bottom. If it seems a bit dry after a day or two, just drizzle a little extra olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to freshen it up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 950-1100
• Protein: 110-125 g
• Fat: 55-65 g
• Carbohydrates: 25-35 g

Ingredients

• 20 oz shrimp (peeled, deveined, cooked, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 1/3 cups Pearls pitted black olives, sliced
• 3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large lemons, juiced and zested
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place

• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/3 cups Pearls pitted black olives, sliced
• 2 large lemons, juiced and zested

Finely chop the celery, dice the red onion, mince the garlic cloves, and chop the fresh parsley.

Slice the black olives and zest and juice the lemons, keeping the zest and juice separate.

Having everything prepped and ready before mixing ensures the flavors meld properly and prevents any ingredients from oxidizing or becoming watery.

Step 2: Build the Vinaigrette Base

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large lemons, juiced and zested
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes.

This creates an emulsified dressing that will evenly coat all the salad components.

I like to taste the dressing at this point and adjust the seasoning—a pinch more salt can really brighten the citrus notes.

Step 3: Combine and Chill

• 20 oz shrimp
• prepared vegetables and herbs from Step 1
• vinaigrette from Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the cooked shrimp pieces, celery, olives, red onion, garlic, and parsley from Step 1.

Pour the vinaigrette from Step 2 over the mixture and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight—this allows the shrimp to absorb the bright citrus and herb flavors.

I find that overnight chilling creates a more cohesive, flavorful dish where all the ingredients have time to get to know each other.

Classic Italian Shrimp Salad

Delicious Classic Italian Shrimp Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 7 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 1025

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 20 oz shrimp (peeled, deveined, cooked, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 1/3 cups Pearls pitted black olives, sliced
• 3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large lemons, juiced and zested
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Method

 

1. Finely chop the celery, dice the red onion, mince the garlic cloves, and chop the fresh parsley. Slice the black olives and zest and juice the lemons, keeping the zest and juice separate. Having everything prepped and ready before mixing ensures the flavors meld properly and prevents any ingredients from oxidizing or becoming watery.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. This creates an emulsified dressing that will evenly coat all the salad components. I like to taste the dressing at this point and adjust the seasoning—a pinch more salt can really brighten the citrus notes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked shrimp pieces, celery, olives, red onion, garlic, and parsley from Step 1. Pour the vinaigrette from Step 2 over the mixture and gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight—this allows the shrimp to absorb the bright citrus and herb flavors. I find that overnight chilling creates a more cohesive, flavorful dish where all the ingredients have time to get to know each other.