Shrimp Bowls with Lemon Rice and Green Goddess Dressing

My Healthy Bowl Formula Doesn’t Miss!

I’ve been making all kinds of colorful bowls for years, long before they showed up all over social media, and they remain my number-one solution for getting dinner on the table fast. 

After hundreds of variations, I’ve developed a simple formula that works every single time: a flavorful grain base + a quality protein + something fresh and crunchy + a bold dressing that pulls it all together. This is the same method at work in my Mediterranean Ground Beef Bowls, Loaded Falafel Bowls, and Chicken Sweet Potato Bowls, too. Nail those four components and you have a healthy shrimp bowl — or any bowl — that tastes like you spent way more time than you did. 

This shrimp bowl recipe is one of my current favorites. The base is Greek lemon rice — bright, herby, and fragrant. The protein is quick-sautéed shrimp seasoned generously with Greek oregano, garlic, paprika, and cumin. The crunch comes from a hearty black bean and cucumber salad loaded with tomatoes, avocado, shallots, and cilantro. And the dressing is my homemade green goddess that you’ll want to put on everything. 

Both the rice and the dressing can be prepared a day or two ahead to make this even quicker on a weeknight, and the shrimp cook so quickly that you can really get this one on the table fast. 

Ingredients for Shrimp Bowls

• Greek Lemon Rice is the backbone of this whole bowl. The lemon and olive oil give the rice a brightness that ties it in with everything on top.
• Green Goddess Dressing: The tahini base of this green drizzle gives it a creamy texture.
• Black or kidney beans: Canned beans are one of my favorite kitchen time-savers. They add protein and fiber that give this shrimp bowl recipe heartiness. 
• Avocado: Creamy, rich, and the perfect cooling contrast to the warm spices on the shrimp.
• Persian cucumbers: These small, thin-skinned cucumbers are super crunchy. You’ll find them at most grocery stores, often sold in small bags. If you can’t find them, an English cucumber works too!
• Roma tomatoes: I love Roma tomatoes here because they’re meatier and less juicy than other varieties, so they hold up well.
• Shallots add a gentle bite to the bean salad. You can substitute red onion if that’s what you have.
• Cilantro: Fresh and grassy, cilantro is both stirred into the salad and scattered over the finished bowls. If you’re in the cilantro-hater camp, flat-leaf parsley is a fine swap.
• Spices: Sweet Spanish paprika and smoky ground cumin add a savory dimension to both the bean salad and the shrimp. Greek oregano gives the shrimp an herbaceous note.
• Lemon adds tanginess to the bean salad. Use a lime if you like. 
• Extra virgin olive oil: Used to sauté the shrimp and dress the bean salad. A good olive oil is everything in my cooking. Browse the full selection of extra virgin olive oils in our shop.
• Shrimp: Go for large or extra-large raw shrimp. They’re harder to overcook! Frozen shrimp works perfectly here. Need help prepping them? This guide to shrimp covers it all!
• Garlic adds that irresistible savory aroma to the shrimp

How to Make Shrimp Bowls

• Prep the Greek Lemon Rice. Start the rice according to this Greek Lemon Rice recipe.
• Make the dressing. While the rice is cooking, prepare the Green Goddess Dressing. Set aside for now.
• Make the quick bean salad. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 (15-ounce) can black or kidney beans, drained and rinsed, 1 chopped avocado, 2 chopped Persian cucumbers, 2 chopped Roma tomatoes, 1 to 2 chopped shallots, and most of 1 bunch cilantro, chopped, reserving some to garnish the finished bowls. Season with 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and a good pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon each) kosher salt and black pepper. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss to combine and set aside to allow the flavors to meld. 
• Season the shrimp. Pat 1 to 1 1/2 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp dry and season with a big pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin.
• Sauté the shrimp. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the shrimp and 2 large minced garlic cloves and cook, tossing regularly, until the shrimp turns pink (2 to 4 minutes, depending on the size). 
• Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice, black bean salad, and shrimp among your serving bowls. Drizzle with as much of the green goddess dressing over (place extra dressing in a bowl to serve along). Serve immediately with a sprinkle of cilantro on top. 

Swaps and Substitutions

• Swap the protein. Grilled chicken or salmon works beautifully in place of shrimp.
• Change the grain. Greek lemon rice is the inspiration here, but quinoa, farro, or brown rice all make excellent bases.
• Make it vegetarian. Skip the shrimp and double up on the black beans, or add roasted chickpeas for extra protein.
• Switch the dressing. Green goddess is a natural fit, but a tahini lemon dressing or a simple basil vinaigrette would be equally delicious with the Mediterranean flavors here. 

What to Serve with Shrimp Bowls with Lemon Rice

The beauty of a bowl for dinner is that it’s already a balanced meal. If you do want to round it out with a few extras, I think the flavors in this Spinach Mango Salad would be a perfect fit for the cilantro in the bean salad. Better yet, make Grilled Mango with lime, Aleppo pepper, and honey for dessert. Don’t forget to add something light and refreshing to drink, like my Mint Lemonade.