Olive Oil Poached Shrimp with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce and Tomato Basil Pistou

I'm bringing you my most loved way to cook shrimp, and well any fish for that matter. Olive oil poached shrimp. It is beyond simple and surprisingly quick. Poaching in olive oil adds tons of flavor to whatever you're cooking in it. The shrimp is ultra buttery and they are cooked to perfection. And that leftover olive oil? Please don't throw that away! It is special and can be used again. Think a killer dressing or sauce for other seafood, or simply use again to poach some fish!

Poaching, also known as confit, is the method of submerging something in oil or fat that is barely hot. It will hold only the most gentle of simmers. The most well-known is probably duck confit, but garlic confit and confit tomatoes have grown in popularity as well.

You didn't think I would leave you sauceless did you? To pair with this easy poached shrimp, we have a sun-dried tomato cream sauce and a tomato basil pistou. The best way I can describe this beautiful recipe is when French meets Italian, and summer meets fall.

This recipe post is sponsored by O-Live & Co.. I was compensated for my time, however all opinions are always my own. Thank you for supporting the brands I use and love so much!

I’ve partnered up with my friends at O-Live & Co. to bring you a simple, yet mouthwatering dinner: olive oil poached shrimp with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce and finished with a tomato basil pistou. Putting the last of the summer produce to work!

O-Live & Co. is a sustainable company and the first ever 100% carbon neutral olive oil brand in the world. Their mill is located in the heart of their groves, allowing for their olives to be pressed within hours of picking, unlike other brands where olives are transported for days and become moldy. This gives the incredibly low acidity level of 0.2%, compared to the average of 0.8%, when olives are transported for days and become moldy. O-Live has won countless awards globally and scores 97/100 in the Flos Olei rankings, which is the world’s most prominent olive oil ranking system.

Today I am featuring their Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This olive oil works fabulously with this dish because it is mild in flavor, very smooth, and has a great buttery taste. It is the perfect poaching liquid, and is a great addition to both the Pistou and sun-dried tomato cream sauce. I love to pair the shrimp with parmesan polenta or pappardelle noodles for a full dinner meal. Also great to serve it on its own paired with some crusty bread (of course!) as a midday snack or appetizer.

Purchase stress-free directly through their online store or use their store locator to find where to purchase in-person near you today!

A few notes on poaching in olive oil:

There are recipes that will have you use a thermometer and heat your oil to a specific temperature, there is no need for that added step. Combining your olive oil and hardy herbs in a large pot, over medium heat is all you need to do. The biggest rule here is to never let your oil get above a gentle simmer. If you want to add some whole garlic cloves or red pepper flakes for an added kick, add them when you add your shrimp so they don't get overly toasty.

If you have five minutes and a large pan, you can poach shrimp no problem! Add olive oil and any hardy herbs you have to a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Let your oil heat up until it barely simmers. To gauge this, you want to be able to touch the oil. You want to be able to touch the oil and be warm, but not burning your finger. If your stove runs hotter, simply turn it down to low-medium heat.

Sprinkle your peeled shrimp with a bit of salt and pepper. In batches, add shrimp to the olive oil and poach until the shrimp are opaque in the center and just pink, about 5 minutes.

If you are using less olive oil and it doesn't cover the shrimp entirely, baste the shrimp with the warm oil. With a large spoon, spoon the olive oil over the shrimp until they turn in color. This may take 5-8 minutes. A nice bonus of poaching seafood is the lack of smell it produces.

More fresh + easy dinner ideas you will love:

• Best Ever Tinned Fish Sandwich
• Vegan Cauliflower Al Pastor Tacos
• Grilled Swordfish Skewers
• Roasted Veggie Burrata Antipasto Sandwich with Tarragon Lemon Basil Pesto

If you make this easy olive oil poached shrimp recipe please let me know by leaving a rating/review below! And make sure to sign up for emails so you never miss a new recipe and follow along on my Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more About to Sprout goodness!

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5 from 8 votes

Olive Oil Poached Shrimp with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce and Tomato Basil Pistou

This easy olive oil poached shrimp recipe is perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner or lite lunch. Sounds fancy and hard, but is super easy and takes 5 minutes to poach the most buttery shrimp you will ever have! 

Prep Time20 mins

Active Time10 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Small Bites

Cuisine: American, French, Italian

Keyword: Appetizer, Easy Recipe, Pescatarian, Shrimp

Author: rylee

Ingredients 

Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

• 2 tablespoons O-Live & Co. Everyday Olive Oil
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• ½ cup white wine or broth
• 5 oz. sundried tomatoes no oil from the jar
• 1 ¼ cup full fat coconut milk
• ½ cup parmesan grated
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• Salt + Pepper to taste

Tomato Basil Pistou

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups basil
• ½ pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup any hard cheese; parmesan manchego
• ¼ cup O-Live & Co. Everyday Olive Oil

Olive Oil Poached Shrimp

• 2-3 cups O-live & Co. Everyday Olive Oil enough to cover the shrimp
• 18-24 large shrimp peeled & raw
• Few springs of any hardy herb fresh thyme, rosemary
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Sundried tomato Cream Sauce

• In a skillet over medium heat, add olive and sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes
• Add garlic and cook 30 seconds
• Pour in wine/broth reducing to half, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan
• Add the sundried tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes to release some flavor
• Reduce heat to low-medium and add coconut milk and parmesan
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth **Add a little broth or water if you prefer a thinner sauce**

Tomato Basil Pistou

• In a food processor, add all ingredients except olive oil and give it a blitz until broken down. Slowly stream in the olive oil until it is all incorporated.

Olive Oil Poach Shrimp

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil and herbs
• Sprinkle peeled shrimp with salt and pepper
• In batches, add shrimp to the olive oil and poach until the shrimp are opaque in the center, about 5 minutes
• If you are using less olive oil and it doesn’t cover the shrimp entirely you can baste the shrimp with the olive oil
• With a large spoon, spoon the olive oil over the shrimp until the shrimp turns opaque
• Serve on it's own with the cream sauce and pistou and some crusty bread for a midday meal or serve over polenta or noodles for a hearty dinner