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This recipe is TO DIE FOR. So so flavorful, and surprisingly healthy! Please, if you’re considering, try this out!!
Haley
This spicy / creamy / green combination is pretty much life goals.
A pile of creamy cauliflower mash sets the stage and then gets tucked in by those smoky greens before finally getting piled high with a mound of aggressively seasoned, salty, juicy shrimp.
Do you even hear me? Leave work immediately. Pack the kids in the car. Go to the grocery store. Make this your life’s mission.
It is peak cozy, nutritious, and cool-weather wonderful.
Let’s Talk Kale and Bacon Fat
Let’s break this down, because shrimp is straightforward, and cauliflower mash is mostly reasonable, but when I say smoky garlic kale, what I really mean is KALE or KALETTES (!!) sautéed with garlic in a little knoblet of bacon fat.
That adorable thing would be called a kalette: a cross between kale and brussels sprouts. I bought mine at Super Target, so it would appear that we regulars have access to these little wonders without a trip to any special grocery store (but regular kale works, too).
Related – that knob of bacon fat that I mentioned? The one that makes the greens especially delicious? It’s something you should just do, like, regularly.
I keep a little container in my fridge – it’s called the Fat Trapper – for bacon grease! Almost any recipe can benefit from a little depth and smoky-rich flavor. Just swap some butter or oil with a little bacon fat. This is one of my favorite easy little cooking hacks. Every time I do this, people go above and beyond in their food compliments. Because people may not know it, but they do, in fact, love bacon fat.
Onto The Shrimp and Cauliflower Mash
The thing you need to know about these shrimp is that they really, really want you to cover them thoroughly in spices. They don’t have to be SPICY spicy – they could just be very well-seasoned. But they want some kick. They want to wow you.
The other thing you need to know about the shrimp is that while you will be tempted to eat every last one of them straight out of the sizzling hot pan, you MUST exercise enough self control to get them on the plate, tucked between your garlicky greens and your creamy cauliflower mash. It is really the combo of all three of these wonders that makes this a repeat-dinner-winner.
And that cauliflower mash? Easy, creamy, comforting, *mostly* healthy, and so, so good.
I mean, if you happened to give the whole thing a quick lemon squeeze before devouring?
You would not be wrong.
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Spicy Shrimp and Cauliflower Mash (1 Min):
Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Mash and Garlic Kale
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Mash and Garlic Kale – tender-sweet shrimp and smoky garlic kale over creamy cauliflower mash. The most DELICIOUS fake-fancy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower Mash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 6 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- one 14-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, like sharp cheddar or havarti
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Kale
- 1 tablespoon bacon fat (or olive oil)
- 3 cups kalettes OR chopped kale
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the Shrimp
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb. shrimp (enough for 4 people)
- a few good shakes of garlic salt, chili powder, cayenne, and/or black pepper
Instructions
- Cauliflower Mash: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the cauliflower and garlic. Saute for a minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the milk and 2 cups broth. Simmer for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the white beans and mash roughly with the back of a large wooden spoon. It will be soupy – that’s okay. Stir in the cornmeal and things will start to thicken a bit. Adjust the consistency by adding in the last cup of broth as needed. Stir in the cheese and season to taste.
- Kale: Heat the bacon fat in a nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Add the greens and garlic and saute until softened. For the kalettes, I added a little water at the end to sort of steam them to finish them off. Remove kale and wipe out pan with a paper towel.
- Shrimp: In the same skillet, add the oil over medium heat. Pat the shrimp dry. Add to the pan and sprinkle with seasonings to taste. Cook for just a few minutes and then add a quick splash of water or broth to the pan (about 2 tablespoons) to pull the browned bits and spices into something of a saucy-coating for the shrimp. It’s delicious.
- Serve: Serve the shrimp and kale over a big pile of cauliflower mash! SO yummy.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spicy shrimp recipe, cauliflower mash, healthy shrimp recipe, gluten-free recipe, healthy dinner recipe
Note: this post contains an affiliate link for the nifty little bacon FAT TRAPPER! Annnd that’s probably my best blog line ever.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of easy shrimp recipes. Check it out!
Soo good!! I made lamb spinach meatballs over the cauliflower mash & kale & added chopped shiitake mushrooms & a dash of Marsala wine to the kale & mushrooms. Delicious meal!!
HI! I’m excited to try this but was wondering what the purpose of the cornmeal was? I can’t eat corn so I’ll need to sub that out with something that will have the same or similar effect. Thank you!
Hi Valerie! The cornmeal helps to thicken the cauliflower mash while also adding flavor! You could leave out or possibly try breadcrumbs or flour.
Hi! This recipe looks great, and I need all the help I can get. I am working on a seafood dish each week, and this looks easy and manageable for me. I was wondering can you give me more specifics on the seasoning for the shrimp? Shakes of seasoning don’t work well for me. LOL
Thanks 🙂
I’d probably do a half teaspoon each of garlic powder and chili powder!
I thought it was pretty good, no Kale though just a side salad,
Thank you and keep up the good work
Hey I was wondering would the cauliflower mash have the same consistency if you didn’t use the beans? I’m making this dish for my family tonight and my aunt doesn’t like beans.
This was amazing! I didn’t have the cannelloni beans, or any canned beans, so I used some canned refried beans that were open in the fridge. I used my stick blender to smooth the cauliflower up a bit. For a low carb meal my whole family was blown away. If I ever open a restaurant, this will be a menu star! Thanks
Ok, I am normally the biggest POY recipe fan! This one… does not meet the mark… It *could* be the pregnancy hormones talking, but the cauliflower mash is such a strange amalgamation of stuff. Kind of feeling some aversion-y regret and it was not a hit with 3/5 of my not-picky children. I like cauliflower and I like grits. Together? Eeeehhhh. The shrimp and kale components were tasty, though!
Can you use frozen cauliflower?
Yes, frozen cauliflower should work out just fine!
Another winner. Delicious!
What an amazing combo of that cauliflower mash. That combined with shrimp and kale… a Keeper!!!
Thanks Lindsay for a great meal!!! You’re recipes never disappoint!
Sooooo yummy! And so good and fresh! With not much time- Cheated a bit and used the mashed cauliflower from the freezer aisle 🙂 Still turned out amazing! Thanks for this recipe!
Hey Lindsay,
I must admit that I’ve been going overboard for a very long time eating as I please and not watching my calories. I’ve gained a significant amount of unhealthy weight. The hibachi buffet has me spoiled rotten. Even though the hibachi buffet has healthy food selections, I’ve been going bonkers and I know I’m guilty.
I never thought of trying the shrimp and broccoli or shrimp and Cauliflower meal at home. I know it’ll save me a lot more money versus going out and eating at restaurants. This post gave me an idea to restart my diet and might try preparing shrimp and broccoli at home very soon, as I need to desperately lose weight.
Thank you for this thought-provoking blog Lindsay. 🙂
First, I would like to suggest that the comments are displayed in Most recent date order. The comments on this dish start with about 100 people just gushing over your post-not helpful at all.
Ok, I made this and every bit of it was amazing. I did take the user tip and decreased the broth by 1 cup. It was perfect for me. I will make this many more times–especially trying to think what I could serve the mash with besides shrimp! My mom suggested as a side with fried chicken–which would be a great side dish!
You must cook the cauliflower longer than 10 minutes. Use an emulsion blender to make the mash smooth.
Thus was okay for a lot of work.
I made the spicy shrimp with cauliflower mash and garlic kale tonight and will definitely put this on the dinner rotation. Amazing flavors and I felt like I was having a starch with the cauliflower mash. Amazing!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jenn!
This looks amazing! Do you have any recommendations for cooking this for meal prep? Love your content, thanks!
We think this dish would be great for meal prep! Can’t think of any special instructions. Just cook according to recipe, and then portion out the 4 servings into containers. Enjoy!
Beautiful!
Yummy! Need to try it asap. Thanks
Lovely idea!
This looks so delicious! And healthy too–love all those veggies in there, and the shrimp looks amazing. 🙂
I’m excited to give this one a try! I’ve yet to find a blooper recipe on your blog – and I’m sure this is no different! I consider this a rift off shrimp and grits – one of the first dishes I obsessed over when I first moved to New Orleans! Excited to see what cauliflower does to it.
Very interesting, thank you
What?! Kalettes??! I’ve never heard of such a thing! Looks like a trip to a Super Target is in order. Thanks for this recipe. It looks delicious.
Enjoy!
Spicy shrimp with cauliflower mash I love the food . I am going to try this. Thanks for sharing
Beautiful!!!
Apparently no one actually prepares these recipes. They just comment on how nice they look and/or sound. Not helpful.