This flavourful shrimp in tomato sauce with vegetables is a healthy, delicious weeknight dinner idea. Made using a handful of everyday ingredients the dish comes together in just over 20 minutes.
This Thai inspired shrimp in tomato sauce is a quick, straightforward recipe you can throw together in minutes. The sauce is a mixture of sweet and tangy flavours ideal to pair with juicy, pan fried shrimp.
You can make this sauce as mild or spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of chili pepper. 1 medium heat red chilli will produce a moderately spicy dish.
Ingredients for shrimp in tomato sauce
Use raw medium or large shrimp (or prawns), peeled and deveined and ready to cook. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your shrimp but try not to overcook them.
The vegetable base for the sauce consists of shallots, garlic, red chilli, tomato and red bell pepper. These ingredients create a deliciously rich flavour as well as naturally thicken the sauce.
The sauce is quite low in fat as it’s made using a moderate amount of light coconut milk (use regular if you prefer) as well as a bit of coconut oil so the coconut flavour dominates the dish.
I used thai basil, which has a subtle, slightly peppery aniseed flavour perfect with coconut based sauces. I think this is the best herb for this recipe but you could use cilantro (fresh coriander) instead if you prefer. Just stir it in towards the end of cooking.
The sauce also contains ½ of a vegetable stock cube which nicely brings all the flavours together adding depth and complexity to the dish.
To serve this shrimp in coconut sauce scatter the lime zest (this adds lots of delicious citrusy flavour without making the sauce sour), drizzle a little lime juice and add a handful of freshly chopped scallions (green onions) over the top.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Start by cooking the shrimp. In a large non-stick pan heat up 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil, add the shrimp, season and stir fry over a fairly high heat for 3-5 minutes (depending on the size of your shrimp) until pink. Transfer the shrimp into a bowl.
2. To the pan add the remaining oil, heat up then add the chopped shallots, garlic and chili pepper. Cook for 3 minutes over a medium/low heat until softened stirring often.
3. Add the tomato and pepper and cook for 2 minutes stirring often.
4. Pour in the coconut milk, add the stock cube half and chopped thai basil, cover and bring to the boil then simmer for 8 minutes to let all the flavours blend together, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the shrimp (along with the juices) and heat the mixture up again briefly.
6. Remove from the heat, scatter the lime zest, chopped scallions (spring onions) and drizzle a little lime juice over the dish. Serve with rice.
Top tips and FAQs
- Pat dry the shrimp before cooking using paper towel.
- Use either medium/large shrimp or prawns. Stir fry until pink then remove from the pan.
- Chop the vegetables quite finely so that they naturally thicken the sauce.
- Don’t use too much lime juice or the sauce might become too sour (it already contains a tomato). A little drizzle will suffice.
- Make ahead: You can prepare the sauce ahead and once completely cooled refrigerate for a couple of days. When ready to serve heat up the sauce then cook the shrimp (as per Instructions) and stir into the sauce.
- You may only need to season the shrimp as the sauce contains vegetable stock and will probably not need any more salt. Add pepper to taste.
- Best served immediately. Serve with rice (any) or soft bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- The sauce (not the shrimp) can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve defrost and heat it up, stir fry the shrimp and add into the sauce.
You might also like
Keep in touch!
If you make this healthy shrimp recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!
Recipe
Shrimp in Coconut Vegetable Sauce (Healthy)
Equipment
- Large non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 10.58 ounces (300 g) medium/large shrimp or prawns, raw, peeled, deveined
- ⅔ cup (180-200 ml) light coconut milk or regular, adjust the amount to your preference
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 small shallots finely chopped
- 1 red chili pepper or to taste, finely chopped
- 1 medium tomato ripe, finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ vegetable stock cube
- 6-8 sprigs thai basil leaves only, finely chopped
- fine sea salt and pepper to taste
For serving
- zest of l lime and drizzle of lime juice
- 2 scallions/spring onions finely chopped
Instructions
- Start by cooking the shrimp. In a large non-stick pan heat up 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil, add the shrimp, season and stir fry over a fairly high heat for 3-5 minutes (depending on the size of your shrimp) until pink. Transfer the shrimp into a bowl.
- To the pan add the remaining oil, heat up then add the chopped shallots, garlic and chilli pepper. Cook for 3 minutes over a medium/low heat until softened stirring often.Add the tomato and pepper and cook for 2 minutes stirring often.
- Pour in the coconut milk, add the stock cube half and chopped thai basil, cover and bring to the boil then simmer for 8 minutes to let all the flavours blend together, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the shrimp (along with the juices) and heat the mixture up again briefly.Remove from the heat, scatter the lime zest, chopped scallions (spring onions) and drizzle a little lime juice over the dish. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Pat dry the shrimp before cooking using paper towel.
- Use either medium/large shrimp or prawns. Stir fry until pink then remove from the pan.
- Chop the vegetables quite finely so that they naturally thicken the sauce.
- Don’t use too much lime juice or the sauce might become too sour (it already contains a tomato). A little drizzle will suffice.
- Make ahead: You can prepare the sauce ahead and once completely cooled refrigerate for a couple of days. When ready to serve heat up the sauce then cook the shrimp (as per Instructions) and stir into the sauce.
- You may only need to season the shrimp as the sauce contains vegetable stock and will probably not need any more salt. Add pepper to taste.
- Best served immediately. Serve with rice (any) or soft bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- The sauce (not the shrimp) can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve defrost and heat it up, stir fry the shrimp and add into the sauce.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Monika says
How lucky to have thai basil growing in your garden, I'd be cooking with it all the time! If you make this recipe do let me know how it turned out.
Balvinder says
I really like this recipe, I cook shrimps quite often in summer months. Right now I have thai and Italian basil growing in my garden. Would really love to try this recipe.