Garlic Butter Shrimp over Herbed Quinoa with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cupquinoa
- 2 cupsvegetable broth
- 1½ cupscherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoonsolive oil
- 1 poundshrimp (large, peeled and deveined)
- 5 clovesgarlic
- 2 tablespoonsbutter
- ¼ cupfresh parsley
- ¼ cupfresh basil
- 1lemon
- ·salt
- ·black pepper
- ¼ teaspoonred pepper flakes
Prep
- 01
Peel and devein shrimp if not already done, pat dry with paper towels.
- 02
Mince 5 cloves garlic.
- 03
Chop 1/4 cup fresh parsley and 1/4 cup fresh basil.
- 04
Cut lemon in half.
Method
- 01
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- 02
Rinse quinoa under cold water. In a medium pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil, add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
- 03
Toss cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 12–15 minutes until they burst and caramelize.
- 04
While quinoa cooks and tomatoes roast, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 05
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Once oil is hot, add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes per side until they just turn pink. Transfer to a plate.
- 06
Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and minced garlic to the same pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in red pepper flakes.
- 07
Return shrimp to the pan and toss to coat in the garlic butter. Squeeze in juice from 1 lemon. Cook for 1 minute more.
- 08
Fluff quinoa with a fork. Stir in chopped parsley and basil.
- 09
Divide herbed quinoa among bowls, top with garlic butter shrimp and roasted cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with pan juices and serve immediately.
Spice Tips
For deeper warmth, increase red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon or add a tiny pinch of cayenne. A splash of white wine or vermouth in the butter sauce adds sophistication. Fresh cilantro or dill work beautifully in place of basil if you prefer.
This comes together in about 25 minutes. Shrimp cooks so fast that timing the other elements to finish simultaneously matters — start the quinoa first, then roast tomatoes, then sear the shrimp. The roasted tomatoes add natural sweetness and body to balance the bright lemon and garlic.