When you see the words Greek, shrimp, feta, and tomato sauce together in the same sentence, you know it’s going to be good. This Greek Style Shrimp is the quintessential summer dish: it’s quick, it’s fresh tomatoes, it’s a lot of garlic, and minimal effort.
This classic Greek dish is basically shrimp in tomato sauce topped with feta cheese. Made mostly from pantry staples, the shrimp is usually cooked in a thick tomato sauce before going into the oven for a few minutes. For this version, I wanted to skip the oven time and just keep it even simpler, so it’s all made on the stovetop. To make it more hearty, I also included white beans, so it’s more of a main dish rather than a side. If you’re looking for an even easier shrimp/ bean stew, this one makes for a super low-effort light summer dish.
I tend to think, wrongly, that for dinner to be fast, I should probably make a bowl of pasta. But a skillet full of shrimp is just as quick and easy. It emulates that nostalgic summer feeling, those long days spent by the water, when everything feels wonderfully lazy and warm.
How to Clean Shrimp
Peeling and deveining shrimp can seem daunting, but it’s pretty simple, if not a bit tedious. Although it’s not technically necessary to devein your shrimp – the “vein” is the shrimp’s digestive tract – and it can have a little grit in it sometimes, so I always like to remove it. Here’s how to prep shrimp:
- Defrost your shrimp, if frozen.
- Then peel. Work your thumbs underneath the shell and crack it open. As the shell cracks, you’ll be able to easily peel it away from the shrimp.
- Pinch off the tail. While the tail can often be left on, if you’d like to take it off, pinch the tail where it meets the body of the shrimp and gently pull. The rest of the shrimp should pull cleanly out of the tail.
- To remove the vein, gently run a paring knife along the back of the shrimp. You don’t need to cut very deeply — a shallow cut is fine. The vein will look like a long, gritty string. Gently pull up the vein with the tip of your knife, starting near the top and continuing to the bottom. If it breaks, pick it up again and keep pulling.
What To Serve with Greek Shrimp
Greek shrimp stands alone, but if you need a few ideas, serve it with pita or with a salad. A good crusty bread is perfect to mop it all up. If you want to skip the beans, tossing it with pasta is also an excellent choice.
Start by quickly sautéing without fully cooking the shrimp. It’ll continue to cook once you add it back into the tomato sauce. Although you can use canned tomatoes on their own, I like adding a mix of canned and fresh cherry tomatoes. Cook until they begin to burst and then add the remaining ingredients. Allow the sauce to simmer and cook over medium low heat until thick and flavorful. The longer it cooks the more flavor it yields, so you get to decide how long to cook your sauce.
For this recipe, I’m calling for large shrimp, but feel free to get your preferred size. Fresh or frozen are both fine.
Greek Style Shrimp with Feta and White Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 14 oz canned tomatoes
- 15 oz canned white beans
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
- lemon, for serving
Directions
- Season the shrimp with paprika, salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, lay the shrimp out into the pan in a single layer (you may have to do it in batches). Cook, undisturbed, until just start getting pink. Flip and cook on the other side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, undisturbed, until beginning to blister, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is tender and the tomatoes begin to burst, gently smashing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to meld. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.
- Add in the beans and cook for a few minutes.
- Return the shrimp to the skillet with the tomatoes. Stir in the parsley.
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with the feta.
If you make this Greek Style Shrimp with Feta and White Beans please be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you and I love responding to every comment. And don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram. I’d love to see your photos!
