This Creamy Coconut Tomato Shrimp with cilantro lime cauliflower rice is a perfect Whole30 friendly weeknight dinner! Just sauté some onions with garlic and ginger, add a can of tomatoes, a can of coconut milk, shrimp and baby spinach. Serve it over cauliflower rice and you have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!
Creamy Coconut Tomato Shrimp is a super quick and easy dinner! It uses pantry staples that you probably already have on hand: a can of diced tomatoes, a can of coconut milk, frozen raw shrimp and frozen (or fresh) cauliflower rice. I love shelf cooking and this recipe is a fantastic way to make something seriously delicious with simple ingredients WITHOUT having to go to the store. Plus, it's paleo, keto, Whole 30 approved and gluten and dairy free.
I love any type of curry, especially Thai and this shrimp dish reminds me of a red curry although it doesn't use any red curry paste. I wanted it to be very simple and fresh so I didn't use too many spices. Fresh garlic, ginger and a small pinch of cumin and coriander is all it takes. The red pepper flakes add a little bit of heat, just enough for a tiny but pleasant hint of spiciness. I like to serve it with cilantro cauliflower rice but if you prefer a grain option, such as rice or quinoa, it will pair beautifully with the creamy, coconuty, tomatoey sauce.
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WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE CREAMY TOMATO COCONUT SHRIMP
What I love about this recipe is that it uses mostly pantry ingredients. You can have zero produce in your fridge and with some pantry and freezer luck, you'll be able to whip it up in no time and enjoy for dinner or lunch.
Shrimp: Wild frozen raw jumbo shrimp in a bag is all you need, unless you have access to fresh catch of the day, of course. If the shrimp is unpeeled, peel it, devein, if needed and remove the tails. Tail on shrimp looks pretty but is not the most practical in a saucy dish.
Tomatoes: diced canned tomatoes are the easiest and most economical option.
Cauliflower rice: you can either make your own by pulsing a head of cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice (don't puree!), or just grab a bag of fresh or frozen riced cauliflower from the grocery store. Frozen cauliflower rice tends to get mushy easily so if you like a more tender texture, go with fresh.
Spinach: I used baby spinach for this recipe because that's what I always have in my refrigerator but feel free to use regular or frozen and thawed whole spinach leaves.
Coconut milk: go with full fat coconut milk.
HOW TO MAKE WHOLE30 COCONUT TOMATO SHRIMP
- Sauté onions in oil until soft and sweaty. Add ginger, garlic, cumin and coriander.
- Stir in a can of diced tomatoes and a can of full fat coconut milk.
- Cook together for about 5 minutes, then remove about a cup of the mixture and blend it with an immersion or stand up blender. This step will give the sauce thick and luscious texture.
- Add shrimp, spinach and pepper flakes and cook until spinach is wilted but still bright green and the shrimp is pink.
- Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve with cauliflower rice (recipe below) and cilantro for a balanced meal packed with veggies and sprinkle with cilantro.
SUBSTITUTIONS
This dish is pretty versatile and can be thrown together very fast. It's a perfect weekday dinner when you come home super hungry and need something quick and delicious. I love the fact that it uses staple pantry ingredients but if you're missing an ingredient or two, you can still make it work!
- If you don't have cauliflower or if you prefer grains, serve the Creamy Coconut Tomato Shrimp with brown rice or quinoa.
- If you have all the ingredients but no shrimp in the freezer, you can also make this dish with cubed or sliced chicken breast or white fish. Just add your chicken or fish to the sauce and cook for a couple minutes until chicken is cooked through and if you're using fish, cook until flaky.
- No spinach? Just make it without and nobody will notice! I tend to add spinach to everything because you can never have too many greens but this creamy shrimp will also taste great without them.
STORAGE, MEAL PREP AND REHEATING TIPS
Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, remove the lid and heat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Be sure not to cook the shrimp too long or it will become rubbery.
No time to make it now? Pin it and make it later!
OTHER EASY PALEO/KETO DINNER IDEAS
- Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)
- Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms Cauliflower Rice Casserole (Keto, Paleo, Whole30)
- Creamy Sausage, Kale and Tomato Soup (Paleo, Whole30)
- Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese Skillet (Keto)
- Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats (Keto)
Recipe
Creamy Coconut Tomato Shrimp (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp raw, shelled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 3 oz baby spinach
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small piece of ginger minced
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
- 12 oz package frozen cauliflower rice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Coconut cilantro rice
- In a skillet heat up frozen cauliflower rice and coconut oil until soft (don’t overcook). Stir in 1½ tablespoon cilantro & ½ teaspoon salt, cover and keep warm.
Coconut tomato shrimp
- Heat up avocado or canola oil in a deep skillet. Add onions and cook for a few minutes until soft but not brown.
- Add ginger, garlic, cumin and coriander. Keep cooking and stirring until fragrant, a minute or so. Add tomatoes and coconut milk and cook covered for about 5 minutes.
- Remove about a cup of tomato-onion mixture, let cool slightly and blend it using an immersion blender. This step will thicken the sauce and add a more intense flavor.
- Pour the blended mixture back in the skillet. Add raw shrimp, baby spinach and pepper flakes. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, then stir together and cook until shrimp is pink and spinach is wilted but still bright green.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Note: canned tomatoes are usually already salted so taste before salting.
- Serve over cilantro cauliflower milk and garnish with remaining ½ tablespoon chopped cilantro.
Notes
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
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