The Best Healthy Shrimp and Veggie Grain Bowl

If you need a quick, nutritious dinner, this shrimp and veggie grain bowl is going to be your new best friend. It is incredibly fresh, filling, and takes hardly any time to throw together.

I am always on the hunt for an easy weeknight shrimp dinner. Between school pickups and endless errands, I rarely have time to stand over the stove. A few weeks ago, I saw a pioneer woman shrimp bowl on TV and got completely inspired to make my own healthy twist.

This recipe combines chewy farro, roasted shrimp, and a bright Mediterranean salad. It is the perfect balance of hot and cold ingredients. If you love my chopped kale salad with quinoa, you will fall head over heels for this bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick Prep: You can make the whole thing in under 30 minutes.
• Highly Nutritious: Packed with lean protein, whole grains, and fresh vegetables.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: It is perfect if you love meal prep healthy grain bowls.
• Restaurant Quality: The homemade lemon vinaigrette makes it taste like it came from a fancy café.

Ingredients

To make this healthy shrimp farro bowl, you need a few fresh ingredients and pantry staples. Here is what to add to your grocery list.

The Base:

• Farro: This ancient grain is chewy and nutty. It makes this the ultimate roasted shrimp and farro recipe.
• Colossal Shrimp: Look for 12/15 count size. Peeled and deveined will save you time.
• Olive Oil: For roasting the shrimp and making the dressing.
• Spices: Just simple kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The Fresh Salad:

• English Cucumber: These have fewer seeds and crunchier skin.
• Roma Tomatoes: Firm and not too watery. Perfect if you love making my caprese salad skewers with balsamic glaze.
• Kalamata Olives: They add a wonderful, salty bite.
• Feta Cheese: Crumbled feta turns this into a delicious cucumber tomato feta grain bowl.

The Lemon Vinaigrette:

• Lemons: You need fresh lemon juice and zest. Do not use the bottled stuff!
• Shallots: These add a mild, sweet onion flavor to the dressing.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

• Grains: Swap farro for quinoa, brown rice, or couscous if you are short on time.
• Protein: Not a seafood fan? Grilled chicken or chickpeas work wonderfully here.

How to Make This Shrimp and Veggie Grain Bowl

Follow these simple steps to build the perfect bowl.

1. Cook the Farro Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the farro. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 to 22 minutes until tender. Drain well.

2. Roast the Shrimp Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place your shrimp on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes until pink and opaque.

3. Squeeze the Lemon As soon as the shrimp come out of the oven, squeeze the juice of one lemon directly over them. Set aside.

4. Make the Vinaigrette In a mason jar, add the zest and juice of two lemons. Add the minced shallots, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.

5. Toss the Salad In a medium bowl, combine your chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives. Pour about one-third of your shaken dressing over the veggies and toss well.

6. Assemble the Bowls Divide the cooked farro into four bowls. Top with the dressed cucumber salad. Add the warm roasted shrimp on top. Garnish with feta cheese and fresh dill.

Helpful Tip: Do not toss the remaining dressing! Keep it in the fridge to use on side salads later in the week.

Pro Tips for Perfect Results

• Salt Your Water: Treat farro like pasta. Salting the water generously ensures the grain is flavored from the inside out.
• Emulsify the Dressing: Shaking the vinaigrette in a mason jar is the easiest way to perfectly blend the oil and lemon juice.
• Dry the Shrimp: Pat your shrimp completely dry with a paper towel before tossing in oil. This helps them roast instead of steam.
• Pinterest Tip: For a gorgeous, clickable photo on Pinterest, arrange your ingredients in neat, separate sections over the farro before mixing them up to eat.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcooking the Shrimp: Shrimp cook very quickly. Pull them out of the oven the second they turn pink and curl into a “C” shape.
• Mushy Grains: Do not overcook your farro. It should have a slightly chewy, al dente texture.
• Soggy Salad: Do not dress the cucumber and tomatoes until right before serving. The salt in the dressing will pull water out of the veggies if left too long.

Serving Ideas

This mediterranean shrimp and grain bowl is a complete meal on its own. You have your protein, veggies, and carbs all in one dish.

If you want to stretch it for a larger crowd, serve it alongside some warm pita bread and hummus.

Looking to mix up your weekly dinner menu? Alternate this bowl with my sweet and savory Thai pineapple fried rice for a fun week of healthy, varied meals!

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

This recipe was practically invented for busy schedules. It holds up beautifully in the fridge.

• To Store: Keep the cooked farro, roasted shrimp, and chopped vegetables in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Meal Prep: Build your bowls in glass meal prep containers. Add the farro, shrimp, and veggies. Keep the vinaigrette in a tiny separate container. Dress the bowl right before eating.
• To Reheat: You can eat this bowl completely cold! If you prefer warm shrimp and grains, microwave them for 60 seconds before adding the cold cucumber salad.

Final Thoughts

I hope you love this shrimp and veggie grain bowl as much as my family does. It is light, refreshing, and completely satisfying.

If you gave this recipe a try, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe! I love hearing how it turned out for you.

Don’t forget to save this to your favorite dinner boards on Pinterest so you can find it later. And if you want more easy, healthy dinner ideas, make sure to subscribe to the EndRecipes newsletter!

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