This meal of crisp vegetables and plump shrimp is light, fresh, flavorful and fast. It is just the thing to whip up when you need to reset from a weekend of typical summer party fare, heavy on the grilled meats and mayonnaise-y salads.
This dish celebrates the season healthfully by letting colorful summer vegetables — zucchini, red peppers and sugar snap peas — simply shine. And it couldn’t be more of a breeze to make. The vegetables are tossed into a steamer basket in which a bounty of shrimp have been given a few minutes’ head start, then everything steams together for another 4 or 5 minutes until the produce is crisp-tender and the shellfish is pink.
The mixture is served, over rice if you prefer, with a zingy drizzle made of soy sauce, grated ginger, scallion and sesame oil. The drizzle is more like a condiment than a sauce, in that a little goes a long way to punch up the delicate flavor of the ingredients without overwhelming them.
With grilling season at full throttle, it is a nice change of pace to step away from the fire and allow steam to do the cooking just as quickly and effortlessly.
Steamed shrimp and summer vegetables with ginger-soy drizzle
This dish celebrates the summer healthfully by letting colorful in-season vegetables shine.
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peeled, finely grated fresh ginger root
1 scallion (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1¼ pounds large shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined (tails discarded)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise then cut into ¼-inch half moons
8 ounces sugar snap peas (strings removed)
Cooked brown rice, for serving (optional)
Fill a 4-quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Seat a steamer basket on/in the pot, making sure it does not come in contact with the water.
Whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, scallion and toasted sesame oil in a liquid measuring cup.
Place the shrimp in the steamer basket; cover and steam-cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then arrange the vegetables on top of the shrimp. Cover and steam-cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the shrimp is no longer translucent. (During this time, it may help to gently stir or toss the vegetables and shrimp once or twice, for even cooking.)
Serve over rice, if desired, drizzled with the sauce.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition per serving: 180 calories, 32 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fat, no saturated fat, 230 milligrams cholesterol, 570 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber, 5 grams sugar.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
