This bright and flavorful lemon-mint orzo with poached shrimp is vibrant, elegant, and perfect for date night.
Tender shrimp, gently poached in an infused lemon broth, are spooned over orzo and topped with fresh mint and toasted pine nuts for a rich, vibrant finish.
This lemon-mint orzo with shrimp is a vibrant, aromatic dish built from layers of citrusy broth, poached shrimp, and minty orzo. While the technique is straightforward, the recipe does require a few pots and pans and a bit of overlap to build its depth of flavor. The payoff is a bright, brothy bowl that feels refreshing yet cozy, and deeply satisfying.
This recipe is almost seven years old now (how time flies!), and it’s one that I typically revisit in the colder months when I’m starting to feel the slog of dark winter evenings. A simple broth is infused with lemon peels and finished with lots of lemon juice to create a light and bright base for poached shrimp and orzo. The addition of fresh mint makes this a meal that both comforts and energizes, and just feels so perfect on a cold night.
A fragrant lemon broth and fresh mint make this shrimp and orzo recipe feel fresh, bright, and incredibly satisfying.
Simmered lemon peels infuse the broth with brightness without the bitterness, while the fresh lemon juice keeps everything punchy. You’ll gently poach the shrimp in the broth so they stay tender, not rubbery, before ladling it over orzo that’s been lightly dressed with olive oil and tossed with fresh mint. The toasted pine nuts bring a rich and buttery nuttiness along with the perfect amount of crunch. It’s a simple, gorgeous bowl that comes together relatively quickly.
What You Need
Shrimp: Use peeled and deveined shrimp. Leaving the tails on will add a little extra flavor to the broth, but removing them makes them easier to eat. The choice is yours!
Orzo: This tiny pasta soaks up broth beautifully. Nearly any small pasta will work here. Try it with pastina, ditalini, or even pearl couscous.
Aromatics: Celery, onion, garlic, and lemon zest strips create a deeply flavored broth.
Broth: Use chicken stock or water; stock adds richness.
Mint and pine nuts: Fresh mint keeps the bowl bright. Pine nuts add crunch and a rich, buttery flavor.
How to make it
Step 1: Season the shrimp.
Peel and devein the shrimp. Season them with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.
Step 2: Prep the lemons.
Peel 8 strips of zest and juice the lemons.
Step 3: Cook the orzo.
Boil until al dente, reserve pasta water, drain, rinse, and dress with extra virgin olive oil and salt.
Step 4: Make the lemon broth.
As you wait for the water to boil for the orzo, start the broth. Sauté celery and onion, add garlic, lemon peels, stock, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. Simmer 15 minutes.
Step 5: Strain and reheat the broth.
Discard solids, return broth to the pot, and add reserved pasta water.
Step 6: Poach the shrimp.
Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes until pink and cooked through.
Step 7: Toast the pine nuts.
As the shrimp poach, toast the pine nuts briefly. Transfer them to a cutting board and roughly chop them. Tear half the mint and toss with the chopped pine nuts in a small bowl.
Step 8: Finish the orzo.
Tear the remaining mint and mix with the warm orzo.
Step 9: Serve.
Ladle shrimp and broth over the orzo and finish with the pine nut–mint mixture.
FAQ
Can I use frozen shrimp?
You can poach frozen shrimp, but be sure you’ve bought peeled, raw shrimp, as you can’t peel frozen shrimp. You may need to increase the poaching time slightly, as frozen shrimp will need more time to cook through.
Can I substitute the mint?
Basil or parsley will work, though mint adds the most complementary brightness.
Do I have to strain the broth?
Straining ensures a clean, clear broth. If you like a broth with more texture, keep the aromatics in and simply remove the lemon peels before adding the shrimp.
How can I make this gluten-free?
Swap orzo for gluten-free orzo or serve over cooked white rice instead.
Do the shrimp and orzo reheat well?
It reheats beautifully, though the orzo will absorb broth in the refrigerator. Add a splash of stock or water when warming. I recommend reheating gently on the stovetop. If using a microwave, reheat in 45-second bursts, stirring after each interval to ensure the shrimp don’t overcook.
Lemon-Mint Orzo with Poached Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 pounds shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 8 ounces orzo
- 3 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus 2 teaspoons, divided)
- 3 cups chicken stock (or water)
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
- 1 small bunch mint (leaves picked from the stem; yielding about ¼ cup packed mint leaves)
- Salt and pepper
- Crushed red pepper
For Serving:
- Crusty bread (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the shrimp:
- Place the peeled shrimp in a large bowl and season with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat and refrigerate until needed.
Prepare the lemons:
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove 8 strips of peel from the lemons and set them aside. Juice the lemons into a bowl, discarding the seeds. The lemons should yield ¼ cup of lemon juice.
Prepare the orzo:
- Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Pour in the orzo and stir immediately to keep the orzo from clumping. Cook for 9 to 11 minutes or until al dente.
- Scoop out ¼ cup of pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain and rinse the orzo and transfer to a deep serving bowl. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Cook the broth:
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot until very hot. Add the diced celery and onion and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the lemon peels and the chicken stock. Season with salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir in the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer rapidly, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Pour the broth into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stovetop. Add the broth, along with ¼ cup of reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a boil.
Poach the shrimp:
- Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to low and add the shrimp. Cover the pot and poach for 5 to 7 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. You may need to stir the shrimp once or twice to ensure they cook through. Total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your shrimp. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Prepare the pine nuts:
- As the shrimp poach, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring often, for 30 to 45 seconds until golden brown and fragrant. Turn off the heat and transfer the pine nuts to a cutting board.
- Roughly chop the pine nuts and transfer to a small bowl. Tear half the mint leaves and toss with the pine nuts. Add a pinch of salt and set aside.
Finish the orzo:
- Tear the remaining mint leaves and toss with the orzo.
To serve:
- Ladle the shrimp and broth over the cooked orzo. Scatter the pine nut and mint mixture on top. Serve with toasted, crusty bread on the side. Enjoy!
I made this super easy recipe a few days ago and absolutely loved it (as did my husband, which is a rarity with shrimp-based dishes). The broth is SO flavorful and bright, and the orzo is such an easy and satisfying starch.
I think the recipe could use a couple of minor updates, though. One of the steps references crushed red pepper flakes; however, the ingredients listing doesn’t have red pepper flaks. I’m a cooking idiot, so I guessed and used 1 teaspoon in the broth. It was quite spicy – which I liked! – but I’m not sure if that was the intent.
Lastly, the recipe steps say to add “cooked shrimp” to the broth and to allow them to pink up. I used thawed, raw shrimp. Seemed to work okay, but I think a clarification in the ingredients list might be helpful.
All told, this is a super easy, VERY fast recipe that I loved and will happily revisit.