Planning to arrange a shrimp cocktail party but equally confused about things you can eat with shrimp? No worries! We have got your back. You can cook shrimp in so many different ways, whether it’s a grilled shrimp or a garlic butter shrimp. Once you have figured out your main dish, you will just have to think about the side dishes to serve with it!
1. 10 Side Dishes That Go Well With Shrimp
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There are certain side dishes that are a must-have at your next dinner party. They add that extra essence and flavor to your shrimp dish, and you can enjoy them anytime with your loved ones on weekend dinners.
1.1. Macaroni Salad
A delicious shrimp dish to have for a shrimp dinner is a macaroni salad because of its lip-smacking creamy dressing. This delicious salad will go extremely well with freshly boiled shrimp. You just need a few basic ingredients to prepare this salad dressing.
You can take boiled eggs, lime juice, red bell peppers and you can even include bell peppers of other colors and celery. Mix all these ingredients in a creamy dressing, and it’s ready to serve with shrimp for a wholesome family meal.
1.2. Serve Your Fresh Shrimp With a Caesar Salad
It is a no-brainer that a Caesar salad pairs up best with grilled shrimp. The salad looks and tastes wonderful because of the colorful and crunchy veggies that are required for making it. It also adds a fresh and light touch to your grilled shrimp.
All you need to make a Caesar salad are healthy veggies such as green onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, carrots, cabbages, and parmesan cheese. Mix your favorite veggies together, add some lemon juice for tangy flavors, and enjoy it alongside a juicy grilled shrimp.
1.3. Have Roasted Asparagus With Grated Parmesan Cheese
Fresh asparagus is very healthy and compatible with almost any side dish. It also makes a great pasta salad with tasty shrimp on top and the best part about this meal is its less prep time. It’s really easy to prepare and requires less time.
To prepare this recipe, you need some fresh asparagus, minced garlic, salt, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. Mix them all together, and then roast them in your pan. It is ready to serve with shrimp and will make a delightful blend for your family dinner.
1.4. A Greek Veggie Salad is a Must-Have
This is one of the most favorite shrimp recipes of all. If you are serving fried shrimp or shrimp with creamy pasta, then you can surely go for this recipe to balance out the flavors and lightness of the meal as it’s a low-in-fat salad.
To make this light salad, you need feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, onions, and cucumber slices. Whisk them together, add salt and pepper, and do not forget to add garlic powder, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and dried oregano. Serve with fresh mint leaves and feta cheese with your heavy shrimp dinner.
1.5. You Can Have a Mango Guacamole
If you want a tropical delicious meal of shrimp, there is nothing better than coconut shrimp alongside mango guacamole. This side dish has bursting flavors of sweetness, spice, and tanginess and is amazing to serve with shrimp.
The ingredients required for this refreshing side dish are diced mangoes, avocados, finely diced red onions and jalapenos, fresh cilantro leaves, kosher salt, and lime juice. Cut the avocados and scoop them out with a spoon placing them into a bowl. Add all the other mentioned ingredients and stir gently. Your side dish is ready to serve with coconut tender shrimp for weeknight dinners.
1.6. Yummy Zucchini Noodles
If you are avoiding carbs for some reason and you do not want to have noodles and white pasta, you can always go for zucchini noodles, also known as angel hair pasta. It’s called angel hair pasta because of its thin and straight shape compared to spiralized noodles.
You can add stir-fried vegetables, chickpeas, and white cheddar cheese to make this recipe. Toss them in a pan, and you can saute them with soy sauce. In the end, toss the zucchini noodles in the pan, and they are ready to serve as a side dish for your flavorful shrimp.
1.7. Corn Salad Will Serve as a Great Side Dish
This finger-licking corn salad is a must-have at your dinner party. The preparation of this side dish is really simple as you will only have to take roasted corn and smother it in cotija cheese, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder.
You can even use sour cream to make it as sour cream acts as a good alternative to Mexican crema. It’s ready to serve as an appetizer alongside a shrimp at your dinner party.
1.8. The Famous Shrimp Cocktail
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As we all know, that shrimp cocktail is a mass favorite. If you have thrown a party to your loved ones and wondering which exquisite dish to serve alongside a shrimp, then a shrimp cocktail is an answer to all your confusion.
To make a good shrimp cocktail, take water, salt, onions, sugar, and sprigs of parsley and combine them in a pan. Add lemon juice and let them boil for some time. After you bring them to the boil, turn off the flame and add shrimp to the pot. Let the shrimp boil until they turn pink in color. Once they turn pink, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and put the shrimp in a bowl of ice.
Meanwhile, start preparing the cocktail sauce mandatory for your shrimp cocktail recipe. To make the cocktail sauce for your shrimp cocktail, you have to add lemon zest, ketchup, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce and blend them in a small bowl. You can even add hot sauce according to your taste preferences.
After both the shrimp dish and cocktail sauce are prepared for your shrimp cocktail, you can serve it in different ways. You can loop the shrimp on your cocktail glass and top it up with your cocktail sauce or you can put your cocktail sauce in a bowl and surround the bowl with shrimp. Garnish with lemons to serve to your guests.
1.9. Shrimp Tacos
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A shrimp taco is best to eat when made with corn tortillas. All you have to do is take a corn tortilla and load it with juicy shrimp, avocados, crisp cabbages, cotija cheese, and cilantro. Add a delicious taco sauce, and you are good to go.
1.10. Fruit and Veggie Kabobs
Grilled fruit and veggie kabobs taste divine with shrimp. If you have a barbecue at your home, then what are you even waiting for? Call your friends for a barbecue night and enjoy these delicious grilled kabobs. Make sure to use aluminum foil as it prevents your grilled kabobs from sticking to the grill.
Firstly, for making kabobs take zucchini, onions, bell peppers, squash, and tomatoes you are making vegetable kabobs. If you are going for fruit kabobs, you can take pineapples, peaches, bananas, and strawberries and put them onto skewers.
For making marinade, take salt and pepper, parsley, lemon zest, juice, and olive oil and mix them well in a medium-sized bowl. Brush the marinade on the kabobs that you have prepared and place those kabobs on the preheated barbecue grill. Cook them and rotate the skewers occasionally until all the sides get grilled. Serve them with shrimp and you can even sprinkle smoked paprika or other tasty toppings.
2. Health Benefits of Having Shrimp
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By far, you have read about the delicious side dishes that you can serve with shrimp if you have arranged a party or get-together and are confused about what side dishes to serve alongside shrimp. Now that you have got the idea about the side dishes, you must be surprised to know that shrimp has some health benefits as well.
2.1. Good Source of Protein
Shrimp is a good source of succulent protein. If you want to consume more protein for muscle build-up and do not want to consume sugary protein bars, then consuming shrimp will be a good option for you as this way, you can intake healthy proteins.
2.2. Provides Bone Strength
Shrimp is a good source of phosphorus and Vitamin D. If you have a proper calcium intake, then these supplied nutrients that you get from shrimp will help strengthen your bones while lessening the risk of bone fractures.
2.3. Contains Fatty Acids
Shrimp contains omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin, which reduces the growth of cancerous cells. These antioxidant properties exhibit inhibitory effects on cancer cells, thus warding off cancer.
2.4. Takes Care of Eye Health and Brain Health
Shrimp has astaxanthin, which helps maintain good eye health. It protects your eye retina from excess sunlight and oxidative damage.
Shrimp contains omega-3 fatty acids, which, when combined with vitamin B12, help in improving your brain functions, keeping the functions and thoughts of your brain sharp and alert.
2.5. Protects Your Skin
Astaxanthin present in shrimp can improve the elasticity of your skin and retain your skin’s moisture, resulting in less skin wrinkling. It can even lessen the risk factors of skin cancer by protecting your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
These are some amazing health benefits that you can have if you consume shrimp and based on the recipes that we have presented in this article, you can give a taste and flavor to your bland shrimp.
Final Note
Shrimp dishes are often reserved for special occasions, so you should keep in mind that while you are serving shrimp, you want your side dishes to be less overpowering. You should not go for a side dish that will overpower the taste of the shrimp by hiding its flavor and texture.
Certain flavors and spices that go absolutely well with your shrimp dishes are chili powder, garlic, and lime juice. So, whenever, you are presenting any shrimp dish or a side dish alongside it, make sure to sprinkle those seasonings for an exquisite taste!
Last Updated on by parinaparmar
