Shrimp Veracruzana

Name: Shrimp Veracruzana
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons canola oil; 1 bay leaf; 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced; 2 jalape&#241;o peppers, seeded and very thinly sliced, or to taste; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp, (16-20 per pound; see Shopping Tip); 3 medium tomatoes, diced; ¼ cup thinly sliced pitted green olives; 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Rating: 3.88 stars

24 Ratings
10 Reviews

Veracruzana is a dish full of onions, jalapeños and tomatoes from the Mexican state of Veracruz. Here we pair the zesty sauce with shrimp, but it can be served with any type of fish or chicken. The heat of fresh jalapeños varies depending on growing conditions. Be sure to taste yours as you're adding them to the dish and adjust the amount according to your taste. For pepper flavor without the heat, use a thinly sliced green bell pepper in place of the jalapeños. Serve with: Rice or potatoes and an avocado salad.

EatingWell Test Kitchen

Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2008

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Recipe Summary

total:

30 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Profile:

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and very thinly sliced, or to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp, (16-20 per pound; see Shopping Tip)
3 medium tomatoes, diced
¼ cup thinly sliced pitted green olives
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Directions

Step 1
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bay leaf and cook for 1 minute. Add onion, jalapenos and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp, cover and cook until pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and olives. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, replace cover and cook until the tomatoes are almost broken down, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf. Serve with lime wedges.

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Tips

Shopping Tip: Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized, so to be sure you're getting the size you want, order by the count (or number) per pound. Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Fortunately, it is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound environmental practices. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can't find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America--it's more likely to be sustainably caught.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: about 1 cup

Per Serving:

168 calories; protein 24.2g; carbohydrates 9.2g; dietary fiber 1.9g; sugars 4.1g; fat 4.5g; saturated fat 0.3g; cholesterol 182.6mg; vitamin a iu 850.2IU; vitamin c 27.2mg; folate 22.1mcg; calcium 95.9mg; iron 1mg; magnesium 55.3mg; potassium 600.4mg; sodium 291.5mg; thiamin 0.1mg.

Exchanges:

1 1/2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Reviews (10)

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24 Ratings

5 star values: 4
4 star values: 16
3 star values: 1
2 star values: 3
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

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EatingWell User

01/09/2013

Fresh and flavorful This dish was super easy to make and very tasty! With or without the olives you will love it. Keep the seeds or some of them to increase the heat. Serve with low-sodium black beans and I promise you will be full from this meal. Pros: Fresh quick fun and healthy Cons: None Read More

EatingWell User

01/26/2015

Super tasty This was a great recipe. I cut it in half and followed it exactly. I was concerned that the meal would be bland but the jalapeno and lime juice gave it the perfect amount of seasoning! I served this with rice and avocado sprinkled in lime juice and salt. Pros: Easy to make. Cons: Jalapenos: be careful and wash your hands thoroughly afterward! Read More

EatingWell User

10/30/2011

i made it just now--super easy and tasted really good. As far as the blandness comment I disagree the lime actually added a nice little flavor to it. The only thing that took awhile as peeling the shrimp.:) Also I didn't make it with rice or potatoes. I made it w/ steamed baby broccoli to cut down on carbs. I also left out the olives and used capers instead because I don't like olives. ENJOY! Read More

EatingWell User

10/29/2011

I made this but didn't use the Olives or the Lime because I didn't want to and we didn't have any limes. I served with fresh-home-made corn tortillas and low fat sour cream. It was amazingly good and my husband loved it as well... Very spicy and yummy Thanks so much we'll be having this again... Read More

EatingWell User

07/13/2012

Delicious and looks gourmet on your plate! I used black olives instead of green skipped the lime seasoned with Penzey's fajita seasoning served with brown rice and black beans. Delicious!!! Am making it a Friday staple! Pros: Fast easy healthy! Cons: Two jalapenos was WAY too hot & I eat habanero sauce on popcorn! WIll use milder peppers next Read More

EatingWell User

04/01/2015

Bland I prepared this exactly as directed. Added some salt at the end. Very bland and too many onions. Pros: Easy to make Read More

EatingWell User

07/21/2013

bland Pretty quick to make - but as I was preparing this I thought that maybe I was missing an ingredient or the like since there was no seasoning. Took a chance on it anyway and it turned out super bland even with added lime juice. Also really watery when finished. Pros: lots of veggies Cons: no flavor Read More

mmmjs5

10/29/2011

Great Dish This is a great dish. Next time I make it I will be ahead of the game by slicing dicing chopping veggies & having them ready. A few changes: no bay leaf used 2 thinly sliced med. onions sliced black olives grape tomatoes (quartered) & I also cut my shrimp to make smaller. When I added the tomatoes I also added cilantro. This is a delicious dinner served with brown rice & sliced avocado. I will definitely be making this again. Pros: Colorful great looking & tasting dish Cons: Slicing dicing chopping Read More

jlykens@mac.com

10/29/2011

Bland... I found this to be really bland. Although it is a quick recipe to cook the prep work takes enough extra time (in addition to chopping the vegetables I also had to peel the shrimp because I could not find any that was already peeled) for it to not be worth my while to make it again. Even my husband who normally loves anything with shrimp said it was only "ok." Read More

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