These are not your average lettuce wraps! Pesto Shrimp Salad Wraps are super hearty almost like eating a main dish and a salad at the same time. Each is filled with lemon pesto shrimp, lemon pepper rice and nestled in a crisp lettuce wrap.
Build your own Lettuce Wraps
Pesto Shrimp Salad Wraps are super fun to make for any gathering. You can make everything in advance and just let everyone build their own lettuce wraps. This recipe gluten-free, low fat, egg-free and filled with fresh spring flavors.
Hearty and Delicious
You are just going to love these shrimp and rice wraps as they are bursting with flavor and so easy to make. I really like the little crisp contrast of the lettuce next to the hearty vegan chickpea lemon rice and light and lovely parsley lemon pesto shrimps and I think you will too. Yes, you guessed it! The lettuce wrap fillings are served slightly warm or at room temperature to nourish and Feed your Spleen.
These wraps are not wimpy by any means. They are very hearty from the protein packed lemon pepper rice but are also light and bright from the parsley lemon pesto and from the squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I love contrast and texture differences in my food and this little recipe has it all going on. If you love shrimp and rice together, you are going to want to try our Shrimp Burritos with Creamy Poblano Sauce.
Parsley the forgotten herb
Parsley most often gets overlooked in cooking. It is most often used as a garnish only, but why is that? Parsley and lemon together make a delightful pesto. Parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper makes a beautiful marriage when thrown together in the food processor.
Have Extra Pesto?
I think this parsley lemon pesto would also be great on fish, pasta, grilled chicken, Chicken and Parsley Pesto Calzone, salads and of course it rocks on seafood. If I were you I would double the recipe just to make sure you have leftovers for other recipes. Don't tell me I did not warn you...
Bring on the Lemons
Lemons have really stole the show in the recipe and are used in everything from the cooking of the lemon pepper rice to the parsley lemon pesto and even to a fresh squeeze of lemon juice right before they are served. Fresh lemons really lightens up this dish and makes you feel like spring has finally really arrived.
Meal Planning
If you make your ingredients in advance of your guests arrival, this would be one very fun idea for a casual gathering.
- Make your Parsley lemon pesto sauce and place in the refrigerator.
- Cook your lemon pepper rice.
- Wash and prepare your lettuce wraps and your lemon cheeks.
- Then all you need to do is cook your shrimp which takes less than 5 minutes and toss with the pesto lemon pesto, reheat your rice and enjoy.
Dietary Exchanges
If you are diabetic or watching carbs in your diet just leave out the lemon pepper rice or try it with cauliflower rice instead. Do you have a seafood allergy, then try with chicken or white fish instead.
In keeping with the budget friendly meal, I used regular old iceberg lettuce as they were 6 HKD a piece here at the local park n shop. However, you can use romaine, butter lettuce, radicchio or any lettuces you like.
More Favorite Shrimp Recipes
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Pesto Shrimp Salad Wraps
Ingredients
- 4 cups lemon pepper rice cooked and prepared
Parsley Lemon Pesto
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or more as needed to help get the food processor moving)
- ¼ cup onion
- 2 cloves garlic
peeled - salt and pepper
to taste
Sautéed Garlic Shrimp
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
peeled and minced - 1 pound shrimp
peeled and deveined - salt and pepper
to taste - ¼ cup red bell pepper
garnish - optional - 8 ice burg lettuce leaves washed and dried
Instructions
- Make your Lemon Pepper Rice and set aside.
- Make your Parsley Lemon Pesto: In your food processor add lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- In a medium frying pan, add olive oil, garlic, shrimp and salt and pepper to taste and fry until pink and no longer translucent (about 3 minutes in an iron skillet). Add your chopped red bell pepper and stir fry. You could also grill your shrimp, if you like.
- Toss the shrimp and red peppers with the Parsley Lemon Pesto. Set aside.
- Assemble Pesto Shrimp Salad Wraps: Place a dry and clean lettuce leaf on a plate and mound with a generous portion of Lemon Pepper Rice and Parsley lemon shrimp and squeeze fresh lemon juice on top. Enjoy!
Jen says
So healthy! Glad I found these little packets of wonderfulness
shenANNAgans says
Can I come live wit yoooou... Pretty Please?! Holy yarm woman, these look phenom. I want this food in my life. I had a salt & vinegar cricket followed by some vegemite chocolate just now, pretty much destroyed the taste buds. A fresh and fabulous meal like this would return my mouth to normal. 🙂
mjskit says
This is a perfect summer meal for the two of us! I love adding lemon to shrimp and what you've done here steps it up quite a bit. Great idea to add the rice to the wrap, making it a well-rounded meal in a leaf of lettuce.
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
Could I be drooling anymore?! Um. NO!