Mediterranean Prawn Salad with Lemon-Chili Dressing
A vibrant, blood sugar-friendly seafood salad featuring succulent prawns, crisp fennel, and peppery rocket tossed in a zesty lemon dressing—ready in just 15 minutes.
This Mediterranean-inspired prawn salad is a masterclass in low-glycemic eating that doesn't compromise on flavor. Prawns provide lean protein with virtually zero impact on blood sugar, while the generous serving of rocket and fennel delivers fiber and phytonutrients that help moderate glucose absorption. The fennel adds a delightful aniseed crunch and contains compounds that may improve insulin sensitivity.
The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and glycemic wisdom. By building your meal around protein-rich prawns and non-starchy vegetables, you create a satisfying plate that keeps blood sugar stable for hours. The extra-virgin olive oil provides healthy monounsaturated fats that further slow digestion and enhance nutrient absorption. Red onions, while adding a sharp bite, contain quercetin—a flavonoid studied for its potential blood sugar benefits.
For optimal glycemic control, enjoy this salad as your main course. The lemon juice not only brightens the flavors but may also help blunt the glycemic response of any carbohydrates in your meal. This is the kind of nourishing, Mediterranean-style eating that supports stable energy and long-term metabolic health. If you want to make this more substantial, pair it with a small portion of quinoa or chickpeas rather than bread to maintain the low-glycemic profile.
Blood Sugar Impact
Low to moderate impact with a gradual, controlled rise in blood sugar. The combination of protein from shrimp, healthy fats from olive oil, and fiber from vegetables should provide stable energy for 3-4 hours, though the garlic bread will cause a modest glucose elevation.
Blood Sugar Tips
- ✓ Eat the shrimp and vegetable salad first before consuming the garlic bread to slow glucose absorption
- ✓ Limit the garlic bread to one small piece or skip it entirely to keep the meal very low glycemic
- ✓ Take a 10-15 minute walk after eating to help muscles absorb glucose and blunt any spike from the bread
🥗 Ingredients
- 45 ml juice of 1 lemon
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.5 g dried chilli flakes
- 1 pcs red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pcs fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 40 g rocket (arugula)
- 200 g cooked prawns (shrimp)
- 2 pcs garlic bread, to serve (optional)
- 3 tbsp juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.0 oz dried chilli flakes
- 1 pcs red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pcs fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1.4 oz rocket (arugula)
- 7.1 oz cooked prawns (shrimp)
- 2 pcs garlic bread, to serve (optional)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Squeeze the lemon juice into a large mixing bowl, removing any seeds.
- 2
Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil and add a generous pinch of dried chilli flakes to create an emulsified dressing.
- 3
Add the thinly sliced red onion and fennel to the dressing, tossing well to coat. Let this mixture sit for 7-8 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften slightly and absorb the flavors while the acidity mellows their sharpness.
- 4
While the vegetables marinate, pat the cooked prawns dry with paper towels if they seem wet, ensuring they will absorb the dressing properly.
- 5
Add the rocket leaves to the bowl with the marinated vegetables and toss gently to combine.
- 6
Fold in the prawns, distributing them evenly throughout the salad.
- 7
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, adjusting the flavors as needed.
- 8
Divide the salad between two serving plates and serve immediately. For optimal blood sugar control, enjoy the salad on its own as a complete meal, or pair with a small portion of cooked quinoa or chickpeas if you need additional substance.
📊 Nutrition Per Serving
| Per Serving | Whole Dish | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 866 | 1731 |
| Carbs | 62g | 124g |
| Sugars | 12g | 24g |
| Added Sugars | 1g | 1g |
| Natural Sugars | 11g | 23g |
| Protein | 24g | 49g |
| Fat | 66g | 133g |
| Saturated Fat | 23g | 46g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 43g | 86g |
| Fiber | 18g | 37g |
| Soluble Fiber | 6g | 11g |
| Insoluble Fiber | 13g | 26g |
| Sodium | 440mg | 879mg |
Predicted Glucose Response
What if you...
Estimated model — individual responses vary. Not medical advice.
🔄 Lower GI Swaps
Garlic bread is high-glycemic due to refined flour. Almonds, chickpeas, and seed crackers provide crunch with minimal blood sugar impact and added protein/fiber to slow glucose absorption.
While red onion is moderate-GI, scallions, chives, and shallots have lower carbohydrate content per serving, reducing overall glycemic load while maintaining aromatic flavor.
While olive oil is already low-glycemic, blending with MCT oil or adding chia seeds increases healthy fats that further slow carbohydrate absorption and minimize blood sugar spikes.
Arugula is already low-glycemic, but adding darker leafy greens like spinach, kale, or watercress increases fiber content and nutrient density, further stabilizing blood sugar response.
🔬 The Science Behind This Recipe
Why This Salad Keeps Your Blood Sugar Steady
This Mediterranean prawn salad is a masterclass in blood sugar-friendly eating, with a remarkably low glycemic index of 33 and a glycemic load of just 16.1 per serving. The secret lies in its intelligent combination of protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich vegetables that work together to prevent glucose spikes. Prawns provide high-quality protein with virtually zero carbohydrates, which means they won't raise blood sugar at all while keeping you satisfied for hours. When you pair protein with the small amount of carbohydrates from vegetables like fennel and red onion, you dramatically slow down how quickly those carbs enter your bloodstream.
The olive oil and lemon dressing isn't just delicious—it's a metabolic advantage. Healthy fats from olive oil slow gastric emptying, meaning food moves more gradually from your stomach to your intestines where glucose absorption occurs. This creates a gentler, more sustained energy release rather than a sharp spike. The acidity from lemon juice also plays a crucial role by temporarily reducing the activity of enzymes that break down starches into sugar, further moderating the glucose response. Even the chili flakes contribute by potentially improving insulin sensitivity and adding capsaicin, which research suggests may help with glucose metabolism.
To maximize the blood sugar benefits of this meal, eat your vegetables first, then the protein. This "food sequencing" strategy can reduce post-meal glucose spikes by up to 73% compared to eating carbs first. Consider taking a 10-15 minute walk after eating—even light movement helps your muscles absorb glucose without requiring extra insulin. This salad proves that eating for stable blood sugar doesn't mean sacrificing flavor or satisfaction.