Shrimp and Tomatoes are the perfect starter or an appetizer to serve all year, including the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays. This Shrimp and Tomatoes recipe goes perfectly well with slices of crusty bread or artesian-style crackers and a glass of your favorite wine.

You will love this winning combination of fresh wild-caught jumbo shrimp, a medley of colorful organic grape tomatoes, shallots, and Spanish capers tossed in a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette and topped with fresh herbs. This Shrimp and Tomatoes dish screams decadent and impressive but is simple.

This fantastic recipe for Shrimp and Tomatoes is usually served at about room temperature, so you will want to start with grape tomatoes and most ingredients other than the fresh shrimp that have not been refrigerated. Since I’m a self-proclaimed drama queen, I left the tails on these shrimp when I made them this time. However, I would recommend removing them when serving to a crowd to keep the mess of shrimp tails down.

Components for Shrimp and Tomatoes

See the recipe card below for further information.

Fresh wild-caught jumbo shrimp: Wild shrimp are caught in their natural habitats, while farmed raised shrimp are raised on a shrimp farm. Wild-caught shrimp are more natural and usually much healthier than their cultivated counterparts.
Medley of colorful organic grape tomatoes: Use colorful organic grape tomatoes that are non-GMO, organically grown, and contain no preservatives. These classic organic grape tomatoes are delicious for salads, snacks, and recipes. Be sure not to refrigerate them as it takes away from the tomato’s sweet flavor.
Shallots: What’s the difference between shallots and onions? Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense flavor. You can substitute shallots in almost any recipe that calls for onions.
Spanish capers: The Spanish Capers add a floral, tangy, and salty flavor to the Shrimp and Tomatoes. Capers are salty because of the way they are processed and packaged.
Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is frequently used in cooking to “Brighten” flavors and works well to counter many of the flavors present in seafood.
Lemon Wedges: The lemon wedges add more flavor to the Shrimp and Tomatoes when serving and serve as a garnish to this seafood dish.
Olive oil: Be sure to look for quality olive oil. This recipe uses organic cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor results. Trust me, and your tastebuds will thank you.
Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs are essential in this Shrimp and Tomato recipe. You can use fresh parsley, basil, or cilantro in this recipe or a combination. Just don’t combine the basil with cilantro.
Kosher salt: Using kosher salt instead of table salt enhances the Shrimp and Tomatoes‘ flavor instead of making the recipe taste salty. Kosher salt has no iodine, which can also lend an unwanted bitter taste to the recipe.
Freshly ground peppercorns: When whole peppercorns are freshly ground, they are significantly more flavorful than ground pepper. When you grind peppercorns immediately before eating, the fresh ground pepper has less time to react with the air, which allows the pepper to maintain the flavor components that make it peppery tasting.

Equipment for the Shrimp and Tomatoes

Small kitchen knife to devein the jumbo shrimp (remove mud vein)
Small sharp serrated knife to slice the grape tomatoes
Cutting board to slice the tomatoes and shallots
Measuring cups to measure ingredients such as parsley and olive oil
Measuring spoons to measure ingredients such as kosher salt and capers
Steamer or steam pot to cook the jumbo shrimp
Large glass serving bowl to combine and serve the Shrimp and Tomatoes recipe
Small bowl to place the olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper
Small whisk to combine the olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper
Serving spoon to serve the Shrimp and Tomatoes

Method for the Shrimp and Tomatoes

Gather all ingredients listed for the Shrimp and Tomatoes as this recipe moves quickly.
Rinse and devein the jumbo shrimp (remove the mud vein), then remove the tails from the shrimp.
Place the jumbo shrimp in a steamer and cook for about 3-5 minutes, careful not to overcook the shrimp.
Meanwhile, slice the shallots and halve the organic grape tomatoes. Place the cooked jumbo shrimp, tomatoes, shallots, capers, and fresh parsley in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the organic extra-virgin olive oil, juice of one lemon, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper with a small whisk. Add the lemon and olive oil vinaigrette to the large bowl before serving the Shrimp and Tomatoes. Do not add before.
Garnish the Shrimp and Tomatoes with the torn basil before serving.
Serve with slices of crusty bread or artesian-style crackers.

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